The Rundown: Cubs Have Work Left Ahead of Playoffs, Horton’s Strict Pitch Limit, Giants Surging in Wild Card Race

“Well, I was born on a Sunday; on Thursday I had me a job.” – The Working Man by Creedence Clearwater Revival

The Cubs have some work to do to get ready for October. I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but it would take a historical collapse by Chicago’s North Side baseballers to miss the playoffs. As I see it, Craig Counsell has three objectives for the remainder of this season, and none are small tasks.

1. Find a way to help Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki rediscover their long lost batting strokes. Suzuki’s last home run came on August 6 and he’s had just 12 RBI since the All-Star break. Crow-Armstrong has a 19 wRC+ with just one home run and four total extra-base hits over his last 28 starts.
2. Determine the order of his top three starters. Cade Horton has been Chicago’s best starter this season but he’s a rookie. Shōta Imanaga has yet to play postseason baseball in the United States. Matthew Boyd had one start each in the ALDS and ALCS for the Guardians last year. It is Horton, however, who gives the Cubs the best chance to win, and that’s usually what you want from your Game 1 starter. Will Counsell trust a rookie who has vastly exceeded his workload from previous years? Horton-Imanaga-Boyd seems like the obvious pecking order, but we’ll see Counsell’s intentions once Chicago clinches.
3. Establish a circle of trust for the 5th through 9th innings and beyond. Starters are now averaging less than five innings pitched per postseason appearance. The bullpen has been mostly good this year, but at no point has any lead felt relatively safe. Porter Hodge is back, and Javier Assad can pitch in relief. Ben Brown might have a tough time making the playoff roster with Chicago’s recent additions. Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, and Daniel Palencia are locks for those high-leverage innings, and Counsell probably wants to add two more relievers into the mix. Aaron Civale is one option, as is Andrew Kittredge, but it’s anybody’s guess right now.

It’s also fair to wonder if Owen Caissie or Kevin Alcántara will earn postseason roster spots. Counsell tends to defer to his veterans, which bodes well for Justin Turner and Carlos Santana. The Cubs are also likely to carry three catchers if possible, which means spots for Carson Kelly, Reese McGuire, and Miguel Amaya if he’s healthy. Counsell has to guide them to the playoffs, but that’s a foregone conclusion at this point. Chicago’s magic number is 14, and they have a nine-game lead for the final spot with 22 to play.

Cubs News & Notes

• The Cubs are looking for their second consecutive series win with a three-game set against the Nationals at Wrigley Field starting today.
• Chicago will most likely clinch a playoff berth sometime during their week-long road trip to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati from Sept. 15-21. Of course, that’s the week I will be out of town. I’m heading to Cincinnati and then to Nashville, but will miss the Cubs’ tilts with the Reds.
• Horton has been on a strict pitch count in order to keep him healthy and rested for the playoffs.
• The rookie was pulled after five innings on Tuesday despite the fact that he had held the Braves hitless.
• Counsell is handling Horton correctly, though Cubs fans aren’t necessarily in full agreement.
• Unbelievably, no NL team has clinched a playoff spot with 3.5 weeks left in the regular season. Milwaukee’s magic number to clinch a Wild Card berth is seven games, and any combination of 17 wins or Chicago losses will give them the NL Central crown.
• Kyle Tucker might be looking at a contract similar to the one Mookie Betts, signed with the Dodgers a few years ago, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Their production is similar and each maintains minuscule strikeout rates. Few players are as good at any of the three facets of the game as Tucker, let alone all three. Betts is the most obvious, and he signed a 12-year, $365 million deal that started in his age-28 season.
• Passan also believes the Cubs will pick up Imanaga’s three-year $57 million option. Colin Rea is a borderline decision, and Keller, Kittredge, Drew Pomeranz, and Taylor Rogers will likely become free agents.
• Chicago’s current core is ranked No. 17 in all of baseball by Kylie McDaniel of ESPN. Tucker, Suzuki, Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and Jameson Taillon don’t qualify because they are pending free agents this year or next.

Ball Four

Emmet Sheehan said it was not intentional, he didn’t realize that the ball was being called for and shared he would personally apologize to Cam Devanney for the misunderstanding. It still looks sketchy, though.

