CHICAGO, Ill. (NBC Chicago) -- The Chicago Cubs are off Monday, but they can still take a step toward securing home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The one team that can overcome the Cubs in the wild card standings are the San Diego Padres, who enter action with a three-game deficit as they open a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park.
The Cubs are currently locked into one of the top two wild card spots in the National League, but are within striking distance of playing the best-of-three series at Wrigley Field beginning next Tuesday.
Here’s a breakdown of where things stand.
National League Wild Card Standings:
Chicago Cubs – 88-68
San Diego Padres – 85-71 (3 GB)
Cincinnati Reds – 80-76 (5 GB of Padres)
New York Mets – 80-76
Arizona Diamondbacks – 79-77 (1 GB of Padres and Mets)
The Current MLB Playoff Bracket
If the season ended today, here’s how the series would shape up in the first round in each league.
American League Byes – Toronto Blue Jays (AL East), Seattle Mariners (AL West)
Wild Card Round Series – Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
National League Byes – Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central), Philadelphia Phillies (NL East)
Wild Card Round Series – Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs
Notes on Tiebreakers –
According to MLB.com, the Reds hold a tiebreaker over the Mets for the wild card series. The Reds also have a tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks if those two teams finish the regular season tied in the standings.
The Diamondbacks also currently hold a tiebreaker over the Mets with a superior divisional record.
The Mets only hold a tiebreaker over the Dodgers, but lose a tiebreaker to the Padres.
The Cubs and Padres split their season series, so the team with the better divisional record would earn home-field advantage if they finished the regular season tied in the standings. Â
Cubs’ Magic Number for Home-Field Advantage
The Cubs are now guaranteed to finish no worse than the second National League wild card spot, and they’re still closing in on clinching home-field advantage in that series despite their four-game losing streak.
For the Cubs to host that first round series, their magic number currently stands at four, which means they will need a combination of wins and Padres losses to secure the opening series being played at Wrigley Field.
Who Would the Cubs Play if They Win the Wild Card Round?
If the Cubs can advance in the wild card series, it’s looking more likely that they would face the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series, with that series opening up at American Family Field.
The Brewers hold a three-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the National League, and they also own the tiebreaker over the Phillies if the two teams end the season with identical records.
What Does the Remaining Schedule Look Like?
The Cubs have two home series left to end the season. The first is against the Mets, who are desperate to get back into a playoff spot after being jumped by the Reds this week. The Cubs then finish the regular season with three games against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
The Padres open a three-game series against the Brewers in San Diego on Monday night. They then end the season with a three-game set against the Diamondbacks, who are one game out of the last wild card spot with six games remaining in the regular season.
If the Padres hope to leap-frog the Dodgers, they’re going to be rooting for the Diamondbacks, who open a three-game series in Phoenix on Tuesday night. The Dodgers then end the season against the surging Seattle Mariners, who suddenly appear ticketed to winning the American League West crown and clinching a first-round playoff bye.
After their series with the Cubs, the Mets head down to Miami to wrap up the season against the Marlins.
The Reds have a three-game home series against the Pirates beginning Tuesday before heading to Milwaukee for the final series of the regular season against the Brewers.
