White Sox have magic number of 2 for wildcard spot; Cubs magic number at 1
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ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team 
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 2:23PM
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The Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs both have a chance to clinch a spot in the postseason Wednesday with five games remaining in the regular season.
In order to clinch a wild card spot Wednesday, the White Sox need to defeat the Kansas City Royals and have the Texas Rangers lose to the New York Mets. The White Sox are three games ahead of the Rangers and own the tiebreaker.
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The White Sox remain in contention for the AL Central Division lead. The Sox currently remain one game behind the Cleveland Guardians and own the tiebreaker, giving the Sox the division win of both teams finish with the same record.
Meanwhile, a Cubs win over the Miami Marlines or a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks would see the Cubs clinch a wild card spot. The Cubs are eliminated from contention for the NL Central Division.
If both teams make the playoffs, it will be the first time since 2020. It would be just the fourth overall occurrence, happening in 2008 as well as the 1906 World Series, where the White Sox defeated the Cubs.
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