Even if the Cubs win tomorrow, they only drop the Cards out of the NL Central Race. They don’t lock up the Central.
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No, but it puts the magic number at one. The Cards really don't have a hope that they will somehow be able to pull out the division. I suppose it could be possible if they win all four games and then the Cubs only win one of the last three while the Cards run the rest of the table against the Brewers. I suppose seven in a row is possible but it would be difficult at best, especially with the Brewers also trying to run the table. Either way if the Cubs win two out of their next seven they have the division. The Cardinal's only hope is that they lose one game out of four to the Cubs while the Brewers lose a couple to the Reds and Colorado keeps playing lousy baseball. It isn't statistically impossible for them to do it but it would be very difficult. The Cubs will probably take one of the four games to knock them out. That would leave the Brewers having to run the table completely, with three of the games against St. Louis.
The Rockies face the Marlins and the Dodgers, both teams capable of taking the series from Colorado, especially the way the Rockies are playing. If the Cubs take the first game and then rest staff for the next three it is conceivable that the Cardinals take those three, maybe the Brewers take two out of three from the Reds and then the fight will be between the two of them for second place in the NL Central. Milwaukee would have to win two more games (St. Louis 3) than the Rockies to tie the division but Colorado's last three are against the Dodgers. This could make for some exciting baseball at the end of the season.
I just can't see the Cubs not winning at least two more games out of the last seven or one of the other teams managing to run the table completely to take this from Chicago. The only way the Cards could take the title is for them to win four against Chicago and two against Milwaukee while the Cubs win one or less against the Reds. The Cards haven't shown that they can do this. Milwaukee has to pretty much win out and then hope Chicago can't win more than one game or lose one and hope Chicago completely tanks for seven games. I don't see either event happening.
I guess anything is possible but it isn't likely. The only hope the Brewers and Cardinals have is overtaking Colorado at this point.
