https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/43/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/chicago-cubs-magic-numbers-how-well-do-they-need-to-play-to-guarantee-home-playoff-games-r2141/At the end of the day Friday, the Cubs had a magic number of 13 to reach the postseason. Any combination of their wins and Reds or Giants losses adding up to 13 would get them into October. Almost as important, though, they had a magic number of 17 to beat out the Padres, which would effectively...2141Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:18:17 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/monday-turning-points-first-inning-jitters-and-lack-of-offense-doom-swooning-cubs-r2139/Coming off a brutal series loss against the lowly Washington Nationals, the Chicago Cubs headed to the outskirts of Atlanta—a place they frequently struggle—for a three-game set. Chicago narrowly escaped with a series win last week against the Braves, and Monday's results indicated that the Cubs...2139Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:30:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/who-will-close-for-the-cubs-with-daniel-palencia-down-r2135/Daniel Palencia, newly minted Closer With Entrance Music™️, left Sunday's loss to the Nationals with what has been diagnosed as a posterior scapular strain in his throwing shoulder. The Cubs will be forced to scramble to fill bullpen roles in the last month of the season and (in all likelihood)...2135Mon, 08 Sep 2025 23:24:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cade-hortons-is-the-cubs-postseason-x-factor-r2133/Starting pitcher is one of the most important positions in professional sports. Every five days, skippers like Craig Counsell trust the man toeing the rubber to harness the hopes, dreams, and tangible outcomes of a whole organization. Certainly, there's less pressure and responsibility baked in...2133Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:19:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/piecing-together-a-cubs-playoff-bullpen-if-daniel-palencia-cant-pitch-r2134/The 2023 Cubs fell apart when, down the stretch, they couldn't find a reliable set of relievers to keep them in games. Adbert Alzolay pitched much of the final two months with his arm hanging by a thread. Michael Fulmer tore his elbow. Mark Leiter Jr. stayed just healthy enough to keep pitching...2134Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:03:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-week-in-review-craigtember-commences-but-uninspiringly-r2132/When I see specific opponents pop up on the Cubs' schedule, I feel an inescapable and visceral feeling of deja vu. With the Atlanta Braves pulling up to the Friendly Confines on Labor Day for a massive three-game set, that's the exact sensation that came over me. That familiar feeling was deflat...2132Sun, 07 Sep 2025 23:01:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-smell-of-wrigleyville-in-the-morning-r2131/I've fallen in love—what I now know to be love, and not some childish infatuation or passing crush—six times in my life: the first time I held each of my four children; some night in the spring of 2008, walking along the shore of Lake Michigan long after dark with the young woman who would event...2131Sun, 07 Sep 2025 12:33:50 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/espn-doesnt-project-a-rosy-future-for-the-cubs-are-they-right-r2129/Outstanding ESPN reporter Kiley McDaniel published earlier this week that has quite a lot to say about the state of Major League Baseball. It's an outstanding read, focusing on the core talent that MLB teams have locked in for two full seasons after this one. The Cubs did not fare particularly w...2129Sat, 06 Sep 2025 11:55:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/can-you-believe-in-the-magic-of-javier-assad-r2128/Starting pitchers don't get better the third time through the opposing lineup, and no pitchers dramatically outperform their numbers with nobody on base once someone reaches. Those are immutable truths of baseball, around which lots of modern player evaluations and most in-game strategic choices...2128Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:24:06 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/what-to-watch-for-chicago-cubs-in-september-r2127/The Cubs are in an enviable position this September. As a fan, it's understandable to feel some fatigue, watch some football, and forget all of this. After all, there's no stress, and the stakes don't really rise until September 30 now, right? Wrong. The Cubs are setting themselves up for O...2127Thu, 04 Sep 2025 23:05:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cade-horton-is-just-getting-silly-now-r2125/Watching Cade Horton pitch over the last six weeks has been one of the game's great pleasures. With his compact frame and his almost twitchy, attack-mode mound presence, he evokes memories of Jake Peavy at his best—but, naturally, Horton throws harder. He's armed with everything a contemporary s...2125Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:59:23 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-have-effectively-three-game-cushion-over-padres-inside-track-on-top-wild-card-berth-r2124/In a blink, it seems, the Cubs have raced out to a four-game lead over the Padres for the top Wild Card spot in the National League. Chicago had just a one-game edge on San Diego going into the long weekend, but they took two out of three from the Rockies in Denver—while the Padres lost a series...2124Wed, 03 Sep 2025 16:08:20 +0000