Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner found each other in the dirt behind second base, a pair of damn good middle infielders coming together in a hearty embrace.

First baseman Michael Busch and third baseman Matt Shaw hugged on the grass behind the pitcher’s mound, and pitcher Andrew Kittredge and catcher Carson Kelly on the grass in front of it. Out in center field, outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki met Pete Crow-Armstrong for a special moment before the three of them walked, arms around shoulders, toward the rest of their jubilant teammates and the raucous clubhouse celebration that awaited them all.

Somewhere along the way, Crow-Armstrong’s jersey came fully untucked, and never has a Cub looked more at ease and in his element. And Swanson? He couldn’t stop waving his arms and dancing to “Go, Cubs, Go,” any notion of restraint long gone.

That’s what it looked like after the Cubs beat the Padres 3-1 in the deciding game of the teams’ wild card series at Wrigley Field.

“Full joy,” Swanson said, unable to stop smiling. “Amazing. I feel like a kid again, and that’s the best thing you can ever feel.”

It was only the wild card round — with a division series against the Brewers up next — but it was the first postseason series win for the Cubs since 2017. And though it might be hard to believe, it unleashed the first Champagne celebration in the home clubhouse at Wrigley since the Cubs won the National League pennant in 2016.

It’s quite something to think about all that has changed since that cold, glorious night nine years ago. All the names above the clubhouse stalls, that’s for sure. The memories, though …

After those Cubs put away the Dodgers to clinch the club’s first pennant in 71 years, a giddy Anthony Rizzo imagined out loud what World Series games at Wrigley would be like.

“Oh, my God, it’s gonna be epic,” Rizzo said.

Overhearing, a goggled, halfway delirious Kris Bryant shouted to no one in particular, “Rizz says it’s gonna be epic!”

That was some kind of fun. A wild card series clincher all this time later wasn’t too shabby itself.

“[Bleeping] awesome,” Suzuki, two-fisted with bottles, paused long enough from running around the clubhouse to say.

Asked what was more fun, the game or the party, he chose his words with tremendous care.

“Both, [bleeping] awesome!” he said, taking leave of an inquisitor to resume the righteous work of dousing anyone in his path.

For manager Craig Counsell, it was his first time winning a postseason series since he was with the Brewers in 2018. He was 48 then. He’s 55 now.

“I feel like I’m 10,” he said, soaked to the bone as he beamed in the direction of his players from the periphery of the party’s inner circle. “Isn’t that the whole point of an October celebration, to act like a 10-year-old?”

Crow-Armstrong got a bear hug from one of his mentors, veteran Justin Turner, who pulled him close and imparted mentorly things. Veteran Carlos Santana then grabbed the dazzling young center fielder and assured him greatness was in his path.

Across the room, reliever Daniel Palencia, who throws 100-plus miles an hour and has the temperament to match it, was feeling on top of the world.

“I feel like a monster,” he said. “I feel like a superhero. I’m ready for anything. We’re ready for Milwaukee. We’re ready for the World Series. That’s the goal, and we’re chasing it.”

Star Kyle Tucker, a soon-to-be free agent, played it cooler, as is his way.

“This is such a great team, man,” he said. “I’m happy to be here.”

Jameson Taillon, who started Thursday for the Cubs, took in a tense top of the ninth inning from the dugout. Always calm on the mound, he was anything but as he leaned over the railing and watched.

“I was pretty much just paralyzed,” he said. “I could feel my heart beating through my chest.”

Former Cub Jake Arrieta, one of the greats of that 2016 crew, felt much the same as he watched from the stands.

“I’ve never been this nervous,” Arrieta said in the clubhouse. “Watching is way worse than playing. It’s rough. I feel for the fans.”

After a turn in the mosh pit, Swanson stood to the side and wiped at his eyes.

“I mean, look at this,” he said, nodding toward his teammates. “Like, seriously. I wish everybody could see it. Full joy. Amazing.”

Six or seven hours earlier, as Cubs players were stretching out for pregame warmups, and the first fans were just beginning to trickle into the stands, the Eagles’ “Take It to the Limit” played on the stadium organ. A deciding Game 3 — get it? Sure, you do.

The Cubs took it to the limit, and now Game 1 in Milwaukee will be here in a blink. That’s life in the fast lane.

As the celebration waned, the clubhouse cacophony began to give way to a few final sips and a peaceful, easy feeling. Friday would definitely greet some of these guys with a bit of a tequila sunrise.

One of these nights, the season will meet its end. The end always comes in the long run.

But this night? At this ballpark? It sure had been awhile since one was so good.