The Chicago Cubs bounced back from two straight losses to the Colorado Rockies and defeated the Atlanta Braves, 7-6, at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Monday.

The Cubs (79-59) won the game with a run in the 10th inning, courtesy of a Carson Kelly single that scored Seiya Suzuki. Kelly and Ian Happ also homered in the game, which helped the Cubs trim down their magic number to clinch a playoff berth.

It also helped their slim hopes of catching the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central Division race.

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The Cubs’ magic number to clinch a playoff berth entering Tuesday’s action is 16. The Cubs trimmed the number down by one with the victory. Any hopes of trimming it further were dashed when the Cincinnati Reds beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4. Had the Reds lost, the Cubs would have had a magic number of 15. The Reds are the first team out of the NL Wild Card race. That means the magic number drops every time the Cubs win, or the Reds lose.

As for the NL Central, the Brewers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-8, as they started a three-game series with the NL East leaders. Milwaukee (85-54) still has plenty of cushion, but the Cubs did move within 5.5 games of the division lead. The Brewers are off on Tuesday, so if Chicago beats Atlanta on Tuesday the Cubs will trim the lead to five games.

The Cubs are trying to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, when they won the NL Central title during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. That ended a run of five playoff berths in six seasons, which included the 2016 World Series title, the franchise’s first championship in more than a century.

Chicago Cubs Magic Number Watch

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Magic Number to Clinch Playoff Berth: 16

Chicago Cubs Games Remaining: 24

Chicago Cubs Remaining Schedule: Sept. 2-3, vs. Atlanta; Sept. 5-7, vs. Washington; Sept. 8-10, at Atlanta; Sept. 12-14, vs. Tampa Bay; Sept. 15-17, at Pittsburgh; Sept. 18-21, at Cincinnati; Sept. 23-25 vs. New York Mets; Sept. 26-28, vs. St. Louis.

NL Wild Card Race (after Sept. 1)

Chicago Cubs: 79-59 (5.0 games ahead)

San Diego Padres: 76-61 (2.5 games ahead)

New York Mets: 74-64 (final berth)

Cincinnati Reds: 70-68 (4.0 games behind final berth)

NL Central Update

Milwaukee Brewers: 85-54

Chicago Cubs: 79-59 (5.5 games behind)

Brewers Number to Clinch Playoff Berth: 10

Brewers Magic Number to clinch NL Central: 19

Brewers Games Remaining: 23

Milwaukee Brewers Remaining Schedule: Sept. 3-4, vs. Philadelphia; Sept. 5-7, at Pittsburgh; Sept. 8-10, at Texas; Sept. 12-14, vs. St. Louis; Sept. 16-18, vs. Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 19-21, at St. Louis; Sept. 22-24 at San Diego; Sept. 26-28, vs. Cincinnati.

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