The question for these two clubs is this: What does history tell us about finishing with 96 or more wins but still having to settled for a Wild Card berth? Does the fire go out, or is it rekindled in October?
The Pirates and Cubs will help to answer that question begninning in the NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday night at 8 ET on TBS. But in the last three seasons, since the addition of a second Wild Card and a one-game Wild Card Game required to advance to the Division Series round, the Bucs have experienced both sides of that high-pressure, emotional coin.