The Cubs hold a slim one-game lead in the chase for the final NL wild card spot, just above the Marlins, who hold their head-to-head tiebreaker. The Cubs are also currently half a game behind Arizona, who also hold the tiebreaker. And somehow the Brewers still have not clinched the division, although it would be quite funny if the Cubs ran the table and the Brewers collapsed, unlikely as it may be.
If we assume the division is lost, based on the extreme unlikelihood that the Brewers lose every game and the Cubs sweep x2, then the most realistic finish is with the second or third NL wild card. We know the Cubs have to play three in Atlanta and then close out the season with three in Milwaukee, possibly the toughest schedule of the remaining contenders. At some point this week the Giants and Padres will likely eliminate themselves due to their head-to-head, and then it will just be the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Marlins, and Reds fighting for these spots.
There is some hope that certain bad teams with ok offensive game (Mets and Cardinals) could play spoiler, along with the recently struggling Astros trying to lock up their spot against Arizona. It starts with the Cubs winning both of these series if they can, but I’m not above asking for some help.
Comments
Top teams across leagues:
ATL 100-56
BAL 97-59
LAD 95-59 (pending end of game)
TB 95-62
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Silly Giants
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Blech, whiffed on two squares with attempts to go for obscurity
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 176 7/9:
Rarity: 307
π©β¬οΈπ©
π©π©β¬οΈ
π©π©π©
Play at:
https://immaculategrid.com
@immaculategrid x @baseball_ref
Rice CubeQuote Reply
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 176 5/9:
Rarity: 487
β¬οΈπ©π©
π©β¬οΈβ¬οΈ
β¬οΈπ©π©
Rough one today. I remembered the infamous Mike Sirotka trade, but forget that he never pitched in the bigs again. I also knew that Podsednik would work for the White Sox SB guy but for some reason my brain kept coming up with Joc Peterson every time I tried to remember his name (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Scotty Pods is hands-down the hardest name to remember for me, mostly because Chicago radio guys always called him Peter Pan, which is the only thing that ever comes to mind yet has no mnemonic value whatsoever.
I had a ton of fun adding Cubs as a third dimension to every box but came two short. Glenallen Hill, George Bell, and Reed Johnson were the most fun with Sammy Sosa as the White Sox SB guy. I crashed and burned at the White Sox gold glove box, which I stupidly thought (after way too much time) was the stolen base column and guessed Juan Pierre.
andcountingQuote Reply
It appears the Yankees will not be helpful today
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Big if untrue.
andcountingQuote Reply
False
Rice CubeQuote Reply
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 176 8/9:
Rarity: 222
π©π©π©
π©π©β¬οΈ
π©π©π©
Play at:
https://immaculategrid.com
@immaculategrid x @baseball_ref
Tough one for rarity scores today. And I couldnβt think of any good defenders from the White Sox, but remembered Sox fans loved to hype Joe Crede. Apparently they overrated him. (dying laughing)
PerkinsQuote Reply
Thanks, Yankees.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Whomst amongst us
berseliusQuote Reply
Holy crap, the Padres and Giants now have the same record
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
This series one will eliminate the other and if the Cubs notch a win they’re both eliminated
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The Pirates are also on the verge of guaranteeing that they finish with a better record than the cardinals for the first time in 25 years.
berseliusQuote Reply
Alas, twas a fun experiment https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/disappointing-padres-expected-to-cut-payroll-by-about-20-to-around-200-million-for-2024-per-report/amp/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
As per usual, the ROY column is slim pickings
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 177 9/9:
Rarity: 316
IMMACULATE!
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
Play at:
https://immaculategrid.com
@immaculategrid x @baseball_ref
Rice CubeQuote Reply
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 177 7/9:
Rarity: 416
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
π©β¬οΈβ¬οΈ
Somehow I always forget about Greinke when I’m flailing to remember KC guys
berseliusQuote Reply
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 177 9/9:
Rarity: 239
IMMACULATE!
