Matthew Boyd wanted to stay in the game longer.
When manager Craig Counsell reached the mound to pull him with one out in the sixth inning Wednesday, Boyd made his case to keep going in the Chicago Cubs’ 10-3 win over the New York Mets, his final outing of the regular season. Counsell, though, told the lefty that the Cubs have more starts in store.
“Season’s not done, we still have work to do,” said Boyd, who allowed two hits and two runs. “We take care of our business, we do what we can do, play our best game, we’ll be where we want to be. That goes not only for this week, but it goes for the rest of the postseason.”
At its best, the Cubs offense can beat teams with power up and down the lineup, timely hits and heads-up plays. They tallied 11 hits in the win, including home runs by Matt Shaw and Michael Busch, and used a five-run third against Mets starter Jonah Tong to give Boyd plenty of support.
Pete Crow-Armstrong scored from second on a wild pitch in the fifth, taking advantage of pitcher Clay Holmes not covering home as catcher Francisco Alvarez retrieved the ball from the backstop.
Crow-Armstrong did NBA star Stephen Curry’s signature “night-night” celebration as he returned to the dugout with an 8-2 Cubs lead.
“That was a kind of in-the-moment thing and I don’t think my best display of mutual respect between players,” Crow-Armstrong said of his celebration, “but that’s getting caught up in the moment and just being really, really, really excited.
“Everybody knows that we’re getting close to October baseball, and with that feeling in the air, being able to embrace that is the most fun thing ever. … I love playing here, and I love it more and more each day. And that sounds cliche, but that’s so, so true.”
The Cubs (89-69) snapped a season-high five-game losing streak and recorded their first win since clinching a playoff spot one week ago. Their victory over the Mets, coupled with the San Diego Padres’ loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, lowered their magic number to two to earn the No. 4 playoff seed as the top National League wild card.
More Top Picks Best Panel Ready Refrigerators For Kitchens
If they can secure that spot, the Cubs would host their wild-card series next week at Wrigley Field against the No. 5 seed, currently the Padres.
“Until you win the last game of the World Series, there is another goal in front of you, and that’s the next goal in front of us,” manager Craig Counsell said of getting home-field advantage for the wild-card series. “So you’re going to get a unanimous vote: We’d rather play at home. But if you have to deal with something else, let’s go do that.”
This hasn’t been the smoothest stretch. A sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh set off a postgame champagne celebration in the visitors clubhouse. The version of the Cubs in the five games that followed highlighted some of the struggles they’ve endured in the second half. Namely, inconsistent offensive production and shaky moments from the pitching staff.
Yet the Cubs, with four games left, have a chance for their first 90-win season since 2018.
“We’re in good shape,” Counsell said before Wednesday’s win. “You’re going to go through stretches like this, as difficult as that is. We’re going to play in the playoffs, and that’s a great thing. Sometimes just provide yourself some perspective. Like, around the league, we’re in a good spot.”
Boyd finished the regular season with 180 innings, five shy of his career high in 2018, and a 3.21 ERA in 31 starts for the best season of his 11-year career.
While he downplayed the importance of delivering a solid start in which he avoided falling behind in counts too often, the lefty’s performance has him rolling into the postseason on a high note. The Cubs haven’t given any insight as to who will be their Game 1 starter Tuesday.
Boyd, Shota Imanaga and rookie Cade Horton figure to be in the mix, though Horton underwent an MRI on his back Wednesday after experiencing tightness that required him to exit after three innings Tuesday.
As the Cubs approach the postseason, the goal is to have right fielder Kyle Tucker (left calf strain) back in the lineup Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s expected to be the designated hitter, at least initially. Tucker, who hasn’t played since Sept. 2, will be encouraged by Counsell to run at 80% to 90% in certain situations.
“I don’t think the symptoms are going to be gone, but he’s in a place where he agrees we’ve got to go,” Counsell said. “We’ve got to see what it feels like to play.”