Five days ago, in this space, the Cubs had won for the sixth time in a row, coming to within 6.5 games of the Cardinals, 2.0 games of the Pirates, and building a 7.5 game advantage over the Giants. The sun was brighter. Food tasted sweeter. The birds brought you toys and garments each morning as you woke.
And then the Cubs lost four in a row, including last night’s game in Los Angeles.
The fallout therefrom, and following more Cardinals and Pirates wins: 9.5 games back of the Cardinals in the Central, and 6.0 games back of the Pirates. The pace at which those two teams have been playing is astounding, especially over the last few weeks, so any misstep by the Cubs was going to hurt dearly. A four-game losing streak – even if it comes on a West Coast swing against tough opponents – is a serious misstep.
At least the Cardinals’ win came against the Giants, holding them at 4.5 games behind the Cubs for the second Wild Card spot.
Some more favorable games loom on the horizon for the Cubs, but a win today in the finale against the Dodgers would sure make you feel a lot better about all of this. At least the Cubs’ playoff odds at both BP and FanGraphs are still hovering around 90%.