The Chicago Cubs have officially clinched a playoff spot. On Wednesday, the Cubs defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-4, to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2020.
After the game, the Cubs celebrated with champagne, and manager Craig Counsell enjoyed every second for his team.
“It's a grind of a season. You celebrate the first goal you accomplished,” Counsell said. “We've made it to our first goal, and that's exciting. For everybody that's been a part of the grind the whole year, for everybody that's worked so hard to put us in this position, it's a fun thing to do.”
Now, the Cubs face the Cincinnati Reds in a tough series between National League Central teams as the Reds try and snag a Wild Card spot. But, Counsell revealed what his team did when they got to Cincinnati on Thursday regarding a celebration.
“We had a lot of fun,” Counsell said, via Marquee Sports Network. “It turned out perfect in my eyes. We had a lot of fun. We got to Cincinnati and the old people went home and the young people stayed out.”
The celebration was worth it for Counsell and the Cubs, but as he said, this is the “first goal” they have.
Currently, if the playoffs began on Friday, the Cubs would be the No. 4 seed in the NL and face off against the No. 5 seed San Diego Padres in the first round of the playoffs.
The New York Mets are third in the Wild Card standings, but the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Reds are just two games back, so the three-game series this weekend with the Cubs is going to be a big determining factor for that spot.
Still, it is the first time the Cubs are playing October baseball since 2020, so the celebration was more than justified.
