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MLB Wild Card Standings: Cubs, Cardinals still alive after first half

By Nicholas Ian Allen

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 08: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field on July 8, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JULY 08: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field on July 8, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – JULY 09: Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates the thrid out of the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field on July 9, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JULY 09: Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates the thrid out of the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field on July 9, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

NL Wild Card Standings

Arizona Diamondbacks (53-36, .596, +2)

Sometimes lost in the shuffle behind Colorado’s hot start and the Dodgers’ dominant run, the Diamondbacks have been one of the most consistent teams in the National League. After posting the worst ERA in baseball last year, Arizona has allowed the second fewest runs so far this year (344). Paired with a potent offense, the D-Backs have a plus-102 run differential that ranks second in the NL and third in the majors.

Colorado Rockies (52-39, .571, -GB)

The Rockies have struggled mightily over the last few weeks, posting a 5-13 record since June 21. Fortunately, Colorado played like a World Series contender before that point, which helped the club build a nice lead in the Wild Card standings. A near no-hitter by Kyle Freeland Sunday helped the Rockies end the first half on a high note, but Colorado will need to start strong again to keep the Cubs and Cardinals off their tails.

Chicago Cubs (43-45, .489, 7.5 GB)

St. Louis Cardinals (43-45, .489, 7.5 GB)

Atlanta Braves (42-45, .483, 8 GB)

Pittsburgh Pirates (42-47, .472, 9 GB)

Miami Marlins (41-46, .471, 9 GB)

New York Mets (39-47, .453, 10.5 GB)

Cincinnati Reds (39-49, .443, 11.5 GB)

San Diego Padres (38-50, .432, 12.5 GB)

San Francisco Giants (34-56, .378, 17.5 GB)

Philadelphia Phillies (29-58, .333, 21 GB)

The Cubs looked like a dynasty in the making in October, but have stumbled to a sub-.500 record at the All-Star break because of an inconsistent first half that featured a long list of underperformers. Alas, there’s hope. Just 5.5 games back in the AL Central and 7.5 back in the Wild Card race, if the Cubs regain their 2016 form down the stretch, there’s still a chance to defend their World Championship.

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The same holds true for the Cardinals, who finished the first half with the exact same record as their archrivals. St. Louis has actually outperformed the Cubs to this point, posting a plus-13 run differential compared to Chicago’s neutral zero. Also, the Cards finished with positive momentum having won 10 of their final 15 games before the All-Star break.

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