Chicago 365 Playoff Central: The Bash Brothers Start the Party.

     Going into Game 5 of the World Series, we had our backs against the wall.  Regardless, Wrigleyville was once again a flurry of activity as game time approached. Fans of all varieties wanted to be there to take in the final game of the season, as well as the final game that David Ross would ever play at Wrigley. Things didn't start off great against Trevor Bauer, as the Cubs couldn't get on the board through 3. Even worse, the Indians managed to tally one off of Jon Lester(but a few more runs were saved by a couple of good defensive plays, including one by Jason Heyward where he had to climb the wall and reach into the stands to make the catch. By the 4th Inning, it looked like Terry Francona was getting ready to put in his lights-out team to seal up the game and the series. Luckily, that was the precise time the Cubs decided to start doing something. Kris Bryant steps up and hits a ball into the outfield basket(landing not far from where Javy Baez's shot landed in Game 1 of the NLDS). Then immediately afterward, Rizzo got on base with a double. Then Zobrist advanced him to 3rd. Then Addison Russell got Rizzo home with another hit. Then Baez gets on thanks to a bunt. Then Grandpa Rossy comes out and brings another run in with a sacrifice fly. By the time the dust settles, the Cubs score 3 runs in the inning and lead the Indians 3-1. Later on in the game, the Tribe makes it interesting when they take one of those runs back.

     After pulling Lester, Carl Edwards Jr. gets a very brief outing in the 7th. Then things get really interesting when none other than Aroldis Chapman walks out of the bullpen to take the ball for the Cubs. Remember when I said earlier that Chapman was good but he just didn't do 6-out saves? This was going to be an 8-out save. I was wondering if Maddon had hit his head or had too many shot/beer combos at the Cubby Bear. But I'll be damned, it actually worked. Chapman held it together, recorded the last 8 outs, and the Cubs won the game. Of course, this was but the first step. We still have to win 2 more in Cleveland. But all of that is for another time. For now, we'll just have to focus on Game 6. Let's get it done.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Crunch Time(aka DEFCON 1)

     Last night the residents of Chicago were out partying for Halloween. They were also out partying at Wrigley Field for Game 4 of the World Series. The Cubs started off the affair with a run off of Corey Kluber. Unfortunately, the Indians soon followed with a couple of runs off of John Lackey. Those runs that the Cubs got would be the only ones that we would get for the next few innings, by which time the Indians had piled on even more. One of those outbursts was a 3-run bomb courtesy of Jason Kipnis, the local kid. For what it's worth, Jason Kipnis hails from the same Northern Suburb(Northbrook) as Steve Bartman. Anyway, by the end of the affair the Cubs had lost 7-2. This isn't good. This really isn't good. For the first time this postseason, we have our backs against the wall. Win or go home.

     But this isn't as bad as it would have been in the other two series. It's not like we have to face Johnny Cueto or Rich Hill, or the Dodgers in LA. All we have to do is beat Trevor Bauer, who looked awfully beatable when he last pitched in Game 2. And who do we have pitching for us? Only Jon Lester, who has been awfully reliable for us this post season. 4 starts, all of them great outings. We have an excellent chance to win tonight. As far as games 6 and 7 go, those are discussions to be had later on. For now, we have to take things 1 game at a time. The first of those affairs starts now. Let's get it done. Go Cubbies.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: The Bill Murray Game

     After a 71 year absence, the World Series returned to Wrigley Field tonight for Game 3 between the Cubs and the Indians. Josh Tomlin faced off against Kyle Hendricks. Both of them turned in functional (if not lights-out) performances. Eventually, the starters yielded to their bullpens, and the game went from there. Carl Edwards Jr. ultimately allowed the go-ahead run for the other team. The Cubs tried by sending a few hitters to the plate, but ultimately all efforts were in vain as the Cubs succumbed to the Tribe 1-0. What this means: It means that the Cubs are now down 2-1 in the Series. This also means they can't win the Series at Wrigley. But what this means too is that the Cubs are down, but not out. We were down 2-1 to the Dodgers, but came back to win the Pennant. So keep the faith, Cubs fans. And now on to the other big story of the night. Bill Murray. He was around yet again, this time to lead the 7th Inning Stretch. And what a rendition it was:

     I'm just gonna come out and say it. This was the best version of the Stretch I've ever heard in my life. And it comes to us from Bill Murray of all people. So rest up Cubs fans, and get ready for tomorrow. Time to even this series again.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: The Clobbering

