A look at remaining schedules for the Cubs and their Wild Card competition

The Chicago Cubs currently sit nine games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, with the Brewers needing 14 more wins to secure the division title. This has the Cubs focusing on their Wild Card competition, which includes the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres. The Cubs have the tiebreaker over these teams due to their superior record, making their remaining schedule against them even more crucial.

The Phillies have the toughest strength of schedule among the teams closely following the Cubs, holding the third wild card spot just half a game ahead of the Padres. However, the Marlins are sneaking up on them, currently standing two games behind San Diego. Interestingly, the Cubs and Marlins have not faced each other this year, but they will meet six times later in the month, starting with a three-game series in Miami that begins on Friday. This series could significantly impact whether the Marlins make the postseason or not.

Looking at the remaining schedules, the Cubs have 22 games (10 home, 12 road), the Brewers have 11 games (2 home, 9 road), the Phillies have 22 games (13 home, 9 road), the Diamondbacks have 21 games (9 home, 12 road), and the Padres have 22 games (12 home, 10 road). Home games are marked in boldface.

The Cubs' 22-game schedule includes games against the Brewers (3 total), Marlins (3), Pirates (3), Braves (3), and the Red Sox (3). This series of games features considerable travel, with a three-game trip, followed by a three-game homestand, and then another three-game trip. These final three games could be pivotal for both the Cubs and the Boston Red Sox.

The Phillies have a packed 22-game schedule (13 home, 9 road), facing the Braves (4), Astros (3), Nationals (3), Mets (3), Brewers (3), and Rays (3). They are currently 32-33, under .500 against teams with winning records. This could work in the Cubs' favor.

The Diamondbacks face a 21-game slate (9 home, 12 road), including matchups against the Astros (3), Royals (3), Rangers (3), Marlins (3), Yankees (3), and the Rockies (3). Their away games are proving challenging, as they are currently under .500 (33-36). This could negatively impact their postseason hopes, especially during the crucial stretch.

The Padres are set for 22 games (12 home, 10 road), with key matchups against the Yankees (3), Nationals (3), Giants (3), Rockies (4), Marlins (3), Dodgers (3), and the Diamondbacks (3). The final three games against the Diamondbacks and Padres could be critical in determining one of the wild card spots.

Finally, the Marlins have the toughest schedule overall (12 home, 10 road), with a nine-game homestand followed by a nine-game trip that includes two games in the West. Miami's road record is 29-42, suggesting their postseason hopes are slim. This period of games is expected to be an exciting finale to the season.