Divisional fat lady warms up
That stunned sound of silence emanating from Clark and Addison was that of the Cubbies division-winning hopes being coughed up like their six-run lead. It’s hard to talk about must-win games a week after the All-Star Break, but I think these two against the redbirds were as close as it gets. All the Cubs needed was a split, and they couldn’t get that. A number of teams have clawed back from 10-game July deficits, but they all had the luxury of playing the team ahead of them down the stretch.
The best the Cubs can hope for is for St. Louis to collapse. If that does happen, methinks it would rank up among the great ones—think 1951 Dodgers, 1964 Phillies, 1978 Red Sox…and of course the 1969 Cubs.
At least the NL Wild Card is still in reach (assuming the Cubs shake out of their recent doldrums and get healthy), and the last two seasons have proven that it doesn’t take a division winner to excel in October.