The Cubs’ intense stretch run schedule puts playoff destiny in their hands

With a dominant 10-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Cubs moved to 69-61 for the season, keeping them a half-game up on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second of three wild-card slots in the National League.

In the 41 games they've played since the All-Star break, the Cubs have gone 27-14, giving them the second-best mark in the National League and the third-best in all of baseball, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers (29-11) and the Seattle Mariners (29-12). The American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles have also won 27 of 41 since the Midsummer Classic.

But if Chicago plans to punch a ticket to the MLB postseason since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, David Ross & Co. will have to continue this stellar play as the National League playoff race is tight with just over a month remaining.

With that said, the Cubs' playoff destiny is in their own hands as their remaining schedule features most of the teams with which they're battling, both in the NL Central and the NL Wild Card. And that remaining schedule kicks off Monday night with a huge three-game set at Wrigley Field with the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Heading into the series opener, the Cubs trail the Brewers in the NL Central by just four games, a deficit they could obviously cut to just one with a sweep. But that could certainly prove to be difficult as the Brewers have been nearly as hot as the North Siders have recently, posting a 24-15 record since the All-Star break.

As for the wild-card race, here's how the standings currently look.

That's five other teams all well within range of nabbing a wild-card slot. Throw in the Brewers, and that's six teams the Cubs are battling for a postseason berth.

The Chicago Cubs' schedule puts their playoff destiny in their own hands

Over the final 32 regular-season games, Chicago has at least one series against four of them, the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins being the only exceptions. And the vast majority of those take place over the next three weeks.

Following this week's Monday-Wednesday set with Milwaukee, the Cubs travel to Cincinnati for a four-game series that kicks off with a Friday doubleheader. After that, Chicago returns home to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field for a week to host the San Francisco Giants for three and the Arizona Diamondbacks for four.

Following a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies beginning September 11, the Cubs have an off-day before heading to Arizona for three more with the Diamondbacks. So, as you can see, this upcoming three-week stretch is easily the most critical of Chicago's entire season.

The week after isn't quite as intense as the Cubs have three games apiece at home with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies. But if they're still in the mix at that time, every win they can get against teams they theoretically should beat will be crucial, especially given how their final week of the season plays out.

On September 26, the Cubs begin a three-game set in Atlanta against the NL East-leading Braves, who own the best record in the National League. And they then close out the year with what could be a division-deciding three-game series in Milwaukee with the Brewers.

Here's a quick look at the Cubs' entire remaining schedule.

Given that Chicago wasn't even really supposed to contend for the MLB postseason this year, fans of the North Siders certainly have to be ecstatic about how their team has performed this season. The question now is whether the Cubs can finish things off.

And as you can see with their remaining schedule, their destiny is in their own hands.