The Cubs are headed to the NL Wild Card Game after losing 3-1 to the Brewers in the NL Central tiebreaker Monday afternoon. Anthony Rizzo, who flew out to end the game, hit a big 429-foot home run but the offense otherwise proved lifeless in a two-hit performance. The Brewers, on the other hand, racked up 12 hits while threatening repeatedly throughout the game. They didn’t take the lead for good until the top of the eighth inning, but were able to do much more damage than their opponents at the plate. The end result is that the Cubs’ season will come down to one more game against the loser of the NL West tiebreaker between the Dodgers and Rockies, which starts at 3:09 p.m. Monday. The NL Wild Card Game is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday night. You can relive the NL Central tiebreaker below. Final score: Brewers 3, Cubs 1 Brewers 3, Cubs 1: NL Wild Card Game, here come the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo flies out with Javy Baez on second base to end the game. Brewers 3, Cubs 1: There’s life! Javy Baez fights off a 3-2 pitch for a two-out single. Brewers 3, Cubs 1: Josh Hader brought the heat to strike out Daniel Murphy to open the bottom of the ninth. Two outs to go. Brewers 3, Cubs 1: Travis Shaw grounds out to the pitcher to end the inning. The Cubs now have three outs to score at least two runs or the division goes to Milwaukee. Brewers 3, Cubs 1: Orlando Arcia hit his fourth single of the game with two outs to give the Brewers a chance to add to their lead. Eighth inning: Brewers 3, Cubs 1 Brewers 3, Cubs 1: Josh Hader goes 1-2-3 against the Cubs’ bottom of the order to get through the eighth inning. The Cubs have just three more outs before they’ll relegated to playing in the NL Wild Card Game. Brewers 3, Cubs 1: Jesus Aguilar flies out to end the inning but the Brewers add a couple huge runs to take back the lead. Now the Cubs will have to try to break through against a very good Milwaukee bullpen. Brewers 3, Cubs 1: Willson Contreras throws out Ryan Braun trying to steal second base, so the Cubs can get out of this with a two-run deficit with one more out. Brewers 3, Cubs 1: Ryan Braun hits a two-strike single over the head of the second baseman to knock in another run. There are still runners on the corners with one out. Brewers 2, Cubs 1: A big, big strikeout of Christian Yelich by Randy Rosario, who only lasts the one out. Ryan Braun is coming up against Brandon Kintzler. Brewers 2, Cubs 1: Lorenzo Cain hits an RBI single up the middle to get the Brewers back ahead. There are now runners on the corners with no outs … and Christian Yelich walking up to the plate. Not good, not good at all. Joe Maddon is pulling Steve Cishek in favor of Randy Rosario. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Joe Maddon is turning again to Steve Cishek, one of the most reliable guys in the bullpen. He’s pitched four of the previous five days, although he only faced two batters Sunday. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: The Brewers are threatening with runners on second and third with no outs after a big double down the line by Domingo Santana. Seventh inning: Cubs 1, Brewers 1 Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Following an Anthony Rizzo groundout and a Kris Bryant strikeout, Tommy La Stella came in to pinch hit for Jesse Chavez, who had been in the No. 6 spot in the batting order. Unfortunately, La Stella also grounded out to end the inning. During the seventh-inning stretch, we also got a Mike Ditka-led rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Three straight groundouts for the Brewers in Jesse Chavez’s second inning. It would be hard to ask more of the reliever. Sixth inning: Cubs 1, Brewers 1 Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Soria strikes out Baez with a big, high fastball. We’re all tied through six. Betcha he’s Soria he didn’t get a bat on this pitch. #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/pWr34Itkk5 — Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 1, 2018 Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Former White Sox closer Joakim Soria is in for the Brewers to face Javy Baez. They acquired him in a trade with the South Siders at the deadline. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: The Cubs have responded after the double play with a single and a walk off Xavier Cedeno, whose stay in the game didn’t last long. There’s a chance to do some damage with two outs now. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Ian Happ drew a walk to start the bottom of the sixth, but Willson Contreras gave it back with a soft grounder to the pitcher off a hard slider for a double play. Milwaukee is now turning to its bullpen with two outs in the frame. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Jesse Chavez gets the job done by striking out Ryan Braun then inducing a double play grounder from Jesus Aguilar. The last time Chavez allowed a run was Sept. 5 … against the Brewers. