Chicago Cubs Clinch NL Wild Card as Michael Busch Homers Twice in 7-3 Win Over St. Louis Cardinals

Saturday, September 27th, 2025

Chicago Cubs Defeat St. Louis Cardinals to Clinch NL Wild Card

Michael Busch powered the Chicago Cubs with two home runs and four RBI, leading the Cubs to a significant 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. With this win, the Cubs clinched the top National League wild card spot and secured their place in the postseason for the first time since 2020.

Game Highlights and Home Runs

Buch opened the scoring in electrifying fashion, launching a leadoff homer to right-center off Michael McGreevy. He stayed hot throughout the game, adding a double in the third and smashing a go-ahead two-run homer—the 34th of his season—in the fifth inning. He wasn’t done, tripling in another run in the seventh and drawing an intentional walk in the eighth.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki also went deep for the Cubs. Crow-Armstrong homered in the eighth for his 31st of the season, and Suzuki blasted his 31st home run off Ryan Fernandez in the sixth. Both Bosch and Suzuki have now hit three home runs in their last two games.

Pitching Performances

Jameson Taillon (11-7) delivered six efficient innings for Chicago, conceding just three hits and one run while striking out eight and walking two. The bullpen handled most of the remaining work, with Brad Keller closing the door in a tense ninth-inning situation.

For the Cardinals, McGreevy (8-4) allowed three runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker homered for St. Louis, with Walker’s two-run shot narrowing the gap to 4-3 in the seventh.

Key Moment

In the ninth inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases thanks to two singles and a walk. Cubs reliever Brad Keller steadied his nerves and struck out Nathan Church swinging to seal the critical win for Chicago.

Key Stat

Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner went 0-for-5, dropping his season batting average to .297—now second among National League qualifiers, trailing only Philadelphia’s Trea Turner, who sits at .305 but hasn’t played since September 7 due to injury.

Postseason Outlook

The Cubs (91-70) are now set to host San Diego in the National League wild card round, with Game 1 of the best-of-three series scheduled for Tuesday. Both teams have yet to announce their starting pitchers for Sunday’s regular-season finale.

In summary

The Chicago Cubs secured a key 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, thanks to stellar performances by Michael Busch, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki. The win clinches the top NL wild card spot for the Cubs and guarantees their first playoff appearance since 2020. Strong pitching from Jameson Taillon and timely hitting made the difference, while the Cardinals suffered their third straight defeat. The Cubs now turn their focus to the postseason as both teams prepare for the conclusion of the regular season.

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