Cubs, White Sox Clinch MLB Playoff Berths With 2-1 and 9-1 Wins

Q: How will the Cubs' tiebreaker advantage over the Phillies and Padres reshape the race for crucial home-field advantage this October?

The Cubs’ edge over the Phillies and Padres gives Chicago a major inside track to the top NL wild-card seed and the home-field advantage that comes with it. Because MLB now uses head-to-head results to break ties, the Cubs do not need to finish outright ahead of Philadelphia or San Diego to host the Wild Card Series. If Chicago ends with the same record as either club, the Cubs would win that seeding battle. That is especially important in a crowded race where one game could separate the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 seeds. In practical terms, that means the Phillies and Padres face more pressure to finish a full game better than the Cubs if they want to leapfrog them for the top wild-card position. A tie is effectively a Cubs win. That shifts the margin for error toward Chicago and makes every remaining Cubs victory more valuable, because it increases the odds that Wrigley Field hosts the opening round. It also reshapes strategy in the final days. The Cubs can prioritize matching their rivals rather than necessarily outperforming them by a game, while Philadelphia and San Diego may have to push harder with pitching usage and lineup decisions to avoid finishing tied. For the Phillies, the problem is even sharper because they also lose the tiebreaker chain behind Chicago, while San Diego trails both clubs in that department. So the Cubs’ tiebreaker advantage does not clinch home field by itself, but it gives them the clearest path to it and raises the bar for both pursuers.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 22

Chicago locked in two October spots Tuesday as the White Sox beat Kansas City 9-1 and the Cubs followed with a 2-1 win over Miami.
Pete Crow-Armstrong powered the Cubs' clincher by becoming the seventh member of MLB's 40-40 club, capping a season in which Chicago fought through major pitching injuries.
The White Sox secured at least the AL's third wild card at 82-77, but still trail Cleveland by a half-game in the AL Central race, where the division winner gets a first-round bye.
Both clubs still have seeding to chase: the Cubs are pushing to host at Wrigley Field, while the White Sox are trying to avoid a wild-card series and give an overworked bullpen extra rest.
The broader playoff picture remains unsettled in the season's final week, with Arizona, Philadelphia, San Diego and Cleveland still battling for remaining spots and positioning.