Uh oh! A day after the Cubs won and the Brewers lost and life had meaning, we now had a day when the Cubs lost and the Brewers won, and suddenly everything is awful again.
I am exaggerating in both directions, of course, but that’s kinda how tight this thing is. With the Brewers now just a game and a half back with six games to play, those kinds of double-whammy days are all the more terrifying. The Cubs would still be in first place by a game in the loss column if it happened again tonight, but after that … the buffer is gone.
The Cubs got dominated by a great young pitcher in Jameson Taillon, and the Cardinals farted away a late potential win against the Brewers. It is cold comfort that the loss hurt the Cardinals more than it hurt the Cubs, as the Cardinals are now just a half-game ahead of the Rockies for the second Wild Card spot, tied in the loss column. The Cardinals have games left against only the Brewers and Cubs, so it’s not like it’s going to be an easy road for them (while the Rockies will be playing eliminated teams at home).
But back to the divisional race. The Brewers face those Cardinals again tonight, with Gio Gonzalez (he’s been very good since the Brewers added him) facing Austin Gomber (who has been pretty decent this year). The Cubs, meanwhile, get a hot Chris Archer against Mike Montgomery.