For the first time in a couple decades, the Chicago Cubs will have to play one more game to settle up their season slate.
After wins today over the Cardinals and Tigers, respectively, the Cubs and Brewers finished the 162-game regular season with identical 95-67 records. That means, in order to determine the NL Central winner, the teams will have to play Game 163 tomorrow afternoon at Wrigley Field. The winner heads to the NLDS on Thursday. The loser hosts the Wild Card Game (against the loser of the Dodgers and Rockies in their OWN Game 163) on Tuesday.
Then, if tomorrow’s loser wins the Wild Card Game, they’ll face this team once again in the NLDS.
Game 163 for the Cubs and Brewers will be at noon CT. Tickets go on sale at 7:30 pm CT tonight, and you’ll want to gobble them up quickly to ensure this ridiculousness doesn’t matter:
The #Brewers spreading the word throughout Wisconsin how to order tickets for Monday's tiebreaker at Wrigley Field, encouraging their fans to jump on the short train ride and make their presence felt in Game 163.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 30, 2018
This game is considered a regular season game, so that means the full 40-man roster will be available, and stats count.
The Cubs are very likely to go with Jose Quintana in the game, given that his schedule lines up and he’s owned the Brewers this year. The Brewers have not announced what they’re going to do, and it almost doesn’t matter who starts, because they’ve been going bullpen crazy for a couple weeks now. Thanks to today’s blowout of the Tigers, every reliever who matters will be fully available for the Brewers tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s tiebreaker game is scheduled to be played at 12:05 p.m. CDT at Wrigley Field. Tickets will go on sale at 7:30 p.m. CDT tonight: https://t.co/gqmOyvlxp2#EverybodyIn for 163! pic.twitter.com/ESpuXwnKtb
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 30, 2018