The Chicago Cubs opened the door for the Milwaukee Brewers in the Central Division Saturday, falling to the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs are still guaranteed to finish with the best record in the National League if they win the Central Division, but the Brewers have a shot at knocking them out of the top spot in the division as the teams are deadlocked in the race heading into the season's final day.
With that in mind, here's a breakdown of the different scenarios that could play out for the Cubs in the season’s final day.
If Cubs Finish Ahead of Brewers
The best-case scenario for the Cubs would be to finish ahead of the Brewers, but they will need a bit of help from the Tigers, who would have to win their final game against Milwaukee.
If that happens, the Cubs would be able to clinch the Central with a win on Sunday, and they would open the postseason at home against the winner of the National League Wild Card Game on Oct. 4. The Atlanta Braves and the winner of the National League West would then face-off in the other series.
If Cubs and Brewers Finish Tied for Division Title
Chicago Baseball
If the Cubs and Brewers finish tied for the division title, then the teams would play a one-game playoff at Wrigley Field on Monday, Oct. 1, due to the Cubs winning the season series against Milwaukee. That game would take place at either 12:05 p.m. or 3:05 p.m., depending on whether there's a tiebreaker game in the National League West, and would air on ESPN.
The winner of the game would move on to the National League Division Series, while the loser would head to the National League Wild Card Game on Tuesday, Oct. 2, played at their home ballpark.
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If Cubs Finish Behind Brewers
The Cubs would host the Wild Card Game on Oct. 2 if they lose out on the Central Division crown. The Dodgers currently hold the other wild card spot, but are still trying to catch the Rockies in the NL West and to hold off the St. Louis Cardinals, who open their series against the Cubs on Friday.