Cubs Owe This AL East Team a Thank You This Week
The Chicago Cubs saw their lead in the NL Wild Card race grow a bit stronger thanks to a helpful series sweep by the Baltimore Orioles. As the Cubs won two out of three games against the Atlanta Braves, the Orioles took care of business by sweeping the San Diego Padres, giving the Cubs some breathing room.
After winning the first two games of their series at home against Atlanta, the Cubs were unable to complete the sweep, losing the third game while the Milwaukee Brewers took down the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite that setback, the Cubs entered their off day on Thursday with a four-game lead over the Padres for the top Wild Card spot in the National League, and San Diego couldn’t make up any ground.
Baltimore Helps the Cubs Gain Ground in the Wild Card Race 
The Orioles, who currently sit at the bottom of the AL East, played a crucial role by sweeping the Padres in a three-game series. Baltimore outscored San Diego 17-10 on the road, despite a poor away record of 30-39 and the Padres’ solid home record of 43-22 at Petco Park. With the Padres failing to win a single game, the Cubs were able to expand their Wild Card lead.
Looking ahead, the Orioles could potentially help the Cubs even more in their next series, as they face the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend. A strong performance from Baltimore against the Dodgers could give the Cubs another boost.
If the playoffs started today, both the Cubs and Padres would make it, but Chicago would host the opening round of the playoffs with the better record. This is why the Cubs’ series against Atlanta, and the Padres’ series against the Orioles, were so important.
Cubs Look to Keep Gaining on Milwaukee
While the Cubs are off, the Brewers are playing their third game against the Phillies. With Milwaukee losing to Philadelphia on Thursday, the Cubs have now closed the gap to just 5.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central.
Next, the Cubs will face the Washington Nationals, the last-place team in the NL East, in a three-game series. This should be another opportunity for Chicago to continue gaining ground on Milwaukee and maintain their Wild Card lead over San Diego.
Additionally, with Michael Soroka nearing a return to the Cubs’ rotation, Chicago will get a chance to inch closer to both the Brewers and the Padres as they keep pushing toward the postseason.
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