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Jesse Chavez is in for the Cubs as Joe Maddon turns to the bullpen. We’re also getting some defensive changes: Ian Happ joins the game in center field with Jason Heyward sliding to right and Ben Zobrist to left. Kyle Schwarber is out. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: Christian Yelich improves to 3-for-3 on the day by swatting a 3-2 pitch the other way for a leadoff single, and Jose Quintana gets chased from the game as a result. Quintana finishes with six hits and one run allowed over five innings. Fifth inning: Cubs 1, Brewers 1 Cubs 1, Brewers 1: The umpire hilariously generates a host of boos by accidentally gesturing for a strikeout on a 3-1 pitch to Jason Heyward, then on the 3-2 count, Heyward hits a huge strike to deep left field that falls into Christian Yelich’s glove at the warning track. That would’ve been quite the moment if Heyward had gone deep. Cubs 1, Brewers 1: One swing and we’re tied! Anthony Rizzo smacked that one so hard the Brewers’ outfielders didn’t even move to try to catch it. An absolute bomb with estimated exit velocity of 110 miles per hour and distance of 429 feet. Rizzo is up to 25 homers and 101 RBI this season. Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Lorenzo Cain pops out to center field to wrap up the top of the fifth inning. The Cubs have Rizzo-Bryant-Schwarber due up now, so now may be the time to pounce and get this offense going with a hit (or seven). Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Another single early in an inning for the Brewers, this time from Orlando Arcia with one out, followed by another sacrifice bunt from Jhoulys Chacin. The Brewers have Arcia on second with two outs. Fourth inning: Brewers 1, Cubs 0 Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Daniel Murphy fouls out to third base, Ben Zobrist flies out to right field and Javy Baez pops out to left field. Jhoulys Chacin has a no-hitter through four innings. (We’re definitely not trying to jinx him by mentioning that. Nope. Couldn’t possibly be thinking that.) Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Jonathan Schoop flies out then Quintana strikes out Mike Moustakas swinging to wrap up his fourth inning. The Cubs starter has thrown 50 pitches so far. Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Jose Quintana opens the fourth frame by striking out Jesus Aguilar with a fastball down and away. A beautiful pitch with the desired result. Third inning: Brewers 1, Cubs 0 Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Some boos from the crowd as the third inning wraps with a 1-0 lead for Milwaukee. Still a lot of baseball to play, though. Brewers 1, Cubs 0: Good jump by Yelich gets him to second with his 22nd stolen base of the season, but it doesn’t matter because Ryan Braun strikes out to end the inning. Milwaukee takes the first lead.<doc-sep>It all comes down to this. The final day of the regular season is upon us, and there’s guaranteed to be drama with the NL Central and NL West titles both up for grabs. The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers are to be thanked for creating the potential chaos. While it won’t be the full-scale riot many hoped due to the St. Louis Cardinals’ elimination on Saturday, there’s still the potential for two division tiebreakers on Monday leading into Tuesday’s NL wild-card game. In the NL Central, the Brewers pulled dead even with the Chicago Cubs for the first time since July 13 after topping the Detroit Tigers at Miller Park. Christian Yelich remained scorching hot, hitting two more home runs for Milwaukee. The Cubs lost earlier in the day to the Cardinals. It would be a small consolation to the Cardinals, but they have a chance to spoil the Cubs’ division title hopes. The same is true in the NL West. However, so far this weekend the Los Angeles Dodgers have denied the San Francisco Giants such satisfaction by winning the first two games in the series. Saturday’s victory clinched the Dodgers sixth straight postseason appearance, and helped pull them into a first-place tie with the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies eight-game winning streak ended with a loss to the Washington Nationals. The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers have a chance at division championships on Sunday. (Getty Images) Sunday Scenarios NL Central If the Brewers win Sunday and the Cubs lose, the Brewers win the division and the Cubs will host the NL wild-card game on Tuesday. • If the Cubs win Sunday and the Brewers lose, the Cubs win the division and the Brewers will host the NL wild-card game on Tuesday. • If the Brewers and Cubs both win or both lose on Sunday, a tiebreaker game to determine the NL Central winner will be played Monday afternoon at Wrigley Field. In Sunday’s games, the