The Chicago Cubs have been on a hot streak since the end of the All Star break. The Cubs have won four in row, including a sweep at Baltimore over the Orioles. The Cubs go for win number five at the Atlanta Braves. The Cubs recent surge might have something to do with their schedule, which has come at the right time to help push over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs trail Milwaukee by 3.5 games, and that could dwindle of the Cubs take advantage of the schedule.
Cubs schedule
The Cubs have a favorable end to the month of July. Currently sitting at 7- 5 in July, the Cubs have two more games at Atlanta.
Then, after an off day, the Cubs play five games at home to the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox. The Cubs will also play two games at US Cellular. They follow that up with a weekend series at Milwaukee.
Realistically, if the Cubs could trail the Brewers by two games going into that series, then the Cubs will be looking pretty good. That weekend might be even bigger as those last couple of days in July near the trade deadline. The Brewers have been linked to Sonny Gray, so who knows if the Cubs will get that chance.
Regardless, the Cubs are finishing up against three teams that are below .500. The series against the Cardinals will be critical because if the Cubs can defeat St. Louis in a series, or sweep them, it might prompt them to be sellers at the deadline.
The White Sox are last in their division, and could pawn off a few more players by the time they meet. Who knows? The Cubs could be in first place by the first of August.
Brewers schedule
The Brewers have three more games against the Pirates. They follow that up with three games at the Phillies and three games at the Nationals to cap a ten game road trip.
The Phillies have the worst record in baseball, but the the Nationals are leading the division. That will set them up for a series against the Nationals.
The Cubs have the potential to go 6-3 in their next nine games. The Brewers have a chance of going around 5-4, or 4-5. Regardless, this sets up a matchup between the Brewers and Cubs where the two teams are 2.5 games apart.
The Brewers led by 5.5 games at the break, but have been slumping.
The arrow is pointing up for Chicago as the team just acquired Jose Quintana and have an easier schedule. If the Cubs can take over first place with two months in the season, it will give them all the momentum. The Cubs have been in this spot before in terms of fighing for a playoff spot. The Brewers have not. If the Brewers lose again tonight, then a trade could happen sooner than we think.
