Quantifying Hope: Cubs Somehow Still at 1.5% Playoff Odds After Blowout Loss

I guess it’s a matter of already being so low that you can’t really get lower without the trade deadline, because the Cubs’ playoff odds didn’t move following their ugly loss Thursday. They dropped to 1.5% after Wednesday’s defeat and remain there heading into a rare Friday respite and a weekend date with the White Sox, after which we might see a little more downward momentum.

I wish I could say there was something to look forward to next week, like the debut of top pitching prospect Caleb Kilian, but David Ross told the media that wasn’t happening. While the young righty will almost certainly be up at some point later in the season, the timing worked out perfectly for him to join the Cubs as the 27th man for a pair of doubleheaders spaced five days apart. Alas, the one thing this team seems to be adept at right now is disappointing its fans.

This has been a very difficult week for many of us for reasons completely unrelated to baseball, so it’s understandable if the Cubs take a backseat regardless of their performance. With the Memorial Day weekend upon us, maybe a little time spent around loved ones or just taking some quiet time for yourself is what’s best. I’m sure we’ll have the game on here and at my sister’s house — my brother-in-law is a huge Sox fan — but that will all be secondary.

Those of you who are seeking escapism in TV or movies will have plenty of it at your fingertips this weekend, with the releases of Kenobi, Stranger Things Season 4, and Top Gun: Maverick. I believe I’ll indulge in at least two of those myself.

There’s a lot I could write about the Cubs both good and bad, but I really don’t feel like doing so this morning and I hope you’ll afford me the grace to cut this off without any further analysis. Thank you all for spending some of your day with me and CI, even when the subject matter here isn’t exactly brimming with positivity.