The Cubs won and lost Wednesday night. Even with dropping the finale of the three-game series with the Brewers, the Cubs got one step closer to a spot in the tournament early Thursday morning.
The Giants lost to the Padres 5-4 in San Diego and reduced the Cubs magic number.
Any two combinations of Cubs wins or Giants losses and Joe Maddon’s team secures a spot in the post-season. But don’t talk magic numbers to Joe Maddon. The Cubs skipper did not know what the number was prior to Wednesday’s game.
According to a report from ESPN Chicago, Maddon does not want his players to be distracted by how many victories or competitors’ defeats it would take to make it to the postseason.