So the most wildly optimistic case would have the Cards exit the weekend eliminating both. The Cards would need to sweep and the Brewers be swept.
On the other side of the coin, if the weekend in Chicago is a total disaster, the worst the Cards could be on Monday morning is one game out with six to go.
That box score for the Cubs/Reds game is interesting. Joe Maddon used up a slew of relievers trying to stop the Reds; Lorenzen the reliever for the Reds played CF and went 1-5 but also stole a base (#5) and got caught stealing (#2) – wonder when his contract is up. But the big bats for the Cubs were strangely silent and even Schwarber got a bit mouthy with Garrett when he struck out. Sounds like the seeds of doubt have been planted at Wrigley. Let fertilize them and watch for blooms Cards.
A la Ken Venturi, it’s all about posting a score early and watching others falter. We posted our win yesterday against a future Hall Of Famer, and our 2 rivals lost afterward.