Cubs Celebrate First Playoff Berth Since 2020 After Clinching Spot

PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs celebrated their return to the playoffs after clinching a National League postseason berth with a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon.

Players and coaches high-fived and hugged each other on the field before moving the celebration to their visitors’ clubhouse at PNC Park, where they doused each other with champagne and beer.

Shortly after the victory, manager Craig Counsell shared his excitement. “It’s a grind of a season. You celebrate the first goal you accomplished,” he said. “We’ve made it to our first goal and that’s exciting.”

The Cubs secured their position with a record of 88-64, as they seem destined for the playoffs after a strong showing this season, including an impressive 18-9 record in May.

Although they are 4.5 games back of the Brewers in the NL Central, their recent performance helped them establish a solid lead in the wild-card standings.

Player Ian Happ, who has been with the team since their last playoff appearance in 2020, expressed how meaningful this accomplishment is for the team. “The fact and the reality is this is really hard to do,” he said. “We still know where we want to go.”

The celebration marks a significant turnaround for the Cubs, who have not made the playoffs in a full 162-game season since 2018. With one goal achieved, they are focused on advancing further, with dreams of competing for a World Series title.

As the team shifted its attention from the celebration to future games, they expressed their desire to not just reach the playoffs again but to excel far into October.