Cubs face a tough climb as Brewers pull away, but still hold the lead in the wild-card race
The Chicago Cubs dropped the series finale to the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1, leaving them seven games back in the NL Central with a little over a month remaining. Milwaukee’s win reduced Chicago’s division chances, though the Cubs still own a strong position in the wild-card standings as the stretch run begins.
Current NL Central standings
– Milwaukee Brewers: 80-48
– Chicago Cubs: 73-55 (7 games back)
– Cincinnati Reds: 67-61 (13 games back)
National League wild-card picture
– Chicago Cubs: 73-55
– San Diego Padres: 71-56 (1.5 games behind)
– New York Mets: 67-59
– Cincinnati Reds: 67-61 (1 game back of New York)
Magic number to clinch a playoff berth
The Cubs’ magic number versus the Reds sits at 28. Chicago currently holds a 5-4 edge in the season series against Cincinnati, which means a Cubs-Reds tie at year’s end would still see Chicago move on to the postseason.
If the season ended today, who would the Cubs play?
Under MLB’s format, the top two wild-card teams meet in a best-of-three for the first round, with the lowest-seeded division winner facing the remaining wild-card winner. As the current top wild-card seed, the Cubs would face the fifth-seeded team, which is the San Diego Padres. The Cubs would host that series at Wrigley Field. If standings ended in a tie, a divisional-record tiebreaker would decide; the Cubs’ 0.571 winning percentage against the NL Central currently edges the Padres’ 0.553 against the NL West.
Schedule outlook for the Cubs
Chicago’s remaining slate is challenging but not insurmountable. They have just one series left against a team currently in a playoff spot, with the New York Mets visiting Wrigley Field in September. The Cubs also head to Cincinnati for their final road series of the season just before that Mets series. Cincinnati remains in the wild-card hunt behind the Mets.
The Cubs’ remaining games include six against the Atlanta Braves, who sit near the top of the NL, three against Colorado, who own baseball’s worst record, and three games each against the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates, who are in the league’s lower tiers.
What this means for Chicago
– The Cubs need a strong finish to hold off the Padres and Reds in the wild-card race while staying ahead in the NL Central race, though their division hopes require a substantial turn of events.
– The remaining schedule leans toward opponents with varying degrees of urgency; success will depend on timely hitting, solid pitching, and exploiting favorable matchups at home.
Additional context and value
– The Cubs’ current advantage in the wild-card standings means even with a tough division path, making the postseason remains within reach if they maximize the schedule and avoid extended losing streaks.
– The magic-number concept provides a clear target to watch as the season nears its end, especially in how Cincinnati and Chicago fare against each other in potential tiebreak scenarios.
Summary view
Chicago sits at a crossroads: a seven-game gap in the division is substantial, but a strong push in the next weeks could still plant them firmly in October’s playoff field, especially given their top wild-card standing and the head-to-head edge in key matchups.
Positive takeaway
There is still meaningful postseason potential for the Cubs. A few wins in the next stretch could tighten the race in the division and solidify the wild-card position, keeping Chicago in control of its own destiny.
Note: This rewrite preserves the factual details from the recent report while re-framing for a concise, reader-friendly update suitable for publication.