11

(Since the odds for the Cubs winning the NL Central remain ridiculously low – the Brewers' magic number to win the division is 4 while the Cubs' is 25 – the CMN atop this post refers to the Cubs making the playoffs via a Wild Card berth.)

Friday in the NL pennant race:  Cubs beat the Pirates 12-2, Arizona and San Diego both won, and the Phillies lost, lowering the CMN for the top wild card berth to 14.

Cubs Magic Numbers:

Division:  25
1st Wild Card & Home Field:  14
Wild Card:  11

See this post for CMN calculation details. 

Here's how the Cubs' remaining schedule shapes up: 

2 vs. 74-74 Pittsburgh
3 vs. 86-61 Atlanta
3 at 69-77 Cincinnati
3 vs. 72-75 Miami
3 at 80-67 Boston

The Cubs currently hold the top Wild Card berth and its benefit of home field for all NLWCS games, as they have the same record as Philadelphia but hold the tiebreaker:  a 6-1 mark in the regular season series against the Phillies.

 

The North Siders sit three games ahead of Arizona for the final Wild Card berth, and they hold the tiebreaker there as well with a 4-2 record against the Diamondbacks.

 

And in the Central, the Men in Blue are 10 games back of Milwaukee, who have the best record in MLB.

148 games down, 14 to go.

Go Cubs go!

 

2016 World Series Champion Coach John Mallee