Cubs will send veteran left-hander Mike Montgomery (5-6, 3.99) to the hill against impressive Cardinals rookie Jack Flaherty (8-8, 3.16). The Brewers have announced Gio Gonzalez (9-11, 4.34) as their starter for Sunday’s game against Detroit. The Tigers will call on Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 5.73). Story continues NL West • If the Dodgers win Sunday and the Rockies lose, the Dodgers win the division and the Rockies travel east for the NL wild-card game on Tuesday. • If the Rockies win Sunday and the Dodgers lose, the Rockies win the division and the Dodgers will travel for the NL wild-card game on Tuesday. • If the Dodgers and Rockies both win or both lose on Sunday, a tiebreaker game to determine the NL Central winner will be played Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has opted for veteran Rich Hill (10-5, 3.87) over rookie Walker Buehler for Sunday’s start against the Giants. San Francisco has Andrew Suarez (7-12, 4.22) locked in. Here’s where it gets interesting. The Rockies will lefty Tyler Anderson (6-9, 4.76) pitching on regular rest. The Nationals were going to pitch three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer if the game impacted the standings. However, there’s been a change of heart there. Change of plans from the Nationals: Because both Dodgers and Rockies are in the playoffs, Max Scherzer will NOT pitch tomorrow, Davey said. Fedde will go. — Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 30, 2018 That’s good news for the Rockies. All Sunday games will begin between 3:05 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. ET. If there’s one tiebreaker game Monday, it will be played at 4:09 p.m. ET. In the event there are two tiebreakers on Monday, the Brewers-Cubs game would be played at 1:05 p.m. ET and the Rockies-Dodgers game would begin at 4:09 p.m. ET. All tiebreaker games will be broadcast on ESPN. There’s also the matter of seeding. The Cubs and Brewers both have 94 wins, meaning the NL Central winner is locked into the No. 1 seed. The Braves, Dodgers and Rockies all have 90 wins, meaning any of them could still claim the No. 2 seed. If the playoffs started today Wild-card games: A’s at Yankees; Dodgers or Rockies at Brewers or Cubs ALDS: Indians vs. Astros; wild-card winner vs. Red Sox NLDS: Braves vs. Dodgers or Rockies; wild-card winner vs. Brewers or Cubs More from Yahoo Sports: • Ryder Cup: Americans left scrambling after getting trounced in afternoon session • Kimberley A. Martin: Rams’ star power strong enough to contend in L.A. • FBI investigating MLB over dealings with international players • Pete Thamel: Rapid rise of OSU QB Dwayne Haskins is phenomenal<doc-sep>Sunday marks the final day of Major League Baseball's regular season. While all the playoff entrants have been determined, and the bracket has been set in stone on the American League side, there remains some unfinished business as it pertains to the National League. Because the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are tied atop the NL Central, and the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers are knotted in first in the NL West, only the Atlanta Braves know for sure they won't be playing on Monday or in Tuesday's Wild Card Game. Everyone else could conceivably play on either or both days. However, the Braves are also tied with the Rockies and Dodgers, meaning home-field advantage in the NLDS is on the line for them on Sunday as well. Atlanta loses the tiebreaker to both teams, meaning the only way for them to earn the No. 2 seed is to win and see both NL West clubs lose on Sunday. The American League bracket is all set. The Yankees will host the A's in the Wild Card Game, and the winner will face the Red Sox in one ALDS. The other ALDS will feature the No. 2 seed Astros against the No. 3 seed Indians. Let's recap the potential outcomes in the NL Central and NL West. NL Central Winner earns No. 1 seed, home-field throughout NL playoffs If … Cubs win and Brewers lose : Cubs win the division; Brewers host the Wild Card Game; : Cubs win the division; Brewers host the Wild Card Game; Brewers win and Cubs lose : Brewers win the division; Cubs host the Wild Card Game; : Brewers win the division; Cubs host the Wild Card Game; Both teams win or lose: Cubs host tiebreaker on Monday; loser hosts the Wild Card Game. NL West Winner earns No. 2 seed, unless both teams lose and Braves win Sunday If... Rockies win and Dodgers lose : Rockies win the division; Dodgers play in the Wild Card Game; : Rockies win the division; Dodgers play in the Wild Card Game; Dodgers win and Rockies lose : Dodgers win the division; Rockies play in the Wild Card Game; : Dodgers win the division; Rockies play in the Wild Card Game; Both teams win or lose: Dodgers host tiebreaker on Monday; loser plays in the Wild Card Game. On paper, the Brewers and Dodgers would seem to have the advantage. They're both playing