Chicago Cubs Playoff Path Getting Tighter After Loss

The Chicago Cubs are falling further behind Milwaukee and closer to the rest of the National League Wild Card field.

The Chicago Cubs lost another game on Milwaukee in the National League central has their hopes of claiming a division title appear to be on life support.

The Cubs lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-6, and 13 innings on Saturday night. It was Chicago's second lost Arizona, a team that is pursuing them in the NL Wild Card standings.

So while the Cubs get further away from the Brewers and the division lead, the Cubs are getting closer to the field in the wild card race.

With the loss, the Cubs are now 0.5 games ahead of the rest of the field for the second wild card berth. The Diamondbacks are directly behind them, along with the Cubs NL Central rivals, the Cincinnati Reds.

So, as the Cubs go into their game with Arizona on Sunday, they have increasingly little room for error when it comes to maintaining their playoff hopes.

Below is an update on the race, with the current standings, magic numbers to clinch the NL Central and a Wild Card berth, along with the remaining schedules for the teams that are still in the race.

The NL Central Race as of Sept. 17

Saturday’s Results

Arizona 7, Chicago Cubs 6 (13 innings)

Milwaukee 9, Washington 5

Milwaukee (84-64): — (Magic Number to clinch NL Central: 8)

Chicago Cubs (78-71): 6.5 GB

What’s Left?

Milwaukee (14): Sunday: vs. Washington (1); Sept. 18-21: at St. Louis (4); Sept. 22-24: at Miami (3); Sept. 26-28: vs. St. Louis (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: vs. Chicago Cubs (3)

Chicago Cubs (13): Sunday: at Arizona (1); Sept. 19-21: vs. Pittsburgh (3); Sept. 22-24: vs. Colorado (3); Sept. 26-28: at Atlanta (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Milwaukee (3)

The NL Wild Card Race as of Sept. 17

Saturday’s Results

Philadelphia 6, St. Louis 1

Arizona 7, Chicago Cubs 6 (13 innings)

Cincinnati 3, New York Mets 2

Miami 11, Atlanta 5

Colorado 5, San Francisco 2 (Game 1)

Colorado 9, San Francisco 5 (Game 2)

(Top three teams clinch Wild Card berths)

Philadelphia (81-67): +4.0 Games (Magic Number to clinch: 10)

Chicago Cubs (78-71): +0.5 Games (Magic Number to clinch: 13)

Cincinnati (78-72): — (Magic Number to clinch: 13)

Arizona (78-72): — (Magic Number to clinch: 13)

Miami (77-72): — 0.5 GB

San Francisco (75-74): — 2.5 GB

What’s Left?

Philadelphia (14): Sunday: at St. Louis (1); Sept. 18-20: at Atlanta (3); Sept. 21-24: vs. New York Mets (4); Sept. 26-28: vs. Pittsburgh (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at New York Mets (3)

Chicago Cubs (13): Sunday: at Arizona (1); Sept. 19-21: vs. Pittsburgh (3); Sept. 22-24: vs. Colorado (3); Sept. 26-28: at Atlanta (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Milwaukee (3)

Arizona (12): Sunday: vs. Chicago Cubs (1); Sept. 19-20: vs. San Francisco (2); Sept. 22-24: at New York Yankees (3); Sept. 25-27: at Chicago White Sox (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: vs. Houston (3)

Cincinnati (12): Sunday: at New York Mets (1); Sept. 18-20: vs. Minnesota (3); Sept. 22-24: vs. Pittsburgh (3); Sept. 26-27: at Cleveland (2); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at St. Louis (3)

Miami (13): Sunday: vs. Atlanta (1); Sept. 18-20: vs. New York Mets (3); Sept. 22-24: vs. Milwaukee (3); Sept. 26-28: at New York Mets (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Pittsburgh (3)

San Francisco (13): Sunday: at Colorado (1); Sept. 19-20: at Arizona (2); Sept. 21-24: at Los Angeles Dodgers (4); Sept. 25-27: vs. San Diego (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (3)