MI’s Boyd takes the mound for Cubs in playoffs

By Andy Nystrom • October 3, 2025 5:30 pm
As a member of the Detroit Tigers in 2017, pitcher Matthew Boyd demonstrates how he grips a baseball to residents of Covenant Living at the Shores on Mercer Island. Photo courtesy of Greg Asimakoupoulos
As a member of the Detroit Tigers in 2017, pitcher Matthew Boyd demonstrates how he grips a baseball to residents of Covenant Living at the Shores on Mercer Island. Photo courtesy of Greg Asimakoupoulos

Mercer Island’s Matthew Boyd took the mound for the Chicago Cubs as the starting pitcher during their recent playoff games against the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers.

Boyd went 4.1 innings in the Cubs’ 3-1 win over the Padres in the opening game of the wild card series on Sept. 30 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. He gave up four hits, one run, fanned two and walked one during his appearance.

The Cubs won the series, 2-1, and advanced to the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Boyd started that opening game as well on Oct. 4, the Cubs announced the day prior. The Brewers notched a 9-3 win and Boyd pitched 0.2 innings and surrendered four hits and six runs (two earned).

Lefty Boyd, 34, an all-star selection this year, grew up on Mercer Island and played for Eastside Catholic during his high school years, is a distant relative of Hall of Famer Bob Feller and pitched in college for Oregon State University.

In an emotional press conference on Sept. 29 that is posted on si.com, Boyd discussed his game one starting role in the wild card series: “It’s cool for so many different reasons. It’s cool ‘cause you never know when the opportunity presents itself.”

Fighting back tears, Boyd said that his grandfather grew up in Chicago, was a Cubs fan and added that he would be extremely happy that his grandson is playing for the hometown team.

“I get to be a Cub now, it’s pretty cool,” said Boyd, who began his major league career in 2015 with the Toronto Blue Jays and later played for the Detroit Tigers twice, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians before joining the Cubs.

He notched a 14-8 regular season record this year.