they are hardly a better team, just much much luckier. if they think that their luck will luck them into the playoffs, they've got another thing coming. The Cubs record is 45-26 (Pytagorean record is 46-25), whereas the Rays record is 41-29 (and their Pythagorean record is 38-32), so yeah, the Rays have been slightly more lucky then the Cubs. But I could see the Cubs pull this game out of their butts. If you use BP's adjustments for components of runs and strength of opponents the Cubs are +3.6 games "lucky" and the Ray 2 games under their supposed record. They are 2 games 'better' in the tougher league to date.