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
Play at:
https://immaculategrid.com
@immaculategrid x @baseball_ref
Somehow remembered Angel Berroa, which was helpful since Iβd already burned Carlos Beltran.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I guess tonight is the night we learn if Steele is broken or not. But if he is, the wild card race is rather pointless.
andcountingQuote Reply
The Dodgers currently losing may or may not persuade ATL to take it easy tonight
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Tonight’s lineup
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1706760772213178459?t=PMgc8iH_6b6K-06jT9w3fw&s=19
Sticking to as many guns as he has remaining
Rice CubeQuote Reply
RIP Brooks Robinson
https://twitter.com/Orioles/status/1706785629546111056?t=x9labkxsNmNDxHQwS0aM_w&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I forgot which thread we were in even though I set up the thread but anyway the Reds are currently losing
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
After a brief hiccup, Reds continue to lose
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The Cubs did score, but they probably should score more
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The White Sox explode* in the 1st!
*in a good way
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Dang, missed a Seiya triple while eating
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Seiya!
andcountingQuote Reply
Alas the Reds are no longer losing because Cleveland is bad and should feel bad
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Marlins and Mets will doubleheader tomorrow, which could be good
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The White Sox are going to torture us, arenβt they?
andcountingQuote Reply
Ugh, TOOTBLAN
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Yeah. Pete Crow-TOOTBLAN.
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
Given the end of season matchups I don’t know if it’s more likely they catch AZ or stay ahead of the Marlins but they obviously have to try to do the latter due to tiebreakers, sucky part of the season…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Damn, until the 6th I thought Steele might have regained an outside shot at the CYA.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Cubs are going to lose this one, arenβt they?
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
No, nothing to worry about. Theyβre bunting. What could go wroβ¦oh, wait.
andcountingQuote Reply
Hold the fuck onβ¦
Ross bunted with the guy whoβs 3-3 and plays third, then pinch hit with that guyβs platoon counterpart to replace the CF whose only purpose is his defense? The guy he had bunt with a 5-run lead and no outs after pinch running for the other CF? Jesus fucking Christ, what an idiot.
andcountingQuote Reply
Phillies just walked off the quite unmotivated Pirates so they’ve clinched that top wild card I believe.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Oh no Seiya…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Shades of Brant Brown
berseliusQuote Reply
Though after two wild pitches from Smyly, they kind of deserve to lose here.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Welp. Ron Santo just died again.
andcountingQuote Reply
I expect the Cubs to lose most of the time against this Atlanta team, but not when they go up 6-0. This is inexcusable.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Hereβs hoping the Cubs give Craig Counsell whatever he wants if the Brewers remain determined not to re-sign him.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Not gonna lie, that ending was not fun, but at least they did it in less than three hours!
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Also Brewers clinch the division and maybe actually do take it easy now
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I’m beginning to think Ross didn’t really pay attention to baseball games all those years he spent on the bench becoming management material.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Go Mets then
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Hmmm, should’ve picked Ty Cobb instead…also seriously the one time I didn’t think to pick Rich Aurilia (dying laughing)
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 178 9/9:
Rarity: 173
IMMACULATE!
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
Play at:
https://immaculategrid.com
@immaculategrid x @baseball_ref
Rice CubeQuote Reply
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 178 9/9:
Rarity: 162
IMMACULATE!
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
Even if he’s going to be a very common answer, if Willie Mays fits I’m going to pick him (dying laughing). See also Henry Aaron.
berseliusQuote Reply
βΎοΈ Immaculate Grid 178 9/9:
Rarity: 181
IMMACULATE!
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
π©π©π©
Play at:
https://immaculategrid.com
@immaculategrid x @baseball_ref
So I guess everyone just used Willie Mays for SFG 200 hits, then.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Since the White Sox are useless, we will have to consider WC2 a goner
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Iβd kind of prefer WC3 to WC2 other than not having any cushion.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Here we talk about the likelihood of WC3 while the Cubs were pissing the game away last night –> http://www.obstructedview.net/podcast/dreamcast-74-fumes/
Rice CubeQuote Reply