(670 The Score) In gut-wrenching fashion, the Cubs’ playoff hopes took a blow Tuesday evening.
Chicago lost 7-6 to Atlanta after right fielder Seiya Suzuki whiffed in an attempt to catch a fly ball in a key moment late. With runners at second and third and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Braves catcher Sean Murphy hit a fly ball into right-center field that tailed a bit toward Suzuki, who called for the ball as center fielder Cody Bellinger also ran over. Although he was in good position for the catch, Suzuki completely missed it.
The two-out error allowed the tying and winning runs to score, as the Cubs then went quietly in the top of the ninth. The lights were a contributing factor in making the play harder but weren't an excuse for the mistake, Suzuki told reporters postgame.
"We're not going to highlight one mistake," Cubs manager David Ross told reporters. "There's other areas — we could've scored more runs ... We could've made some pitches earlier in the game."
The loss was made more painful by the fact that the Cubs held a 6-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning with ace Justin Steele rolling as he had thrown five scoreless innings. Steele ran into trouble in the sixth inning by allowing three runs, then the Cubs' bullpen failed to get the job done behind him.
With the loss, the Cubs no longer control their own destiny to reach the playoffs. At 82-75, they currently hold the third and final National League wild-card spot, but the Marlins (81-75) are just a half-game back after having their game against the Mets postponed Tuesday due to rain. Miami holds the tiebreaker with Chicago, so the Cubs no longer control their destiny. The Marlins will play a doubleheader against the Mets on Wednesday.
The Diamondbacks routed the White Sox on Tuesday, so they also strengthened their hold on the second wild-card spot. Arizona leads Chicago by one game for the second wild-card spot and also holds the tiebreaker between the teams.