MILWAUKEE (670 The Score) — An hour after the final out of the Cubs’ season and a 3-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, buses waited outside American Family Field for a trip down I-94 to Chicago.
Cubs players walked slowly through the visitors’ clubhouse wearing the look of dejection. Shortstop Dansby Swanson emerged still in his full gray uniform to find his wife, Mallory. Rookie third baseman Matt Shaw greeted 40-year-old teammate Justin Turner with a hug after what was likely their final game together. All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong sauntered back to his locker stall, feeling this disappointment for the first time.
“This is the worst part,” Crow-Armstrong said. “OK, we all go hug each other and stuff, but I don’t think that really does a full year’s justice.”
Ultimately, it all came to an end for the Cubs in unfortunately fitting fashion. They came up short once again to the rival Brewers.
In a winner-take-all game, the Cubs managed just one run – a home run by slugger Seiya Suzuki in the second inning – and four hits. Their lineup was silenced by the Brewers’ power arms. Their best chance for a big inning came in the sixth, with runners on first and second base for designated hitter Kyle Tucker. He struck out swinging, Suzuki lined out to deep left field and left fielder Ian Happ struck out looking.
The Cubs’ best players didn’t come through in their biggest game, but this was about more than just Saturday evening in Milwaukee.
Back in late July, the Cubs relinquished their hold on first place in the NL Central to the Brewers. The race became a runaway, with Milwaukee winning 97 games to finish five games better than its rival from south of the state line.
This NLDS was decided by home-field advantage, which the Brewers earned in the regular season. The home team won all five games in the series. The Cubs only played with urgency when their backs were against the wall after losing the first two games of the series. Maybe it would've been a different result if Game 5 was played at Wrigley Field.
What the Cubs will realize on that long bus ride home, if they haven't already, is that the Brewers are the standard of the division – and they perhaps will prove even more in the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.
A cold offseason in Chicago must begin by acknowledging that reality. The Cubs are a team that needs more to be a World Series champion.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer landed contract security with an extension in late July as the division race was tightly contested. Team chairman Tom Ricketts is clearly encouraged by the club’s direction. Now, Hoyer must find ways to make upgrades.
That will almost certainly mean needing to improve the Cubs while also losing Tucker, who's set to be a highly coveted free agent. The belief is that he'll sign elsewhere.
“Yeah, I mean, we’ll see what happens,” Tucker said. “I don’t know what the future is going to hold. But if not, it’s been an honor playing with all these guys, and I wish everyone the best of luck, whether it’s playing next year or not for them. It’s a really fun group to be a part of.”
The Cubs have a core in place with the likes of Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki, first baseman Michael Busch, second baseman Nico Hoerner, right-hander Cade Horton and more. This team isn’t going away in 2026, but the season-ending loss in Milwaukee should make everyone angry back in Chicago.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell was hired on a five-year, $40-million contract in November 2023 to be a difference-making presence. His team just lost to the Brewers – the team he left after nine seasons – and his mentor Pat Murphy, who has led the Brewers to two NL Central crowns in two years.
“We gave ourselves a shot,” Counsell said. “And that part of it, you'd kind of take every year, give yourself a shot.”
If the Cubs want more than just a shot next season, they need to be aggressive this offseason. That means establishing pitching depth that’s better than the Brewers’ and perhaps making difficult decisions about the lineup.
The Cubs got little production out of their third basemen this season, posting a collective slash line of .219/.285/.336 at the position. A prized prospect, Shaw struggled in his rookie season. That’s an obvious place where this lineup can improve. There may need to be a difficult decision with Happ, who played 150 games this season. He was 3-for-30 in the playoffs.
Continuity can't be the theme for a team that wasn't good enough.
As the Cubs’ buses took off at 11:15 p.m. for Chicago, the grounds crew at American Family Field began cleaning up the celebration that took place. Workers patched up sod around the pitcher’s mound, replaced dirt on the infield and picked loose blue and gold confetti off the ground.
Game 1 of the NLCS will be Monday evening right back in Milwaukee. These Brewers will keep on playing, while the Cubs head for a pivotal offseason.
“I’m not going to win the World Series every year of my career,” Crow-Armstrong said. “So, that’ll be the toughest part, is understanding that it may not be the same faces in here next year. That’s going to suck.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.