After losing 105 games last year, the Marlins finished second in the NL East at 31-29 — their first winning record since 2009.

They overcame a coronavirus outbreak at the start of the season that sidelined more than half the team, and navigated a closing stretch that included 28 games in 24 days. The acquisition of center fielder Starling Marte from Arizona at the trade deadline and the emergence of rookie right-hander Sixto Sanchez gave them a big lift.

“We’ve played some unbelievable games, had the hardest schedule in the league,” outfielder Corey Dickerson said. “That can’t be overlooked. We’re a good ballclub top to bottom. If you look at us, I think we match up well with almost any team.”

Here are some things to know:

The Cubs will go with Kyle Hendricks in the opener and Darvish on Thursday, with Jon Lester on Friday if necessary. The Marlins will counter with Sandy Alcantara in the opener, Sanchez in Game 2 and Pablo Lopez if there’s a Game 3.

Hendricks was third in the majors in innings and was particularly sharp down the stretch, with a 1.45 ERA in five outings in September. The Cubs could have gone with Darvish on his usual four days’ rest. But Ross chose Hendricks, who hasn’t pitched since Wednesday.

“It’s a huge honor for me to get the nod from Rossy for Game 1, but at the end of the day, we all know what Yu’s done this year,” Hendricks said. “He’s our ace. He’s the guy. He’s been dominant all year long. If this was a one-game-playoff kind of thing, he would be the guy, obviously.”