Two Weeks

In Major League Baseball by Rice Cube33 Comments

I knew that I wrote something like this a while back, but I didn’t actually know it was from June, before the Cubs made enough of a run to actually get into buy mode. Since then, the Cubs have went on quite the run to get into the postseason picture, but are now unfortunately on the outside looking in, albeit not exactly 20 games back like certain other teams.

If you are consistent and emotionless and haven’t moved your goalposts, the Cubs have done basically what they were projected to do thus far, albeit a bit ass backwards given they were comfortably holding a wild card spot just a week ago. If, however, you have bought into the hype and the glorious potential of the team that did hold that wild card spot, then it is a major disappointment that they are at this point. As yet another counterpoint, the fact that they’re even this close for us to be frustrated like this is a blessing, and the good news is that there are two weeks left to do something about their situation if they don’t want to go home after October 1.

There is now virtually no shot for the Cubs to win the division, which may be good news for that final series in Milwaukee. Given that they are merely half a game back of Arizona (who obviously owns the tiebreaker after mopping the floor with the Cubs over the past two weeks), but tied with Miami (who owns the tiebreaker because the Cubs sucked against them earlier this season) and just barely up on the Reds (who owns the tiebreaker because the Cubs bullpen and offense both crapped out at the worst time). There are 12 games remaining for the Cubs, and a similar number for all those other teams, including the Giants (who the Cubs do have the tiebreaker over) who technically still have a chance.

In the immediate series, the Diamondbacks have to play those Giants, so some solid work from SF would be nice. The Reds play the Twins who are trying to clinch their division, and the Phillies are playing Atlanta, who is just three games up on Baltimore for home field through the World Series should they make it that far. They’re also 4.5 games up on the Dodgers for best record in the National League, with LA about to play in Detroit, so a beatdown of the Phillies might be in order after they failed to similarly beat down on Miami this past weekend.

As for the Cubs, we know the deal. They have three-game sets against the Pirates and the Rockies at home this week, and the following week must travel to Atlanta and Milwaukee to close out the season. 12-0 is extremely unlikely, and at this point the Cubs only have a 45.9% chance of earning a playoff spot, which is better than zero at least. We’ve gotten to the point where to get to the mythical 87 win mark that all but guarantees a wild card spot, the Cubs need to go 9-3. This requires essentially winning every series, and some help from the other teams. It’s doable, but the Cubs have made this bed for themselves where they are no longer fully in charge of their own fate.

In the coming two weeks, hopefully some arms can step up and eat innings, the bats actually wake up, and if by some miracle David Ross elects to play someone like Alexander Canario, he runs into a baseball or two because good lord do the Cubs need to find ways to score. The rules of baseball dictate that you must score at least one run to win a baseball match, and preferably more runs than the other team, so it’s just a matter of this team doing what we have seen them be capable of doing many times this season.

Strap in…or don’t. I can’t tell you what to do.

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  13. berselius

    To-day’s base ball squadron

    2B Hoerner
    SS Swanson
    CF Belli
    RF Suzuki
    C Gomes
    LF Happ
    3B Morel
    1B Wisdom
    DH Canario (!)

    P Assad

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  21. Perkins

    Twins about to finish off the Reds, Braves up big on the Phillies, and San Francisco with a very early lead on Arizona. Shame the Mets lost today.

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