The Cubs didn’t muscle their way to the top of the National League wild-card race Friday. They took the quieter route, the one that usually travels better in October: let Shota Imanaga own the game.
Chicago beat the Miami Marlins 6-1 behind Imanaga’s six-plus innings of one-run ball, a win that pushed the Cubs into the NL’s top wild-card position. It also served as a clean reminder of what their postseason blueprint needs to be. When the starting pitcher is in control, everything else gets simpler.
Imanaga was sharp from the start, holding Miami to three hits and not issuing a walk. It was his best outing since July 31, and the Cubs backed it with enough offense to pull away. They broke through with a three-run sixth inning, added another run in the seventh and kept extending the lead from there.
Nico Hoerner went 3-for-4, Alex Bregman stretched his hitting streak to eight games and Michael Busch chipped in a ninth-inning home run.
Pete Crow-Armstrong didn’t need a big day at the plate to leave his mark. He scored twice, swiped a base and turned in a strong defensive play in the outfield.
That kind of all-around balance is what gives Chicago some real bite. The Cubs don’t have to ask one hitter to carry every big moment. They can lean on starting pitching, pressure teams on the bases and let their defense help protect a slim lead.
And the reward for holding onto the top wild-card spot matters. If the Cubs stay there, they would host the opening round. In a short series, that edge matters plenty before the first pitch is even thrown.
There’s still work to do, of course. Chicago can’t count on this exact version of Imanaga every time out, and the bullpen had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, a reminder that late innings can turn messy fast.
Even so, this was the kind of night contenders want to bank. The Cubs got strong pitching, enough offense and a clean defensive effort, all in one package. Home runs and wild rallies may grab the headlines, but in October, six efficient innings without a walk can be the most important thing of all.
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