Cubs Magic Number to Clinch Playoff Berth Drops After Giants Loss

The Chicago Cubs could have used some of the offense from Friday’s game in their 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs (81-61) blew out the Nats on Friday to get a little closer to their goal of claiming a playoff berth. But, on Saturday, the Cubs scored just one run in a 2-1 loss, courtesy of a Carson Kelly RBI groundout. Chicago can’t put it on starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, as he allowed seven hits and two earned runs in seven innings.

The Cubs were just unable to get much going offensively. As a result, Chicago was reliant on others to help its magic number to claim a playoff berth.

Cubs Magic Number to Clinch Playoff Berth

Chicago Cubs Michael Busch congratulates left fielder Ian Happ on a home run — Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Entering Saturday’s action, the Cubs magic number to clinch a playoff berth was 13. The Cubs’ magic number drops by one every time they win a game. Without a win on Saturday, Chicago was reliant on what other teams were doing, most notably the San Francisco Giants, which are the first team out of the wild card playoffs if the postseason started today.

The Giants have been red-hot of late and were in St. Louis to face the Cardinals on Saturday, A loss by San Francisco would hand the Cubs a new magic number — 12. Well, San Francisco fell, 3-2. So, the number is now 12.

The NL Central race is a lost cause. The Milwaukee Brewers won again on Saturday to push their lead over Chicago to 6.5 games. The two teams don’t have any more head-to-head matchups, so the Cubs need the Brewers to go on a massive losing streak. That seems unlikely.

The Cubs are trying to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, when they won the NL Central title during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. That ended a run of five playoff berths in six seasons, which included the 2016 World Series title, the franchise’s first championship in more than a century.

Chicago Cubs Magic Number Watch

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ gestures to the sky while wearing a white uniform and blue helmet — David Banks-Imagn Images

Magic Number to Clinch Playoff Berth: 12

Chicago Cubs Games Remaining: 19

Chicago Cubs Remaining Schedule: Sept. 7, vs. Washington; Sept. 8-10, at Atlanta; Sept. 12-14, vs. Tampa Bay; Sept. 15-17, at Pittsburgh; Sept. 18-21, at Cincinnati; Sept. 23-25 vs. New York Mets; Sept. 26-28, vs. St. Louis.

NL Wild Card Race (after Sept. 6)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd throws in a white uniform and blue hat — Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs: 81-61 (5.0 games ahead)

San Diego Padres: 77-65 (1.0 games ahead)

New York Mets: 76-66 (tied with Padres)

San Francisco Giants: 72-70 (4.0 games behind final berth)

NL Central Update

Milwaukee Brewers: 88-55

Chicago Cubs: 81-61 (6.5 games behind)

Brewers Magic Number to clinch NL Central: 14

Brewers Games Remaining: 19

Milwaukee Brewers Remaining Schedule: Sept. 7, at Pittsburgh; Sept. 8-10, at Texas; Sept. 12-14, vs. St. Louis; Sept. 16-18, vs. Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 19-21, at St. Louis; Sept. 22-24 at San Diego; Sept. 26-28, vs. Cincinnati.

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