The Chicago Cubs are on one of their hottest streaks of the season, having won five games in a row and seven of their last eight games.
During their recent winning streak, the Cubs have only given up three runs in five games, outscoring opponents by a 31-3 margin. That streak includes a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, owners of the best record in the American League, and wins against the Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs’ run differential is now just about even, and they’re slowly gaining ground in the National League Central and Wild Card races.
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Heading into Saturday’s doubleheader against the Cardinals, the Cubs are eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the division and three games behind the Cardinals and New York Mets in the hunt for the third wild card spot in the National League.
But just how close are they to getting back into playoff contention?
According to FanGraphs, the Cubs’ odds of reaching the playoffs were at just 4.9% back on July 3. On that date, the Cubs lost to the Philadelphia Phillies to drop their record to 39-48 on the season. They had just a 1% chance of winning the division, and were 13 games behind the Brewers.
After Friday’s win over the Cardinals, the Cubs’ playoff chances have increased to 14.5%. Their main avenue into the playoffs is the wild card, with a 9.3% chance of clinching one of the three spots, and they have a 5.2% chance of winning the Central Division.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs will aim to gain more ground on the Cardinals in that wild card hunt on Saturday, with the two teams set to take the field for a doubleheader at Busch Stadium. Hayden Wesneski will pitch the opening game at 1:15 p.m., and Javier Assad, fresh off the injured list, will pitch in the nightcap at 7:15 p.m.
The Cubs will then wrap up the first half of their season on Sunday when they send Jameson Taillon to the mound against the Cardinals.