against bad teams, in the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants. But the Cubs and Rockies are each hosting teams with nothing to play for, in the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals, and one can never be certain what kind of lineup or effort level will be put forth on the final day of the season. In other words, who knows. Note that the Cubs and Dodgers secured home-field advantage in the tiebreaker games by virtue of winning the season series against the Brewers and Rockies. Also note that no matter what happens, the Braves will play the NL West champion, while the NL Central champion will host the NL Wild Card Game winner. Once Sunday comes and goes, we may know what teams fit those descriptions. Or we may not -- and we may have baseball on Monday after all.<doc-sep>
Just two days remain in the 2018 Major League Baseball regular season. Many postseason races have already been decided, but a few remain up in the air, which means we're in for an exciting weekend. Here's an update on the postseason races. (World Series probabilities are via SportsLine) Current playoff bracket Mike Meredith/CBS Sports What's done The Red Sox (107-53, 17.01% World Series champs) are the AL East champs and top seed. The Astros (101-58, 13.35%) are the AL West champs and No. 2 seed. The Indians (90-70, 11.67%) are the AL Central champs and No. 3 in the AL. The Yankees (99-61, 10.04%) and Athletics (96-64, 2.45%) will meet in the AL Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. The AL postseason field is settled. Those races are over. Over on the NL side, the Braves (90-70, 4.17%) are the NL East champions. The Cubs, Brewers, and Rockies have clinched playoff spots. The worst-case scenario for the Cubs and Brewers right now is home-field advantage in the NL Wild Card Game. What's almost done With just two games to play, the Dodgers hold a two-game lead over the Cardinals for the second NL wild-card spot. Los Angeles will clinch a postseason spot with their next win or the next Cardinals loss. In play Everything else! We'll go by team: The Cubs (94-66, 8.68%) are clinging to a one-game lead over the Brewers in the NL Central, which will provide the top NL seed. The Cubs won their series opener against the Cardinals on Friday and have won 10 of their last 15 games. They can clinch the division title as soon as Saturday with a win and a Brewers loss. If only one of those two things happens, the Cubs are ensured at least a Game 163 tiebreaker for the division title. The Brewers (93-67, 4.19%) have been amazing since a mid-August funk. Since Aug. 18, they are 25-10, which is easily the best mark in the NL in that span. They are facing the hapless Tigers this weekend and, to win the NL Central outright, they need to win Saturday and Sunday while the Cubs lose Saturday and Sunday. The Brewers have already secured home-field advantage in the NL Wild Card Game, should they not win the division. The Rockies (90-70, 5.30%) have won eight games in a row to seize control of the NL West from the Dodgers. Much like the Central, this is a one-game lead with two to go, so the division title can be wrapped up as soon as Saturday. Their magic number is two. The Rockies are hosting the Nationals this weekend and will clinch the NL West title with a win and a Dodgers loss on Saturday. Colorado has never won a division title in franchise history. They're on the verge of winning their first. The Dodgers (89-71, 23.05%) are currently in the second NL wild-card slot, holding a one-game lead over the Cardinals. Los Angeles will clinch a postseason spot with its next win or the next Cardinals loss. That said, the Dodgers are focused on catching the Rockies in the NL West. They need to win Saturday and Sunday while the Rockies lose Saturday and Sunday to win the division outright. It's worth noting Los Angeles has clinched a 163rd game. It'll either be a tiebreaker game, the Wild Card Game, or Game 1 of the NLDS, but the Dodgers will play beyond Sunday. The Cardinals (87-73, 0.09%) have their backs up against the wall after losing four straight games. They are currently two games behind the Dodgers for the second wild-card spot and that means the Cardinals have to win Saturday and Sunday while the Dodgers lose Saturday and Sunday just to force a Game 163 tiebreaker. A tall order, to be sure. They need help from the Giants, who are hosting the rival Dodgers this weekend. We know on the NL side that the NL Central champion will be the top seed and host the Wild Card Game winner. We know the Braves will play the NL West champion, but we don't know which division champ there will have home-field advantage. Only two games remain, but there are still lots of potential scenarios in play. It's all kinds of fun and, for fans of teams involved, nerve-wracking. It's what you sign up for as a fan. It should be noted the potential exists for two tiebreaker games on the NL side.