The Chicago Cubs have officially been eliminated from postseason contention after the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. 

The Cubs will miss the playoffs for the first time in the Joe Maddon era, as the club had made the postseason in four consecutive seasons. 

Meanwhile, the Brewers have guaranteed themselves a playoff spot for the second straight year, and will go into the final days of the season with a modest chance of overtaking the St. Louis Cardinals after the Cards lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. 

The Cubs entered Wednesday's action five games back of the Brewers with five games to go in the season, and with Milwaukee's loss the Cubs will miss out on postseason baseball this year. 

The offseason could bring some serious changes to the North Side, as Joe Maddon's contract will expire at the conclusion of the season. Other players could find themselves on the trade block, and the Cubs could be active in free agency as the contracts of players like Cole Hamels and Ben Zobrist will come off the books after the 2019 campaign.