Cubs secure home field for NLDS, NLCS

The Cubs have sat atop the National League standings for much of the season, and on Friday that status became official.

After Chicago’s 5-0 victory over St. Louis in the afternoon at Wrigley Field, Washington’s’ 6-5, 11-inning loss at Pittsburgh that night guaranteed the Cubs home-field advantage in both the NL Division Series and NL Championship Series. The best the Nationals can do now is finish the regular season tied with the Cubs at 98-64, but Chicago owns the tiebreaker thanks to winning the season series, 5-2.

There’s nothing the Cubs can do about the World Series, if they get there, because the American League locked up home-field advantage by winning the All-Star Game back in July. But the NL’s top seed will open the best-of-five NLDS at Wrigley Field on Oct. 7 against the winner of the NL Wild Card Game — almost certainly the Mets, Giants or Cardinals. Game 2 (Oct. 8) and Game 5 (Oct. 13, if necessary) also would be at the Friendly Confines, where the Cubs are 56-23.

If the Cubs advance, they would face the winner of the other NLDS, which figures to pit the Dodgers against the Nationals. In that best-of-seven contest, Games 1-2 would be at Wrigley, along with Games 6-7, if necessary.

But before the Cubs worry about Los Angeles or Washington, they will have to get past the winner of the NL Wild Card Game, which will be played Oct. 5. History says that’s no guarantee, despite the advantage of facing a team that just played an extra, do-or-die game in another city.

In four years under the current playoff system, top seeds in the AL and NL have gone a combined 4-4 in Division Series against Wild Card Game winners. That includes the Cardinals’ loss to the Cubs last year. On the other hand, two top seeds (2013 Red Sox, ’15 Royals) have won championships during that time.

Over the final week of the regular …

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