Chicago Cubs: Three must-win series down the stretch

Third-most crucial series: September 24th-27th vs Pittsburgh Pirates

The Cubs and Brewers have been 1-2 in the NL Central standings for most of the season.

However, one team has made a rise as of late — the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates are currently 7.5 games back of the Cubs in the Central division standings. However, the Pirates are just five games back of the second National League Wild Card.

In addition to making a rise in the standings, the Pirates made major additions at the deadline, adding the top pitcher on the market in Chris Archer.

https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1027347476716503040

While the Pirates might not be too close to the Cubs in the division standings, a lot can change in a month. Especially considering the Archer addition, the Pirates are a team due for a run in the next month.

A late September four-game set in Wrigley will likely decide the Pirates’ playoff stance. If the Pirates win the series or sweep, they’ll be in contention up until the end of the season.

However, a Cubs’ sweep would likely put the Pirates’ playoff hopes to bed, eliminating a division rival and potential threat in the final month of the season.

In addition to the leverage of the series, the Cubs will likely have superstar third baseman Kris Bryant back off the disabled list, as well as Brandon Morrow and potentially Yu Darvish.

The Cubs figure to have their entire team together for a late-September four-game series against a surging potential Wild Card team. All signs point to this series as an exciting one with major implications for both teams.

Things need to go well for both teams, especially the Pirates, in the next month in order for this series to live up to its potential, but as of early-August, this one looks like it’ll be a lot of fun.