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While it looked like the Cubs were one of the National League’s best teams for much of the second half, the final three weeks have proven that they aren’t that team yet.
September 29, 2023It seemed to be going so well for the Chicago Cubs. They entered the month of September holding onto the second NL Wild Card spot, had a schedule that fell their way and motivation to reach the postseason for the first time since 2020.
But the month has not been kind to the Cubs, who may have seen their chance for October fly out the window.
Chicago was just swept by the Braves, which was the only outcome that they couldn’t allow in their trip to Atlanta. Not only did they get swept, but it happened in ugly fashion. Game 1 saw their bullpen blow a six-run lead before a missed fly ball by Seiya Suzuki led to the game-winning run. In Game 2, the bullpen gave up a late lead again, losing in extras. And in Game 3, the Braves’ juggernaut offense crushed Marcus Stroman in their 5-3 victory.
Thursday’s loss felt like a backbreaker for the Cubs, who have been looking for anything to go their way. They’ve now lost 13 of their last 19 games, dropping from the second NL Wild Card spot to being on the outside looking in.
At this point in the season, things like strength of schedule and opponents under .500 get a lot of attention. The idea being that good teams should be able to beat up on bad teams en route to the postseason. But it doesn’t always work that way, as many teams around baseball have found out over the last two weeks.
The Cubs opened the month of September with series against the Reds, Giants and D-backs, all of whom have been jockeying for position for the final Wild Card spot with Chicago. While they swept San Francisco and split with Cincinnati, dropping six of seven games to Arizona was the beginning of the Cubs’ bad stretch before they dropped four of their next six games against the Pirates and Rockies. Pittsburgh and Colorado, who are a combined 133-185, were the definition of spoilers and may have done enough to keep Chicago out of the postseason.
The Cubs no longer control their own destiny. They head to Milwaukee for their final series of the season this weekend with their playoff hopes on the line. The reality is they need a sweep if they hope to even have a shot. But because they now sit behind Miami for the third and final NL Wild Card spot, they need additional help from the Pirates, who face the Marlins to close the season.
The Cubs weren’t supposed to be a playoff team after a rough start to the season — they were the worst team in the NL at one point. But they rebounded in June, July and August becoming one of the league’s best with things in front of them going into the final month of the season.
Playoff teams are able to stop the bleeding, figure out solutions and get themselves back on track. While it looked like the Cubs were one of the National League’s best teams for much of the second half, the final three weeks have proven that they aren’t that team yet.