The Cubs salvaged the weekend in Seattle with a 19-2 blowout on Sunday, but that didn’t erase the bigger issue hanging over the trip: they can’t keep giving away series and expect the National League playoff race to stay comfortable.
At 75-56, Chicago is still sitting in solid shape to reach October. FanGraphs had the Cubs at better than a 97% chance to make the postseason entering Monday.
But the goal after the trade deadline wasn’t just getting in - it was chasing Milwaukee in the NL Central. That path has gotten steeper again.
The Cubs had trimmed the Brewers’ lead to four games not long after the deadline, but Milwaukee has pushed that margin back to six. There are still seven head-to-head matchups left between the two clubs, so the division isn’t dead yet. Still, it would take a major run to make the climb feel realistic.
That leaves the Wild Card race as the main storyline, and the Cubs are still in position to claim the top spot there. That matters because finishing first means hosting the opening-round series.
Right now, Chicago would host Philadelphia at Wrigley Field, while San Diego, currently the third Wild Card team, would be headed to Atlanta to face the Braves, who lead the National League East. Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Dodgers would get first-round byes.
The Phillies are the threat that has made this race more urgent. The Cubs went 6-1 against Philadelphia this season, but this version of the Phillies looks different.
They’ve won nine straight, and the thought of lining up against Zack Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez, and Jesús Luzardo in consecutive games is a tough one. The only thing separating that series from being played at Wrigley Field instead of Citizens Bank Park is two games.
So yes, the Cubs should make the playoffs. But the cushion is not as roomy as it looked a few weeks ago.
If they want to keep the advantage they’ve built, they need to keep taking care of business against weaker opponents. Anything less could reshuffle the Wild Card picture in a hurry.
In Other News...
Cubs Suddenly Have An October Pitching Decision Fans Will Debate
The Cubs spent much of the season patching together a rotation that was thinned by injuries, but the trade deadline changed the shape of the staff in a hurry. Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes gave Craig Counsell more October options than he had a few months ago, and that alone has made the pitching conversation around this club more interesting as the postseason approaches.
Counsell has never sounded tied to traditional labels anyway, preferring to think of his arms as out-getters rather than starters or relievers in the old sense. That flexibility is useful now, because the Cubs can map out several playoff paths depending on health and matchups, and the toughest call may be less about who has been best than about how to deploy the group for maximum impact when every inning matters. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Were Part Of A Brutal MLB First No Pitcher Wanted
The Cubs were part of a strange slice of MLB history this week when Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller got tagged in back-to-back blowouts against Milwaukee and Chicago. Seattle was thumped 22-0 by the Brewers before running into another rough night in Wrigley, where the Cubs rolled to a 19-2 win and left Miller on the losing end again.
For Chicago, it was just another emphatic offensive night in a game that got out of hand early. For Miller, it became the kind of unwanted distinction that does not come around often, with the Mariners starter taking the loss in consecutive outings that each spiraled far beyond the usual bounds of a bad start. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Prospect Is Doing Something Rare The Organization Barely Sees
Josiah Hartshorn has spent this season turning heads in a way the Cubs almost never see from a teenager. The 19-year-old top prospect has moved between Class-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend while building a .936 OPS across more than 300 plate appearances, giving the organization a tantalizing look at a bat that already looks advanced for his age.
The power surge is what really stands out, especially for a player still viewed as a couple of years away from Wrigley Field. Hartshorn is the kind of athletic outfield talent the Cubs hope can fit into a future core alongside Pete Crow-Armstrong, and while the long-term picture is still developing, his season has already put him in rare company for this franchise. [Read more 🡒]