     After a 6-0 loss to the Indians in Game 1 of the World Series, the Cubbies were back at it for Game 2. Trevor Bauer was throwing for the Indians, while Jake Arrieta was on the mound for us. A degree of uncertainty followed both starters into the game, Bauer had injured his finger fixing a drone and was still on the mend, while Arrieta has come down a ways from his other-worldly 2015 version. Still dominant, but slightly less consistent. And that showed in his first two postseason starts, when he went from turning in a solid performance against Madison Bumgarner and the Giants, to when he struggled against the Dodgers. As things got started, we quickly learned that things would go different for the Cubs. Bryant got on base, and then Rizzo brought him in with an RBI. That pretty much set the tone of the game offensively, as the Cubs would go on to score a total of 5 runs. It should also be noted though, that two of those runs came courtesy of RBIs from Kyle Schwarber. That's right, the Schwarbino himself. After getting his first hit all year in Game 1, he proceeded to grab 2 more in Game 2. The man had gone 200 days without seeing major league caliber pitching, and all of a sudden he's hitting .429 in the World Series? This is absurd! Ridiculous! Extraordinary! Whatever you call it, it's another chapter in the Continuing Legend of The Schwarbino.

     But enough about the hitting for now, let's talk about the pitching. The feared inconsistency from Arrieta never showed up. In fact, he took a no-hitter into the 6th inning(at which point Joe Buck & Co. start talking it up like a bunch of amateurs. Seriously, fuck that guy.). And of course, right after they start blabbing about it the no-hitter gets broken up. But Arrieta still did very well. Definitely his second-best postseason performance ever(with the undisputed top outing still being the complete game shutout in the 2015 Wild Card game). Mike Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the victory, a 5-1 win that knotted the series at a game a piece headed back to Wrigley for Friday's Game 3. Game 3 will also be the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945. Anticipation and ticket prices look to be astronomically high. It's gonna be a nutty weekend in Chicago. Get ready for it.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: The Klubering

     Last night was the first World Series game played in by the Chicago Cubs since (you guessed it) 1945. And if this is the year we truly go all the way, things got off to an awfully inauspicious start. To the tune of a 6-0 loss at the hands of the Cleveland Indians. Even though the score looked pretty nasty, there were a few silver linings. Kyle Schwarber looked GREAT coming back from his injury. In the process, he also became the first MLB player to appear in fewer than 10 regular season games and then not again till the World Series. He also became the first position player to record his first hit of the season in the World Series. We may not have won, but Schwarber's return made a huge impact.

     Another good point from the game was our chance to check out their pitchers. Corey Kluber was very good against us, and we couldn't really get anything going against him. But the same thing happened the first time we saw Clayton Kershaw, and we lit him up for 5 runs the next time we saw him. After Kluber left, Andrew Miller walked out. Miller was the Indians' big free agent pitching acquisition at the deadline. But here's the thing: Miller looked pretty mortal last night. He needed 40 pitches to make it to the closer, and he loaded the bases twice. We were unable to capitalize on that, but considering that's how he is in Game 1, we should be in good shape after a few times seeing him. If there's one thing we've been good at all year it's been adapting to and wearing down opposing pitchers. We will see if that holds true tonight. The game starts...right now. Go Cubs!

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: The Schwarbino Returns

     The Cubs are in the World Series. That fact alone is shocking enough, but a set of developments that started percolating Saturday afternoon have culminated in something even more surprising. Back in the 3rd game of the season, Kyle Schwarber tore his ACL going after a fly ball. After examining the knee, doctors determined that he would be out for the rest of the year. Month in and month out, Theo Epstein stood in front of reporters to reiterate that Schwarber would indeed not play for the Cubs again this year. Then in the run-up to Game 6, a story came out that Schwarber had in fact been cleared to hit and might be with the Cubs if they went to the Series. We all know what happened on Saturday night, so Schwarber went to the Mesa Solar Sox to get his groove back. After turning in a few good showings, he was on a plane to Cleveland. Then today it was made official: Schwarber will be our DH in Cleveland and will bat 5th tonight. This HAS to he a big boost for the Cubs. We've won 108 games without him so far, but the intangibles of this move are off the chart. We'll see how this move pays off when the game starts in jjust over 90 Minutes. Go Cubs.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Sure as God Made Green Apples

     Wrigley Field. Saturday night. Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. Kyle Hendricks takes the mound for Chicago in an attempt to become the first Cubs pitcher since Hank Borowy to propel the Cubs to the Pennant. Opposing him, was Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. The last time we saw him, he threw a masterful game against us leading to a 1-0 Dodgers win in Game 2. This time things would be different. We got off to a great early start, putting up 2 runs in the 1st inning. Evnetually, we added on a third, and from there it was smooth sailing. Wilson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo added on solo home runs later on in the game. Meanwhile, Hendricks was over on the mound tearing it up. He would go on to pitch into the 8th inning, when he gave up only his 2nd hit all night and was pulled for Aroldis Chapman. After that, Chapman wound up pitching quite well for himself. We come to the 9th inning. The Dodgers have their last 3 chances. Their first batter gets out. Their second batter gets on base and another guy comes up. All of a sudden he hits into a double play, the Cubs get the last out, the game goes official, and THE CUBS WIN THE PENNANT!!!!!!!!!!

