The Chicago Cubs have put themselves in the position they want to be. The goal for every team at the start of a season, on a very basic level, is to be playing games that matter in September.
It’s the final week of the regular season now, and the Cubs have a chance to ensure they’re in the playoffs, too — they’re very close to clinching a postseason berth.
The bad news for the Cubs is that it hasn’t happened yet.
The good news for the Cubs is that it can happen on Wednesday.
Cubs Clinching Scenarios Today
The Cubs have two paths to clinching a playoff spot on Wednesday, and they only need one of them to happen.
The simplest one, and the one in Chicago’s control, is this:
- Cubs beat Marlins.
The Cubs also could use this result to get in the playoffs:
- Rockies beat Diamondbacks.
Either of those would ensure that the Cubs cannot fall out of a qualifying Wild Card position.
Arizona is trying to chase down a playoff spot from the outside, but they can no longer catch the Cubs either if Chicago wins or the Diamondbacks lose.
This isn’t a combination situation — the Cubs only need one of these results to ensure they’re going to the playoffs.
Schedule Notes
The Cubs are the first of the two contending teams to get underway on Wednesday. They’re scheduled for a 7:40 p.m. ET (6:40 p.m. local time) first pitch at Wrigley Field against the Miami Marlins.
The Diamondbacks will begin their game in Colorado against the Rockies exactly one hour later.
The Cubs have to feel good about their probable pitching matchup. They’re sending Kevin Gausman to the mound, and although he hasn’t been great since the trade from the Blue Jays, he’s a proven big-game pitcher.
On the flip side, the Marlins are going to throw Ryan Gusto, who is 1-5 this season with a 4.14 ERA.
The Diamondbacks have the always unusual task of trying to play winning baseball in the thin air of Coors Field. They’ll be sending the experienced veteran Merrill Kelly to the mound. He’s 9-14 this season with a 5.00 ERA. The Rockies counter with the inexperienced Mason Adams, who is 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA.
The reality here is that the Cubs have a magic number of 1 in relation to the Diamondbacks. All they need the rest of the way is for themselves to get one more win by Sunday, or for Arizona to have one more loss by Sunday.
Either way, the Cubs have a great chance to get into the playoffs. They can’t catch the Brewers in the NL Central Division, but getting into the playoffs is the first step, and the Cubs are almost there.
This Is How Cubs Get Playoff Spot Today