Busch stars as the Cubs beat the Cardinals 7-3 to clinch the top NL wild card

CHICAGO (AP) – Michael Busch homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Chicago Cubs clinched the top NL wild card with a 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki also connected for Chicago in its third win in four games. Jameson Taillon (11-7) pitched six effective innings.

The Cubs (91-70) will host San Diego in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 of the best-of-three series is on Tuesday.

It’s the first postseason appearance for Chicago since 2020.

Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker homered for the Cardinals (78-83) in their third consecutive loss. Michael McGreevy (8-4) permitted three runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Busch drove McGreevy’s first pitch deep to right-center for his fifth career leadoff homer. He doubled in the third and connected for a tiebreaking two-run shot in the fifth for his team-leading 34th homer. He added a run-scoring triple in the seventh before he was walked intentionally in the eighth.

Suzuki hit his 31st homer off Ryan Fernandez in the sixth. Suzuki and Busch each have three homers in their last two games.

Walker cut it to 4-3 with a two-run shot off Caleb Thielbar in the seventh. It was Walker’s sixth homer.

Crow-Armstrong hit his 31st homer, a two-run drive, off the scoreboard in right in the eighth.

Taillon allowed one run and three hits. He struck out eight and walked two.

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the ninth on two singles and a walk. But Nathan Church struck out swinging against Brad Keller for the final out.

Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner went 0 for 5, lowering his batting average to .297, second among NL qualified batters behind Trea Turner of Philadelphia. Turner is batting .305 but has not played since Sept. 7 due to a hamstring injury.

Javier Assad (3-1, 4.26 ERA) starts for the Cubs on Sunday. The Cardinals did not announce their starter before the loss.