Cubs Clinch Wild-Card Home Field vs Padres

The Chicago Cubs clinched the top National League wild‑card and will host the San Diego Padres in a best‑of‑three Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field after a 7‑3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in which Michael Busch homered twice and drove in four runs. MLB set Game 1 for Tuesday and Game 2 for Wednesday at 2:08 p.m. CT (both airing on ABC/ESPN, with Spanish coverage on ESPN Deportes and national radio on ESPN Radio); Game 3’s start time will be determined later. Rookie right‑hander Cade Horton was placed on the 15‑day injured list with a fractured right rib, sidelining an NL Rookie of the Year candidate who was 11–4 with a 2.67 ERA in 22 starts. The club activated Kyle Tucker from the injured list and plans to use him as the designated hitter while optioning Carlos Santana for roster flexibility. Chicago’s offense was paced by a 30‑plus homer trio — Busch (34), Seiya Suzuki (31) and Pete Crow‑Armstrong (31) — with Crow‑Armstrong joining the franchise’s rare 30‑30 club, and the Cubs will lean on frontline pieces such as Shota Imanaga while their postseason hopes hinge on rotation and bullpen health.