CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs are now all but mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Tyler Soderstrom homered and Zack Gelof hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, giving the Oakland Athletics a 5-3 win over the Cubs in the rubber match of the three-game series and their first series win over the Cubs since 2013.
Chicago’s loss officially clinched the National League Central title for the Milwaukee Brewers, their third in four years. Milwaukee became the first major-league team to reach the 2024 postseason. The New York Yankees also clinched a spot in the American League playoff field late Wednesday night.
The Cubs, meanwhile, had gotten themselves at least into the conversation in the race for the third and final NL Wild Card spot after going 18-8 in August.
But they haven’t been able to follow it up with a hot September, dropping to 7-9 in the season’s final month entering Thursday.
With the white-hot New York Mets winning again Wednesday, the Cubs (77-75) dropped to seven games behind both the Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third NL Wild Card with only 10 games left.
The Atlanta Braves, who also won Wednesday, are now five games ahead of the Cubs and two games behind the Mets and Diamondbacks.
Steele returns
The Cubs did get some good news Wednesday, as left-handed ace Justin Steele returned to the mound in his first game back from elbow tendinitis.
Steele was on a limited pitch count, however, going just 2 2/3 innings. He was taken out after loading the bases in the third.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said before the game that he expected Steele’s start to be short. He didn’t allow a run, giving two hits and three walks to go along with a strikeout.
The Cubs trailed 1-0 after being held to two hits through four innings, but they finally broke through in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki hit RBI singles, and Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1.
The outburst ended A’s rookie starter Brady Basso’s day after 4 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
But the Cubs gave up the lead late, something that’s plagued them the entire season.
Soderstrom and Tyler Nevin each singled in the seventh off Cubs reliever Drew Smyly, and Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker brought them home to tie it at 3-3.
Then, Gelof’s run-scoring double in the eighth off Nate Pearson, who had come in for Smyly in the seventh, regained the lead for Oakland. Gelof advanced to third on the throw, putting him in position to score on a hard-hit grounder to second by Soderstrom that gave the A’s a 5-3 advantage.
The 22-year-old Soderstrom finished with two runs and two RBI, while Rooker was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.
Tyler Ferguson (4-2) threw a hitless seventh for the win, and Michel Otañez struck out two in the eighth. Mason Miller earned his 27th save, setting a franchise rookie record.
Oakland (67-86) has the third-worst record in the American League. But a 5-4 trip against the Houston Astros, White Sox and Cubs, along with a 30-25 mark since the All-Star break, has given the A’s confidence as they look to finish the season strong and build momentum for 2025.
“At this point of the year, obviously out of playoff contention, it’d be pretty easy to just mail that one in in the fifth or sixth inning and try to get back on the road and get back home, but that’s not the character of this group,” Rooker said. “The group of guys in here is going to go out there and fight until the last out and try to win every game possible, and that’s what we did.”
Pearson (2-2) took the loss after giving up two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Trainer’s room
Cubs: Steele and RHP Jorge López were activated from the 15-day injured list. Chicago optioned RHP Daniel Palencia and RHP Jack Neely to Triple-A Iowa. Steele last pitched in August before starting Wednesday. … Counsell on RHP Hunter Wesneski, out since July 19 with a forearm injury: “He’ll be active when we feel like there’s a need and it’s appropriate, but he’s ready to go.”
Up next
Cubs: RHP Javier Assad (7-5, 3.27 ERA) starts Thursday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
The teams play a four-game set through Sunday, the the Cubs play their final road series of the season, a three-gamer from Monday through Wednesday against the Phillies in Philadelphia.
The Cubs then return to Wrigley Field to wrap up the season from Sept. 27-29 against the Cincinnati Reds.