OAKLAND, Calif. _ After helping push the Cubs to a season-high 28 games above .500 and extend their winning streak to seven games, Anthony Rizzo refused to take a peek at the postseason.
"You can't start talking playoffs yet," Rizzo said after his RBI double Sunday helped the Cubs beat the Athletics 3-1 to complete a three-game sweep. "We've got a long way to go. A lot of things are going to happen between now and then. We've got to stay focused."
An upcoming 10-game homestand could dictate how soon they can script their playoff plans. It includes a four-game weekend series against the Cardinals, whose deficit in the National League Central has swelled to 11 { games behind the Cubs (69-41).
Kyle Hendricks continues to make a strong argument to play a prominent role in the postseason.
Hendricks (11-7) didn't allow a run until Marcus Semien homered with one out in the eighth on Hendrick's 100th pitch. He lowered his ERA to 2.17 _ second in the majors to injured Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (1.79).
"He can be effective anytime," manager Joe Maddon said. "The (radar) gun doesn't say a big number, but I promise you after the changeup, the curve and an 88 mph (fastball) at the knees ... you can see the reaction of the hitters.
"He knows what he's doing. Right now, the way he's pitching, his stuff plays anywhere."
Hendricks lowered his ERA to 1.60 over his last 14 starts dating to May 22. He credited the resumption of a long-toss program he got away from last season, and he showed no signs of fatigue after throwing a career-high 123 pitches in his last start, a shutout of the Marlins on Aug. 1.
"I feel a lot stronger at this point than I did last year," Hendricks said.
It was around this point last year that the Cubs embarked on a nine-game winning streak that vaulted them past the Giants to the NL wild-card berth.
This time, the Cubs have the luxury of a double-digit division lead with two days off in the next eight to stay fresh.
"The off days are huge to get our minds right a little bit," said Kris Bryant, who smacked his career-high 27th home run in the sixth to snap a scoreless tie. "You take some time away from baseball, which is nice. We went through a slump before the break, which stunk. Getting those days off and starting another season in terms of the second half is huge for us."
During their winning streak, the Cubs have expanded their lead by five games.
"Right now everything is going well," Bryant said. "It feels like we can win every game, and that's the best feeling you can have as a team."
Maddon doesn't anticipate any signs of complacency among his players.
"It's trending in the right direction," he said. "It's up to us to maintain that daily and not to get too far ahead of ourselves. I don't think our group will. There's a lot of self-governing going about this team."
