The Bernstein Brief: Cubs Must Feast On Soft Schedule
By Dan Bernstein--
(CBS) Coming out of the break and taking two of three in Atlanta is the perfect springboard into a two-week soft spot for the Cubs, who sit at 49-41 entering play Monday. If they want to solidify their playoff position -- or even make an unlikely run at the division -- it's time for them to get fat on cupcakes.
Their next 14 games are against losers, the combined record of the Reds, Phillies, Rockies and Brewers a woeful 152-214, a .415 winning percentage. Those are all three last-place teams in the National League and one a game out of the cellar.
That changes when the Cubs snap back to reality, traveling to Pittsburgh for a three-game series starting Aug. 3. That's followed by four at Wrigley Field against the playoff-hopeful Giants, who currently trail the Cubs by just one game for the second wild-card spot.
That these next set of opponents could soon be selling off key parts also helps the Cubs, who are now afforded a rare chance to pile up victories in the first competitive season of the Theo Epstein era.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.
