CHICAGO — When Michael Busch strode to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday afternoon, the near-sellout crowd at Wrigley Field roared and rose to its feet, eager for a chance to witness baseball history.
Quickly, those cheers turned to bedlam.
The Cubs led the Cardinals 7-3 and had a runner on third with two outs. Busch, who was 4-for-4 with two home runs already, was a single shy of the cycle. But the game was not yet out of reach, and Cardinals manager Oli Marmol took no chances. He quickly raised four fingers — signaling for an intentional walk.
The crowd erupted into boos immediately as Busch, seemingly surprised, jogged down the first-base line.
“I understand it,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “They’re still competing and figuring that that’s the best way to give them a chance to win. Hate that we obviously didn’t get a chance to have a chance at some history today for him. Hate it for Buschy, but I guess I could be a little bit sick of watching him hit a lot of homers and all that kind of stuff, too. I get both sides of it.”
“I’m not here for anybody’s amusement,” Marmol said. “I’m trying to win a game. The next guy grounded out to the pitcher, so I think it worked.”
Michael Busch was a single away from the cycle in the 8th inning.
The Cardinals intentionally walked him. pic.twitter.com/gbVtzwySF2
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 27, 2025
Nico Hoerner did indeed bounce out to end the inning, and the Cardinals did attempt a comeback in the top of the ninth. St. Louis loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate, but was unable to score. With the victory, the Cubs — who already clinched a postseason berth — secured home-field advantage in their upcoming National League Wild Card Series. They’ll host the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field as the No. 4 seed. Busch finished the day with 14 total bases and tied a career-high with four hits (a feat he also accomplished against St. Louis on July 4).
“Selfishly, I wanted the at-bat, but there’s nothing better than the victory itself,” Busch said after the game. “I get it. They’re trying to win. We’re trying to win. The game wasn’t over.”
“Obviously didn’t love it for him, and for the crowd that wanted to see that, and see him get an opportunity to either hit for the cycle or three homers, all that stuff,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ added. “But they’re trying to win the game, and it’s part of baseball.”
When asked about the decision to intentionally walk Busch, Cubs manager Craig Counsell shrugged.
“That’s a baseball decision,” Counsell said, “and it rightfully was not met with friendliness from the home crowd.”
MICHAEL CAN’T BE STOPPED. pic.twitter.com/bXinLkeJFt
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 27, 2025
The hostility from Wrigley Field was also not lost on Marmol. When asked about the crowd reaction, the manager simply smiled.
“I loved it,” Marmol said. “I honestly did. I love playing here. There’s a real home-field advantage. The way they go about it, you feel the animosity. I absolutely loved their reaction, and I respect it. I really do.”
Busch has terrorized the Cardinals all season, with his numbers far surpassing video game levels. Of his 33 home runs this year, nine have come against St. Louis, tying Hack Wilson (1929) and Ernie Banks (1955) for most in a single season against the Cardinals. He’s hitting .467 against Cardinals pitching this year, with a .510 on-base percentage and 1.222 slugging percentage for a whopping 1.732 OPS.
“He’s a good player,” Marmol said of Busch. “He’s been trouble for us, and the rest of the league. That’s why he has 30-plus homers. He has put together a really good year, so a ton of respect for what he’s done this year.”
“I don’t know what they want us to do,” said starting pitcher Michael McGreevy, who served up two home runs, including one on the first pitch of his outing, and a double to Busch. “It turned out to be a great call. We had the chance to win the game there at the very end. The fans don’t like it, but it’s the smart play.
“I should have done that all three times,” he laughed.
The Cubs and Cardinals will square off for the final game of the regular season Sunday at 2:20 pm CT. Chicago will then prepare for its first playoff appearance since 2020, and its first full-season postseason berth since 2018. The Cardinals were eliminated from contention on Wednesday and will miss the postseason for the third straight year.
(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)