A’s beat Cubs 5-3, clinch NL Central crown for Brewers

CHICAGO — Tyler Soderstrom homered and Zack Gelof hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning as the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Wednesday, putting the Milwaukee Brewers in the playoffs.

Chicago’s loss clinched the NL Central title for the Brewers, their third in four years. Milwaukee became the first major league team to reach the 2024 postseason.

The 22-year-old Soderstrom drove in two runs and scored two more to help Oakland to its first series victory over the Cubs since 2013. Brent 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.

“Coming into the season and through spring training, we saw the confidence, we saw the demeanor and the ability to handle that high-leverage situation,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “We started him out right at the beginning of the year in that closing role, and he’s just had such a great season doing it. The confidence that this club has turning the ball over to him feels really good.”

Oakland (67-86) has the third-worst record in the American League. But a 5-4 trip against the 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.”

Playing his fourth game since returning from a left wrist injury, Soderstrom hit a home run in the fourth for his first longball since June 28 to give Oakland a 1-0 lead.

The Cubs were held to two hits through four innings, but 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.