The Chicago Cubs were heading to the playoffs, but they weren’t playing up to par with Game 1 of the National League wild-card series only five days away.

Cubs President Jed Hoyer tried to balance his joy over the former with his concern for the latter.

It has not been easy.

“I don’t like to lose,” Hoyer said Friday before the Cubs’ 12-1 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals. “So that creates angst. I think I can keep those two things separately. Yes, it was nice to clinch on Sept. 16. That gave us the ability to not redline some guys and try to head into the postseason with some rest. That’s really important.

“But obviously the way we’ve played the last week has been frustrating. No one likes to lose, so of course there is a level of frustration with that.”

The Cubs came in having lost six

See Full Page