     Meanwhile, while all this is happening I'm outside. I, along with several hundred thousand other fans, are all swarming the streets of Wrigleyville. Tickets into the game were impossible to come by, and all the bars were packed. That didn't stop the Cubs faithful from gathering in the street in a Sea of Humanity. Waveland Avenue was packed. People were sitting on lawn chairs in the Ballhawk Alley. The area at the entrance to the bleachers was FULL of people. Some watching the game on big screens outside of Murphy's Bleachers, some gathered in front of the Fox Sports booth on the other side of the street. Ultimately, I joined a small army of fans who were posted up outside of Casey Moran's watching the game on one of their big screens that was facing the street. It was thrilling. As the game wound down, We were counting the outs left. 8 outs away, 7 outs away, 6 outs away, 5 outs away... As soon as we got to 4 outs away, I knew we had it. We had finally shaken the specter of 2003 and were now ready to circle past that and make our own history. Then comes the double play. Cubs win. Utter pandemonium on the streets. People singing "Go, Cubs, Go", people standing on barricades, people flying W flags, and the trusty Chicago PD making sure things didn't get too crazy(they didn't). As I migrated through the party, there were folks climbing on street signs, banging on street signs, and an air of revelry permeated the air. Walking down Waveland, giving strangers high fives(an ironic act actually, given the history of said gesture), and finally making it to the back of the ball park. Waveland and Addison. There are still hordes of people in the ballpark, some taking it in from the back of the bleachers. Meanwhile the crowd below is going nuts. I got showered by beer and champagne more than once. It was the best kind of revelry. I ended up leaving to catch a train around 11:40(about two hours after they won it) and the streets were still packed. There were even some people left in the bleachers.

     I feel it's appropriate to end this post with a video clip. It's from the end of the 1991 season, and it's where this post takes its name from:

We did it Harry, we finally did it. Game 1 starts in just over 14 hours from now in Cleveland. Go Cubbies.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: One More To Go.

     Coming into Game 5 of the NLCS, the Cubs had the series all tied up. Jon Lester was on the mound. The Cubs struck first, with a hit by Anthony Rizzo in the 1st. But the Dodgers eventually got that one back. After that, the scoring calmed down a bit. It stayed tied at 1-1 until the 6th inning, when Addison Russell stepped to the plate. After breaking out of his scoreless slump the night before, he went deep again! All of a sudden it was 3-1 Cubs. After a few more innings, the team struck again in the 8th. This time we got 5 runners across home plate in the inning, running up our lead to 8-1. Then of course, we proceeded to give 3 of those runs back, before eventually holding on for an 8-4 victory. This upheld yet another patented 2016 Cubs trend, running up the score and then letting the bullpen cough up some of those runs. An alarming trend, but it works as long as you've got the early lead.

     So after that victory, where does that leave us? It leaves us within striking distance of our first Pennant since 1945, that's where it leaves us. Now I know everyone always talks about how 'it's personal now', but for me it kind of is. Back in 2003 the Cubs came this close as well, only to fall to the Marlins by dropping the last two games at Wrigley Field. That season also marked my awakening as a Cubs fan. Since then I've followed the team through thick and thin, late season collapses, upsetting playoff upsets, and just some bad baseball. At times it feels like I've taken a 13 year graduate course in how it feels to be a Cubs fan. And now I'm finally caught up with the beginning. I will be in Wrigleyville for Game 6. I may be able to get into the game, I may not. Whatever happens, I will be there to see it, and then report back. Till then, Go Cubs.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: There's the Offense!

     After devoting a good amount of digital ink yesterday to the need for our offense to perk up, guess what happened? Our offense came back! And it came back in grand fashion. For the first 3 innings, things were pretty calm. Julio Urias was doing pretty well in his playoff debut. His pitch count was getting high, but he was otherwise doing well. Then Ben Zobrist came up to bat in the 4th. He ended up laying down a bunt to get on base. Then another guy got on. Then an RBI happened. Then another run scored. Then Addison Russell came to the plate. So far he'd been in a pretty profound slump, but he picked right now to come out of it. He lifted a ball over the wall that was good for a 2-run homer. All of a sudden it was 4-0 Cubs. Then in the 5th,  Anthony Rizzo is up. He hits a shot the clears the wall in back. A home run! But the real treat was waiting in the wings. In the 6th, we tacked on 5 more runs through a combination of good hitting and Dodger errors. By the end of it, we emerged victorious by a score of 10-2.

