The Chicago Cubs have a magic number at 1 for their first playoff series in 5 years following a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
Michael Busch led off the game with a home run against All-Star pitcher Paul Skenes.
It was his 4th leadoff home run for the season.
The Cubs had 14 hits in the game which included 3 by Nico Hoerner.
Cade Horton picked up his 11th win of the season as he gave up 1 run over 5 innings. He is now (8-1) since the All-Star break.
The Pirates have lost 10 out of their last 11 games.
The Cubs look for the 3-game sweep in the series on Wednesday afternoon in Pittsburgh.
September 16, 2025