CHICAGO — It happened a few hours later than Cubs fans hoped — and perhaps a year earlier than experts predicted — but the Chicago Cubs are officially in the postseason.
The North Siders clinched a playoff berth late Friday thanks to some help from the Oakland A's, who knocked off the San Francisco Giants and lowered the Cubs' magic number to zero.
Postseason, here they come.
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Despite losing to the No. 1 Wild Card seed Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field Friday afternoon (a win would have clinched a playoff spot), the Cubs punched their No. 2 Wild Card seed ticket late as the Giants were officially eliminated from the race with their loss.
If the standings hold, the Pirates would host a one-game Wild Card playoff against the Cubs on Oct. 7, with 20-game winner Jake Arrieta poised to take the mound for the Cubs.
If the Cubs can manage to overtake the Pirates in the final week of the season, the Cubs and Wrigley Field would host the play-in game. The winner would take on the St. Louis Cardinals, who already clinched a spot in the postseason.
The Cubs last tasted the postseason in 2008, when they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs have undergone a massive renovation since then, and the youth movement that rolled in over the past several years have given fans much to dream about.
But with players like Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber making their rookie debuts this season, many thought the postseason was in the future, but not necessarily this year.
For a team without a World Series title since 1908, however, there's no better time than the present.
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