It appears Emmet Sheehan just intentionally kept the first MLB hit ball for Cam Devanney.

The team asked for the ball. The umpire threw Sheehan a new ball and he clearly switched it in his glove.

pic.twitter.com/juwAc0loEG

— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) September 3, 2025

Central Intelligence

• Milwaukee (86-55): Outfielder/DH Christian Yelich is dealing with a sore back, but is expected to play this weekend. Yelich has been placed on the IL four times since 2021 with the persistent problem.
• Chicago (80-60): The projections say the Cubs should be last on this list ($) of potential playoff rotations. Chicago’s top trio of Imanaga, Horton, and Boyd have the second-best ERA to date of any playoff trio. A bit of a conundrum, but only a handful of playoff teams have seen Horton, who throws a unique fastball that could defy projections. Horton should at least be considered for a Game 1 start.
• Cincinnati (70-70): The Reds will visit New York this weekend to play the Mets in a make-or-break three-game set.
• St. Louis (70-71): The Cardinals are still in the race for the final Wild Card spot, but will treat September like early Spring Training nonetheless. Catcher Jimmy Crooks, the team’s No. 6 prospect, was promoted earlier this week.
• Pittsburgh (64-77): The red-hot Pirates, on the other hand, look like they intend to play spoiler. Pittsburgh just swept the Dodgers behind Paul Skenes and will host the Brewers starting tonight.

Wild Pitch

“Got in the house like a pigeon from hell. Threw sand in our eyes and descended like flies.” – Back on the Chain Gang by Pretenders

• San Diego (76-64): Reliever Mason Miller tossed an immaculate inning Wednesday night, striking out three Orioles batters on nine straight sliders.
• New York (75-65): Rookie hurler Nolan McLean is off to a historic start to his career. He’s pitched to a 1.37 ERA, 2.41 FIP, and 0.76 WHIP through four starts with a 29.5% K-rate.
• San Francisco (71-69): Third baseman Matt Chapman was suspended for a game, appealed, and then belted two homers to complete the Giants’ sweep over the Rockies. San Francisco has won 10 of 11 to leap past the Reds for the final NL Wild Card berth.
• Arizona (70-71): The Diamondbacks were granted $500 million in stadium renovations that will keep the team at Chase Field for at least another 30 years.

How About That!

When former MLB player Josh Rutledge became the target of criticism, his wife, Laura Rutledge, who works for ESPN, defended him by using a burner social media account.

Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta extended his scoreless streak to 29 innings.

The Dodgers hope to get injured veterans Max Muncy and Tommy Edman back on the active roster next week.

Nick Castellanos could be the odd man out when the Phillies settle on their postseason starting outfield.

There’s a certain face you make when you serve up a 120 mph home run to Shohei Ohtani, and Alex Freeland nailed it.

Talk show hosts Stephen Colbert and John Oliver are fans (sort of) of minor league baseball.

Extra Inning

It’s no wonder that Horton is being compared to vintage Jake Arrieta.

Cade Horton’s ERA since the All-Star break: 0.77

That’s the best in @MLB. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GnSaYKW7ln

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 4, 2025

Apropos of Nothing

The John Candy documentary “I Like Me” drops on Amazon Prime on October 10. I was a teamster in the mid-80s and worked on two films that starred Candy. He truly was more comfortable hanging with the blue-collar folks than the Hollywood A-Listers. I can’t wait to see the film.

Here are my top five favorite John Candy characters:

1. Dewey “Ox” Oxberger in Stripes
2. Del Griffith in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
3. Jack Chester in Summer Rental
4. Barf in Spaceballs: The Movie
5. Spike Nolan in Brewster’s Millions

I may watch them all this weekend.

They Said It

• “Obviously, you’re stepping up in the box and trying to do damage. Recently, either those are getting caught, or that just hasn’t happened. I’m not trying to be greedy. Get the singles, get on base, and then pass it to the next hitter.” – Suzuki
• “I’m proud of Seiya for how the season’s went, how available he’s been. I know that was a goal for him. He’s done a great job of it, hitting in the middle of the lineup. He’s an impactful player on one of the better teams in baseball.” – Counsell

Friday Walk-Up Song

Welcome to the weekend. Stay thirsty, my friends.