About a couple of weeks ago, the Chicago Cubs were in a much more comfortable position when it comes to their playoff chances.
However, they haven’t been playing good baseball as of late and have compromised their chances.
Such is life in the ever-competitive MLB Wild Card race.
“The Chicago #Cubs lose for the 10th time in 13 games with their playoff hopes taking another hit,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted.
The Chicago #Cubs lose for the 10th time in 13 games with their playoff hopes taking another hit.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 22, 2023
Now, Chicago has a 79-74 record and is tied with the Miami Marlins for the third and last Wild Card spot in the National League.
That’s not all, though: the Cincinnati Reds are just half a game behind, the San Francisco Giants are 3.0 games back, and even the San Diego Padres have joined the race, at 4.0 games behind.
Chicago can’t afford to slip anymore if it wants to secure a ticket to the postseason.
They need their star player, Cody Bellinger, to pick up his torrid pace from just a few weeks ago.
In the last 13 games, in which Chicago has lost 10, Bellinger has a .716 OPS, much lower than his .897 season mark.
They also need Justin Steele to keep his Cy Young contender form, and other pitchers and hitters to step up.
With the Philadelphia Phillies steadily leading the Wild Card standings in the National League, there are essentially six teams with realistic chances of fighting for two playoff spots: the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Cubs, the Marlins, the Reds, the Giants, and the Padres.
Who will be the ones playing games next month?
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