The Cubs’ regular-season finale comes with the kind of strange, stripped-down stakes that only Game 162 can deliver. Chicago is already boxed out of the top Wild Card spot after another San Diego Padres win on Saturday night, which leaves the afternoon’s mission pretty simple: get in, get out, and leave healthy.
And yes, this one is being played in Florida.
With storms hammering the Boston area, the Cubs and Red Sox moved their final game to Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, to get the matchup in. So instead of a clean finish in Boston, Chicago will close the season in an odd neutral-site setting that fits the weirdness of the day.
The Cubs are rolling out a lineup that looks a lot more normal than you might expect for a game with limited meaning. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads off in center, followed by Alex Bregman as the designated hitter, then Michael Busch at first, Ian Happ in left, Michael Conforto in right, Nico Hoerner at second, Pedro Ramirez at third, Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Miguel Amaya behind the plate.
That includes Bregman in his second game since the scary foul ball incident, and it leaves Craig Counsell with a live decision to make as the game unfolds. There’s value in keeping hitters in rhythm, but there’s also no reason to tempt fate with a fluke injury in a game that doesn’t change the bigger picture.
On the mound, the Cubs are handing the ball to Shota Imanaga, and that choice makes plenty of sense for where things stand. After the trade deadline reshaped the roster, it has become more likely that Imanaga is the odd man out of the playoff rotation. Even so, he’s been solid lately and owns a 3.74 ERA on the year.
The concern, of course, is the long ball. That has been the thing hanging over him, especially on a Cubs staff loaded with pitchers who can keep the ball on the ground.
Still, if the goal is to conserve arms, Imanaga is a logical fit. Counsell can give him a long leash and hope he covers something close to 7.0 innings.
Boston is countering with a fresh face in Tanner Houck, who is being activated right before this game and will make his first start since May 12, 2025. Houck has been on the injured list all season after Tommy John surgery.
He works as a ground-ball pitcher with a sinker and sweeper, and his last healthy stretch before the injury came in 2024, when he posted a 3.12 ERA over 178.2 innings. He appeared in only nine games last season before going down.
The Red Sox lineup features Roman Anthony in left, Adley Rutschman catching, Wilson Contreras at DH, Wilyer Abreu in right, Ceddane Rafaela in center, Nick Sogard at second, Caleb Durbin at third, Trevor Story at shortstop and Andruw Monasterio at first.
For Chicago, the biggest storyline is less about the standings now and more about surviving the day without another injury. The Cubs have had enough of those already.
In Other News...
Cubs Lineup Faces One Early Test That Could Swing Game 1
The Cubs will walk into Petco Park on Tuesday night with the postseason spotlight already centered on a familiar kind of problem: a right-hander who can make even a good lineup uncomfortable early. San Diego has confirmed Michael King as its Game 1 starter in the National League Wild Card Round, and that sets up an immediate test for a Chicago offense that will need to adjust quickly to the way he works the edges, changes eye levels and leans on a mix that can get hitters reaching.
For Chicago, the focus is less on the matchup label than on the specific pitch shapes it will see and how quickly the lineup can sort them out. Kings sinker and change-up are the pitches that matter most here, and the Cubs best chance to take control of the series opener may come down to which hitters can stay disciplined enough to force him into the zone. If they can do that early, Game 1 starts to look very different. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Still Don't Know If Their Deadline Ace Can Start Game 1
Kevin Gausman took another step on the mound before the Cubs faced the Red Sox, throwing a bullpen session as the club continues to sort through its Wild Card pitching plans. The shoulder issue he picked up last week has left his status unsettled, and for a team headed into October, that kind of uncertainty is enough to keep every start in the rotation under review.
The Cubs are expected to make a call soon on whether Gausman will even be on the Wild Card roster, much less available to start Game 1 or Game 2. If he cannot go, Chicago has alternatives to weigh, with Matthew Boyd among the leading possibilities and other arms such as Imanaga, Braxton Garrett, Clay Holmes and David Peterson all part of the discussion as the playoff picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Bregman Suddenly Looms Large In Cubs Wild Card Opener
The Cubs now know they will see Michael King in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series at Petco Park, giving Chicago an early look at one of San Diegos most effective arms. King closed the season with a 3.21 ERA and was especially sharp after July, the kind of starter who can make a short series feel even shorter if the opposing lineup doesnt find answers quickly.
For Chicago, Alex Bregman is one of the names that can change that script. Fresh off a return from facial fractures, he brings both postseason experience and a strong track record against King, and he has been among the games best hitters since the All-Star break. In a matchup that already figures to be tight, Bregmans presence gives the Cubs a veteran bat with the kind of history that can tilt a big October night. [Read more 🡒]