There might have been a moment of optimism as the Cubs swept the White Sox during part two of the 2024 Crosstown Classic, but reality intruded pretty quickly as the Cubs faced off against the first place Guardians in Cleveland this week and were on the receiving end of being swept. There’s plenty of blame to go around, literal errors, mental errors, offense that didn’t show up, offense that showed up but wasn’t enough at the end of the day. Without going into every key moment, it felt like the last gasp of an aspiring contender.
The playoff odds have fallen accordingly, with Baseball Reference currently giving the Cubs a 3.