Chicago Cubs Focus On Clinching NL Wild Card Spot in Final Stretch

The Chicago Cubs absorbed a blowout at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, but their wild card hopes remained steady.

The Cubs remain in the third and final wild card spot entering Thursday's finale with the Pirates. But it is still a tight race. The Miami Marlins, who lost to the New York Mets on Wednesday, are 0.5 games back. The Cincinnati Reds, one of the Cubs’ National League Central rivals, are one game back. The San Francisco Giants appear to be sliding out of the race. They are now three games back.

As far as the NL Central race, the Cubs have no realistic chance of catching the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee beat St. Louis on Wednesday and combined with Chicago's loss trimmed the Brewers’ magic number to four.

So a combination of four Milwaukee wins and Chicago losses gives the division title to the Brewers.

Chicago's focus moving forward will be on clinching a playoff berth and staying in one of those three wild card spots.

The NL Central Race as of Sept. 21

Wednesday’s Results

Milwaukee 8, St. Louis 2

Pittsburgh 13, Chicago Cubs 7

Standings

Milwaukee (86-66): — (Magic Number to clinch NL Central: 4)

Chicago Cubs (79-73): 6.0 GB

What’s Left?

Milwaukee (11): Wednesday-Thursday: at St. Louis (2); Friday-Sunday: at Miami (3); Sept. 26-28: vs. St. Louis (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: vs. Chicago Cubs (3)

Chicago Cubs (11): Wednesday-Thursday: vs. Pittsburgh (2); Friday-Sunday: vs. Colorado (3); Sept. 26-28: at Atlanta (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Milwaukee (3)

The NL Wild Card Race as of Sept. 21

Wednesday’s Results

Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 5

Minnesota 5, Cincinnati 3

New York Mets 8, Miami 3

Pittsburgh 13, Chicago Cubs 7

Arizona 7, San Francisco 1

Standings

(Top three teams clinch Wild Card berths)

Philadelphia (83-69): +4.0 Games (Magic Number to clinch: 6)

Arizona (81-72): — +1.5 Games (Magic Number to clinch: 8)

Chicago Cubs (79-73): — (Magic Number to clinch: 10)

Miami (79-74): — 0.5 GB

Cincinnati (79-75): — 1.0 GB

San Francisco (76-76): — 3.0 GB

What’s Left?

Philadelphia (10): Thursday-Sunday: vs. New York Mets (4); Sept. 26-28: vs. Pittsburgh (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at New York Mets (3)

Chicago Cubs (10): Thursday: vs. Pittsburgh (1); Friday-Sunday: vs. Colorado (3); Sept. 26-28: at Atlanta (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Milwaukee (3)

Arizona (9): Friday-Sunday: at New York Yankees (3); Sept. 25-27: at Chicago White Sox (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: vs. Houston (3)

Cincinnati (8): Friday-Sunday: vs. Pittsburgh (3); Sept. 26-27: at Cleveland (2); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at St. Louis (3)

Miami (9): Friday-Sunday: vs. Milwaukee (3); Sept. 26-28: at New York Mets (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Pittsburgh (3)

San Francisco (10): Thursday-Sunday: at Los Angeles Dodgers (4); Sept. 25-27: vs. San Diego (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (3)