Seiya Suzuki couldn’t have picked a better time to catch fire. After a seven-week homerless drought, the Chicago Cubs’ outfielder exploded for five home runs in the final four games of the regular season, propelling the Cubs into the postseason with a wave of momentum. As Chicago prepares to host the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League wild-card series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, all eyes are on Suzuki and his red-hot bat.
Sunday’s 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals was the cherry on top of a strong finish for both Suzuki and the Cubs. Suzuki went 1-for-3, blasting a solo homer to the left-center bleachers off John King and driving in his team-leading 103rd RBI of the season. That shot marked his fourth consecutive game with a home run—a career-best streak—and cemented his place in Cubs and Japanese baseball history. According to the Associated Press, Suzuki joined Shohei Ohtani and Hideki Matsui as just the fifth Japanese-born player to record a 30-homer, 100-RBI season in Major League Baseball. He wrapped up the year with a .245 average, 32 home runs, and 103 RBIs across 151 games.
“It’s great to have a player that goes in with a ton of confidence,” manager Craig Counsell said of Suzuki, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “He struggled for a bit of the second half, for a pretty good portion of the second half. But he picked it up at a good time. … He’s definitely entering the postseason in a very confident place.”
This late surge earned Suzuki the National League Player of the Week award for the second time this season, a feat not accomplished by a Cubs player since Jake Arrieta in 2015. Over the six games leading up to the postseason, Suzuki batted .318/.375/1.045 with five homers, 12 RBIs, and six runs scored. He even became the first Cub since Kris Bryant in 2019 to homer and drive in four runs in back-to-back games. For Cubs fans, Suzuki’s timing couldn’t be better.
“The recent couple of games, the offense is back to where it should be,” Suzuki said after Sunday’s win. “Going into the playoffs, everybody has that confidence, especially the offense right now. Hopefully, we can use that as a strength in the playoffs.”
Suzuki isn’t the only Cub heating up at the right moment. Nico Hoerner has been tearing it up at the plate, batting .337 in September, while rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong has contributed two homers and four RBIs during his own four-game hitting streak. The Cubs’ offense, which looked shaky at times during the second half, now seems primed for October baseball.
The Cubs finished the regular season at 92-70, securing a postseason berth for the first time since 2020 and earning the fourth seed in the National League. Their wild-card opponents, the San Diego Padres, wrapped up their campaign at 90-72, marking their fourth playoff appearance in six years and the first time in franchise history they’ve posted back-to-back 90-win seasons. Padres manager Mike Shildt called it “a big accomplishment,” adding, “This team is setting out to be consistent and year in year out play baseball that the city can be really proud of.”
Game 1 at Wrigley Field promises to be a pitcher’s duel. The Padres will send right-hander Nick Pivetta (13-5, 2.87 ERA) to the mound. Though Pivetta doesn’t have a wealth of postseason experience—just three appearances with the Red Sox in 2021—he’s been steady all year and split a pair of starts against the Cubs in April. He allowed three runs over three innings in a 7-1 loss at Wrigley but bounced back with a one-run, six-inning performance in a 4-2 Padres win at Petco Park.
The Cubs waited until Monday to announce their Game 1 starter, ultimately handing the ball to left-hander Matthew Boyd (14-8, 3.21 ERA). Boyd, 34, has four previous playoff appearances, including three starts for Cleveland last season where he posted a stellar 0.77 ERA while returning from elbow surgery. “He took the ball every time, every start,” Counsell said on Monday. “He’s a big reason why we’re (here). Happy to hand the ball to a guy like that.”
Boyd will have to contend with a dangerous Padres lineup anchored by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez. Tatis has gone deep in three of his last four games, while Arraez is batting a blistering .352 in September. The Cubs’ pitching staff will need to tread carefully around those two if they hope to keep the Padres’ offense in check.
Looking ahead, Counsell has yet to name a Game 2 starter, preferring to keep his options open depending on the outcome of Game 1. However, left-hander Shota Imanaga (9-8, 3.73 ERA) is expected to get the nod. Imanaga was lights-out against San Diego this year, posting a 1-0 record with a 0.73 ERA, and is 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three career meetings with the Padres. The Padres, meanwhile, are expected to counter with Dylan Cease in Game 2.
Suzuki’s resurgence is all the more impressive considering his struggles against San Diego earlier in the year. In their April series, he went just 1-for-13 with four strikeouts. But if his recent form is any indication, the Padres’ pitching staff will have their hands full this time around.
Adding to the postseason atmosphere, former Cubs ace Jake Arrieta—who last won two Player of the Week awards in a single season for Chicago—will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Tuesday. His presence is a reminder of the Cubs’ storied playoff history and the high expectations that come with October baseball at Wrigley Field.
As the Cubs and Padres prepare to square off, both teams are riding waves of confidence and recent success. With Suzuki’s bat blazing, Boyd’s steady hand on the mound, and a lineup that seems to have found its rhythm, the Cubs are hoping to make this October one to remember. But the Padres, with their own impressive regular season and a lineup capable of putting up runs in a hurry, won’t make it easy.
Game 1 of the best-of-three National League wild-card series kicks off Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field. With Suzuki leading the charge and the Cubs’ offense firing on all cylinders, Chicago fans have plenty of reason for optimism as the postseason gets underway. The action is just beginning, and if the regular season’s final week was any indication, there’s no telling how far this Cubs team can go.
