
September 24th, 2026
Pete Crow-Armstrong entered the 40-40 club by stealing his 40th base, adding to his major league-leading 45 home runs, and the Chicago Cubs clinched their second consecutive postseason berth with a 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
Seiya Suzuki went deep for the Cubs (88-71), who clinched one of the National League's three wild card spots.
Chicago likewise proved unpredictable last year, when the Cubs defeated San Diego in the opening round before falling to Milwaukee in a Division Series.
The Cubs are set to make consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since a run of four straight from 2015-18, a stretch that in 2016 yielded their first championship since 1908.
The Cubs secured their berth shortly after the White Sox had claimed their postseason trip with a 9-1 victory at Kansas City.
Miami (78-81) had its third consecutive non-winning season assured.
A leading contender for the NL MVP award, Crow-Armstrong has become the seventh 40-40 player, joining a group that includes Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr.
Jose Canseco was the first, with the 1988 Oakland Athletics.
Crow-Armstrong hit his 45th homer during Sunday’s 9-1 win at Cincinnati, extending his career high.
The 24-year-old drew a leadoff walk from Tyler Phillips in the first inning and swiped second base on the next pitch to Suzuki for his 40th steal in 47 attempts.
Fans chanted “MVP” as the Wrigley Field videoboard proclaimed the feat.
Ohtani had previously been the player to record a 40-40 season, hitting 54 homers and stealing 59 bases for the 2024 Dodgers.
Acuña hit 41 homers and swiped 73 bases for Atlanta in 2023.
Alfonso Soriano (2006 with Washington), Alex Rodriguez (1998 with Seattle) and Barry Bonds (1996 with San Francisco) constitute the remaining 40-40 players.
Matthew Boyd (10-5) gave up one run on five hits and two walks over seven innings, while Ryan Zeferjahn threw a perfect ninth to record his seventh save and complete a five-hitter.
Ian Happ led off the sixth inning with a triple off Jack Ralston (0-2) and scored three pitches later on Nico Hoerner’s single, thereby breaking a 1-1 tie.
Miami’s Jakob Marsee delivered an RBI single in the third inning, while Suzuki launched his 26th home run in the fifth, a drive off Jack Ralston.
The Marlins will make their return to Miami on Friday, inaugurating a season-closing, three-game series against Atlanta.
The Cubs are set to play a day-night doubleheader on Friday in Boston, while the opener has been postponed to Sunday by Major League Baseball due to a storm forecast.
For the Associated Press's comprehensive coverage of Major League Baseball, see here
September 24th, 2026

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