The Chicago Cubs had a few chances to punch their playoff ticket Tuesday, but despite falling short they’ll get another opportunity Wednesday.
The Cubs coughed up a golden chance at Wrigley Field to control their own destiny as they lost 8-2 to the Miami Marlins in extra innings, then they watched as the Arizona Diamondbacks kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a win over the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
The Cubs and White Sox are inching towards a playoff berth. Here’s how both teams could clinch
Still, the Cubs are very much in control of their own destiny and their playoff seeding heading into action on Wednesday, and here’s where things stand.
National League Wild Card standings
Chicago Cubs 87-70
Philadelphia Phillies 87-70
San Diego Padres 87-70
Arizona Diamondbacks 83-74 (4 GB)
What is the Cubs’ magic number?
The Cubs’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot remains at one after their loss to Miami and the Diamondbacks’ win over the Rockies in Denver.
That means if the Cubs can win Wednesday’s game, or if the Diamondbacks lose to the Rockies, then Chicago would officially punch their ticket into the playoffs.
What’s with all the teams tied at the top of the standings?
Thanks to the Phillies beating the Milwaukee Brewers and the Padres losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, there is a three-way tie at the top of the National League wild card standings with five games remaining in the season.
The good news for the Cubs is that they own tiebreakers over both the Phillies and Padres, meaning if they were to finish in a tie with either team they would move ahead of them in the standings. Currently, that means the Cubs would host a Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field, with a best-of-three series against the Phillies on the docket.
The Phillies own a tiebreaker over the Padres in the National League, meaning San Diego would have to finish ahead of both Chicago and Philadelphia in order to host a playoff series at Petco Park.
What’s the road ahead for the teams?
The Cubs will have two more games against the Marlins at Wrigley Field before they head to the east coast to face the Boston Red Sox to finish up the regular season.
The Phillies have two more games against the Brewers before they welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to the City of Brotherly Love to wrap up the regular season.
The Padres will have two more road games against the Dodgers before they head home to face the Diamondbacks for a three-game series to wrap up the regular season.
Arizona will have to pray for a miracle as they finish a series against the Rockies then face the Padres at Petco Park.
| # | Наименование новости | Тональность | Информативность | Дата публикации |
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| 1 | The Cubs and White Sox are inching towards a playoff berth. Here's how both teams could clinch | 0 | 9.1 | 23-09-2026 |
| 2 | MLB playoff picture: The White Sox and Cubs could make history this week | 0 | 7.75 | 23-09-2026 |
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| 6 | Wednesday's MLB clinching scenarios: Guardians, White Sox on verge of making postseason | 0 | 6.99 | 23-09-2026 |
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| 10 | Padres face Cubs on 4-game losing streak | 0 | 17.23 | 01-07-2026 |