The Cubs held on for a 4-3 win on Sunday to take two of three from the Royals. That puts them alone in the third Wild Card spot and three back in the division as they arrive in Detroit. See below for matchups.

Game 124, Monday, August 21, 5:40 pm central
CHC: RHP Javier Assad (2-2, 3.11 ERA)
DET: RHP Alex Faedo (2-4, 5.16 ERA)

Game 125, Tuesday, August 22, 5:40 pm central
CHC: LHP Drew Smyly (9-8, 4.92 ERA)
DET: RHP Reese Olson (2-5, 4.83 ERA)

The Cubs escaped a two-game sweep by virtue of heroics from Morel's walk-off three-run shot and three consecutive strikeouts from Michael Fulmer. They will continue without Marcus Stroman, whose timeline for return is now a known unknown. They take on the Royals at Wrigley next. See below for matchups.

Game 121, Friday, August 18, 1:20 pm central
CHC: RHP Jameson Taillon (7-7, 5.71 ERA)
KC: LHP Cole Ragans (3-4, 4.21 ERA)

The Cubs return to Wrigley to face their cross town rivals. They've made up a ton of ground in the last few weeks and have a forgiving schedule ahead of them before facing the Brewers and Reds when the calendar turns over toward September. Marcus Stroman is expected back for the second game but has not been activated as of my writing. See below for matchups such as they stand.

Game 119, Tuesday, August 15, 7:05 pm central
CHW: RHP Touki Toussaint (1-5, 4.27 ERA)
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-6, 3.96 ERA)

The Cubs came short on their comeback effort and went 1-2 in New York. They'll cross national boundaries to take on their next opponents, the Blue Jays. See below for matchups.

Game 116, Friday, August 11, 6:07 pm central
CHC: RHP Javier Assad (1-2, 3.35 ERA)
TOR: RHP Jose Berrios (9-7, 3.38 ERA)

Game 117, Saturday, August 12, 2:07 pm central
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (13-3, 2.68 ERA)
TOR: RHP Chris Bassitt (11-6, 3.87 ERA)

The Cubs went 5-2 on a homestand that landed them in a tie with the Reds for second in the Central and for the last NL Wild Card spot. They turn around with no off day to begin a six game road trip that takes them to New York and Toronto. They leave Chicago having taken two of three from the best team in the NL. They also taxed their primary bullpen arms heavily in the process. (No backup cacthers were called on to relieve in the course of that series.) They may have to patch things together to cover high leverage innings before the next day off on Thursday.

The Cuns knocked the Reds out of first in the central, taking three of four and outscoring Cincinnati 46 to 24 in the series. They are now 2.5 behind Milwaukee as Atlanta comes into town to complete the seven game homestand. The energized squad, reinforced by Jeimer Candelario but down one Marcus Stroman, will be tested against the NL best Atlanta team. See below for matchups.

Game 110, Friday, August 4, 1:20 pm central
ATL: LHP Max Fried (2-1, 2.08 ERA)
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 3.49 ERA)

The Cubs ended an eight-game winning streak on Sunday, settling at four games back in the division. The Reds come to Chicago for a four-game series, with both teams likely trying to fill out their rosters before the impending trade deadline. See below for daily matchups.

Game 106, Monday, July 31, 7:05 pm central
CIN: LHP Andrew Abbott (6-2, 1.90 ERA)
CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (10-7, 3.51 ERA)

Game 107, Tuesday, August 1, 7:05 pm central
CIN: RHP Ben Lively (4-6, 3.76 ERA)
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (11-3, 2.87 ERA)

The Cubs enjoyed a two-game sweep of the Southsidees on their way to a 50-51 record. That puts them a game within .500 and 6 games behind the Brewers in the Nl Central. They visit the Cardinals for a four-game weekend series ending just short of the trade deadline. The Cards would surely like to spoil the Cubs' hopes for 2023 as a consolation for their own disappointing season. Matchups for this pivotal series await below.

Game 102, Thursday, July 27, 6:45 pm central
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (10-3, 2.95 ERA)
STL: RHP Miles Mikolas (6-5, 4.33 ERA)

The Cubs have won the last three games to improve to 48-51, clinging to third in the division and pushing the Cardinals further back in fourth place. They enter this series seven games out of first and with only seven games between them and the trade deadline. Hot streaks and cold streaks would have to coincide for Bellinger and Stroman to remain Cubs in August--but that remains with the realm of the possible for now. See below for matchups against the White Sox.

The Cubs stand at 45-50 as the Cardinals come to Chicago for a four-game series. This one will close on July 23, roughly one week prior to the trade deadline, and could either seal the Cubs' position as sellers or put them into another precarious week as they attempt to convince a reticent sounding front office and ownership. See below for the daily matchups as they stand now.

Game 96, Thursday, July 20, 7:05 pm central
STL: LHP Steven Matz (0-7, 4.86 ERA)
CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (10-6, 2.88 ERA)