CHICAGO -- For the first time in a month, the Chicago Cubs will play after an off-day as they head into the stretch run of what they hope leads to their third straight National League Central Division title.

With their magic number at eight to clinch, the Cubs begin a three-game series against their crosstown rival Chicago White Sox on Friday fresh off a difficult slate during which they played 29 games in 30 days. Over that time, the Cubs won 18 of the 29 games and will return to action after catching their breath Thursday. They will attempt to use this weekend's three-game set at Guaranteed Rate Field to hold off the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.

As much as his team may be fatigued, manager Joe Maddon liked how the Cubs closed off the long string of games. Despite a 9-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, the Cubs enter Friday's game having won five of their last seven games, which closed out a successful stretch that Maddon was pleased with overall.