Chicago Cubs magic number entering a huge series with Atlanta Braves

The Chicago Cubs are coming off a great sweep of the Colorado Rockies. That kept them right there in the race for the National League Wild Card. After a tough stretch leading into that series, they are still barely hanging onto the final spot.

The Miami Marlins are 1.0 games behind the Cubs in the race for the National League Wild Card. The Cincinnati Reds are 2.5 games behind them as well. That rounds out the teams that still have a chance to make it.

The Cubs also have the exact same record as the Arizona Diamondbacks but the Diamondbacks have the tiebreaker if they were to end with the same record. At this point, the second of three wild-card spots is still in play for the Cubs but they would be completely okay with the third spot.

The Chicago Cubs are hitting the road for what promises to be a very difficult series. A set with the Atlanta Braves is not ideal when the wins are this important. The Cubs may end up needing some help across the league but they can only control their own destiny by winning the games in front of them.

The Chicago Cubs are looking to reduce their magic number to zero.

They have had success against Atlanta (the best MLB team right now) earlier in the season but it is always different in September when the playoffs are on the line. Each and every player on the team needs to bring their best if they are going to win and make the playoffs.

A lot of people talk about the magic number this time of year. The magic number is the number of combined wins or losses needed in order to clinch a playoff berth. Coming into the series with the Braves, the Cubs’ magic number is six.

With six games remaining, any combination of six wins by the Cubs or losses by the Marlins will clinch that playoff spot. Yes, it is likely going to come down to the final day of the season. Although they let their security slip away, it is still fun to be involved in such a tight playoff race.

The Marlins are involved in a series with the New York Mets while the Cubs are playing the Braves so we’ll see how that series plays out as the week moves along. The Diamondbacks are in a series with the Chicago White Sox so the Cubs are also going to be rooting for the crosstown rivals as well.

Making it to the playoffs is not easy and Cubs fans should be excited about how the season has gone. We will see if they are able to get that magic number of six down to zero before the season comes to a close.