Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner levitated to snag a line drive over his head. The Wrigley Field crowd roared. And then they began to chant:
“Ni-co Hoer-ner! Ni-co Hoer-ner!”
In the Cubs’ wild-card series-deciding 3-1 win against the Padres on Thursday, Hoerner had just turned a base hit into the second out of the inning, with a runner on second base.
“That kind of caught me off guard, I didn’t really know what was going on,” Hoerner said of the chants. “It felt amazing. You’re in the middle of an intense thing, and had some frustrating plays early in the game, but it was a nice reminder of the energy and joy that surrounds this team and organization. It was a cool moment.”
The atmosphere at Wrigley Field had been heightened all series. But in Game 3, as the Cubs faced elimination Thursday, every little edge was as important as ever.
“We owe more playoff baseball to this fan base, for sure,” center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said before the game. “And hopefully we just use that energy today to our advantage.”
When Crow-Armstrong slid into the left-field gap to catch the last out of the first inning, the crowd erupted. As he popped up and jogged toward the dugout, Cubs fans broke into a “P-C-A” chant.
They cheered small victories, like Hoerner beating out a would-be double play in the first inning. They rose to their feet every time Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon got to a two-strike count.
The fans booed Padre stars Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado. They chanted “bull-s—” when an overturned call via replay review denied Pete Crow-Armstrong of a steal in the eighth inning.
Their cheers reached a fever pitch after the final out. The Cubs had won a playoff series for the first time sine 2017.
“That’s what made this more meaningful, honestly, is just being here,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Clinching a playoff series at home in front of your fans with the three games that were just played, you’ve created memories. You’ve created baseball fans.
“It was a special environment today. We didn’t give the fans a lot to cheer about yesterday, unfortunately, but from the third pitch of the game when Jamo struck out [Fernando Tatís Jr.], it was on.”
Tucker pushing through
Tucker served as the Cubs designated hitter for the entirety of the wild-card series, still dealing with the calf injury that sidelined him for most of September.
“It’s getting there,” Tucker said. “I feel pretty good. No matter what, I’ve got to go out there and play and perform regardless. I feel pretty good, I’m just trying to take my at-bats and go as hard as I can.”
It was clear in the second inning that it was still bothering him, when Seiya Suzuki hit a double down the left-field line with Tucker on first. Tucker stumbled between second and third and slowed into the base.
Suzuki, who began the season as the regular DH, has taken over at right field.
“We all know Seiya can hit,” Crow-Armstrong said. “What’s stood out to me the most about the last two days with Seiya is how he’s held right field down. When he’s been called upon to play right field, it’s been so good this year from him, and I think he’s gotten so much better as an outfielder in general.”
On Deck
The Cubs are scheduled for a workout in Milwaukee Friday before Game 1 of NLDS against the Brewers at 1:08 p.m. Saturday at American Family Field. TBS will televise the game.
“We’ll try to get as many Cubs fans in there as we can,” Counsell said. “They won’t like that, but it’s going to be a fun atmosphere, I know that.”
Woodruff was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 21 (retroactive to Sept. 18) with a right lat strain.
Taillon came up big in the Cubs’ 3-1 victory in Game 3. They’ll face the Brewers in the National League Division Series.
“I wish everybody could see it,” Dansby Swanson said after the Cubs got past the Padres with a 3-1 win. “Full joy. Amazing.”
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