The Magic Number is down to ONE – for two teams, as both have completed eight innings in their “last” scheduled match-ups of the season. The Cubs got a little tougher assignment, with the evil Cardinals hanging on to Playoff hopes until late yesterday. Despite their 2-1 win over the Cubs, the Giants failed to play a spoiler role against the Dodgers, and any chance for a Red Bird Wildcard flew away. However, they did also manage to gain a little sweet revenge over the rival Cubs, on top of the victory. The loss dropped the division leaders into a tie with the red-hot Brewers, who were dominant today in claiming their 9th victory in the last ten games, including a 7-game win streak. 

The Brewers played better down the stretch than the Cubs, so consequently, after 162 games and 95 wins, both records are identical. As a result, they will play a tie-breaker tomorrow at Wrigley Field that will determine which team is guaranteed to play more than one game in addition to owning home-field advantage throughout the Playoffs.

After the first inning of today’s games, the Cubs had officially slipped into second place but rallied in typical comeback fashion (they trailed in 46% of their victories) to take a mid-point 8-2 lead. The Cardinals predictably narrowed the gap and then fumbled, while the Brewers extended their onslaught against the nothing-to-gain Tigers. This is why the Brewers easily gained a series sweep, while the Cubs had to somehow finish-off their closest rival. Cardinal fans were energized over a potential season-ending upset, and Cub fans were shaking their heads over a disappointing September.  

Tomorrow will be a historic day in Major League baseball, as two tie-breakers will decide the Playoff fate of four teams. The Dodgers, Rockies, Brewers, and Cubs will play an extra game this year. As a show of offensive fire-power, all four teams scored double-digits in their last game of the season. There will be no eliminations tomorrow, just disappointment in finishing second and a much more difficult road to the World Series. Trophies and bonuses may also present frustration factors.

The Cubs were already tired, as evident in their stretch-fade, while injuries and personnel issues have diluted their overall chances. You can be assured that tomorrow, the Cubs will fall behind the Brewers at some point in the game, and will have to play catch-up. This has been the story all year long, and it probably won’t change in historic game number 163. Expect a Wild finish to this unprecedented Wildcard race!