The Chicago Cubs won’t play on Monday, but that hasn’t stopped them from making a little progress in the hunt for a wild-card spot.
One of the teams being pursued by the Cubs faced a difficult situation, as the Arizona Diamondbacks held a leadoff lead against the New York Yankees, losing 6-4 in the series finale in the Bronx.
As a result, the Diamondbacks now have an identical record to the Cubs, and are one game ahead of the Miami Marlins in the playoffs.
Here are the Wild Card standings:
Phillies: 87-69
Diamondbacks: 82-74
Cubs: 82-74
Marlins: 81-75 (1 GB)
Red: 80-77 (2.5GB)
Padres: 77-79 (5 GB)
Giants: 77-79 (5 GB)
What is the magic number for the Cubs?
Both the Cubs and Marlins will be inactive on Monday, meaning the team’s magic number will remain at six for at least another day.
A combined six Cubs wins and Marlins losses will put Chicago in the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Another thing worth noting: If the Cubs finish in a three-way tie with the Diamondbacks and Marlins, they will miss the playoffs, as they lost the season series to both clubs.
What is the future:
The Cubs will conclude the season with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.
The Diamondbacks will face the Chicago White Sox in a three-game series beginning Tuesday, then return home for a three-game series against the Houston Astros to end the regular season.
The Marlins will face the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game series starting Tuesday night.
Finally, the Reds will face the Cleveland Guardians in a two-game series starting Tuesday, then face the Cardinals in a three-game series to conclude the season starting Friday.
The Padres and Giants will square off in a three-game series starting Monday, with both teams having just two eliminations in the wild-card race. If either is still in the running for the final weekend of the season, the Padres will be in Chicago to play the White Sox, while the Giants will be home to play the Dodgers.
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