Streaking Brewers can tie NL Central-leading Cubs with Tuesday win

The Brewers have won four games in a row, the last of those victories coming against the Cubs. That loss was Chicago’s third in a row, and it now has them in a ... well, not precarious situation, but certainly less ideal than what they were looking at before the weekend. The Brewers are now just one game out of first place in the National League Central, and they have two more games against the Cubs this week to try to outright take the Central lead, or, at least, finish the series out just the one game back.

The Cubs could take the next two games, ending the Brewers’ win streak and putting them back to a comfortable three games of separation. Three games isn’t a huge lead, but this is the final series pitting the two teams against each other in the regular season, so this is the Cubs best control-your-own-destiny chance left to push the Brewers themselves.

It also might be necessary for the Cubs to do so, given what Milwaukee’s schedule looks like from here on out. The Brewers move from the Cubs to the Pirates (71-72), then the Reds (62-83), the Pirates again, then the Cardinals — an actual good team fighting for a postseason spot — and finish out the season against the Tigers, who right now are 59-85.

The Cubs don’t have a horrid schedule in comparison, but they also get a Cardinals series — theirs closes out the season — and have to face the Diamondbacks, who are also vying for a postseason spot. So, just looking at the standings today and the strength of schedule the rest of the way for both teams, Chicago can’t really afford to leave the Brewers in a position of power at the end of this series: being in first at the end of this season series won’t guarantee October for either team, but having the edge now could be the difference by the end of this month.

It’s even more important when you consider that, should the Cubs or Brewers falter down the stretch, the Rockies, Dodgers, and D-Backs are all within striking distance to nab one of the two wild cards, one of which is currently held by the Cardinals — who, by the way, sit just 3.5 back of the NL Central lead themselves. It’s going to be a nail-biting last few weeks, and while these games don’t mathematically matter more than matchups from the start of the season, they sure have the added weight of context.

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