The Cubs beat the Pirates 8-4 Wednesday afternoon to become the third team to clinch a playoff slot, all in the National League. The magic number for clinching the top Wild Card slot stands at five, as the intra-division tie breaker is not settled.

The Cubs are a little stronger on the pitching/defense side than on the offensive side. They rank third in the NL in runs allowed per game, fifth in runs per game. They both hit and give up a lot of home runs, however. In the playoffs, where pitching tends to be very good, the ability to hit home runs can lead to victory in low scoring games. Giving up those long balls can negate that advantage.