     What this means for the series: things are now all tied up 2-2. Game 5 is tonight in LA. Lester is pitching, and while we're heading back to Chicago either way, this one determines whether we go back up 3-2 with two shots to win the pennant at home, or on the edge of elimination with Clayton Kershaw going in Game 6. Either way, this one is important. Let's win it.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: More Setbacks

     Going into Game 3, I was fairly confident in the Cubs' ability to win the game. After all, we had Jake Arrieta going up aganst Rich Hill. It looked like a no-brainer. Turns out it was one. For the other side. Arrieta did not have one of his better outings, and our bats fell silent for a second game in a row. Between Hill and Kenley Jansen, we only managed 4 hits all night. We've now been shut out in two straight Postseason games, which hasn't happened to anyone in at least 100 years. Worse yet, we're now down in the series 2-1.

     This brings us to tonight's game. More specifically, it brings us to how important it is. Win, and we tie it up while guaranteeing the series goes back to Chicago. Lose, and we're down 3-1 with the Dodgers able to clinch at home tomorrow. The man we're handing the ball to so that doesn't happen? John Lackey, who boasts 22 career postseason starts (more than any other active pitcher). This moment is what we were anticipating when we brought him to Chicago. As for the Dodgers, they are countering with Julio Urias, making his first postseason start at all of 20 years old (for those of you keeping track from home, that will indeed be a new record for youngest postseason starting debut). As for what we have to do to win, the answer is simple: start hitting the ball. Do that, and we even the series. Don't do that, and I'm gonna have to pull that 'DEFCON 1' title out of mothballs.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Setbacks

     After a marvelous outing in Game 1, the Cubs were back at Wrigley Field to face the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS. Clayton Kershaw was on the hill for the Dodgers, while Kyle Hendricks was on the mound for the Cubs. Things started out just fine, with each pitcher trading a scoreless first. Then Hendricks allowed a Home Run in the 2nd which put the Dodgers ahead 1-0. It would prove to be all the offense the Dodgers needed, as Kershaw pitched flawlessly through 7 innings. We had a couple of chances in the game, including a marvelous shot by Javy Baez with a man on that ALMOST went out, but ultimately it was to no avail. The Cubs wound up losing to the Dodgers 1-0, the series is now knotted at a game apiece, and things pick back up on the West Coast in just over 2 hours. For Game 3, we've gotta wake up our offense. As far as the pitching matchup goes. I like it. Jake Arrieta against Rich Hill. Yes, that's the same Rich Hill who used to pitch for the Cubs way back in the day. He's had something of a career resurgence. But I've still gotta go with Jake here. The man has 4 more wins in the last 2 seasons than Hill does in his entire career. And that's not even mentioning the fact that Arrieta has made 6 starts in the state of California since the beginning of last season, and he's only given up two earned runs. I'm liking our odds for this matchup.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Another Grand Ending

     After seemingly endless hype, the Cubs finally started off their NLCS tilt with the Los Angeles Dodgers last night. As with the last round, Jon Lester got the ball for Game 1. Lester started out the game by allowing 4 hits and only 1 run. Meanwhile, the Cubs were busy tacking on runs, leading 3-0 by the end of the 2nd, and 3-1 in the fifth. One of those scores mind you, involved Javy Baez stealing home. I know, right? Baez is just tearin' it up this postseason! After a few more innings, Maddon signals to replace Lester. At this point Lester had only thrown 77 pitches and was still doing great. My sources tell me that this was all done merely so that Lester could be switched out for a different bat in the lineup. If that's why, it was a flop because the next batter for the Cubs still struck out. Regardless, Lester was pissed about the whole thing.

     Moving right along, Lester was replaced by a corps of relievers, until we reached the 8th inning, when Mike Montgomery was pulled for Aroldis Chapman. Now let's think about this for a second. Joe Maddon is a baseball genius. Way too much of a genius to be pulling crap like this. This is the exact same thing we tried in Game 3 against the Giants, and Chapman ended up blowing the six out save, which led us all to stay up till 1:45 AM to watch an ultimately losing effort. Why would he do this again? Chapman goes in, gets the first two outs, and then what happens? He serves up a bases-loaded single that drives in 2 runs and ties the game at 3-3. Chapman may be one of the best relievers in the game, but THE MAN DOES NOT DO A SIX OUT SAVE. I'm wondering how long it'll take Maddon to get that fact into that fantastically gifted head of his.

     Anyway, we finally get out of that inning without any more damage, then the bottom of the 8th dawns on us. Zobrist gets on base, Heyward gets intentionally walked, then Coghlan was intentionally walked. All of a sudden, we've got the bases loaded with two outs for Miguel Montero. He takes one strike. He takes another strike. And then he swings and hits a GRAND SLAM! 4 runs come in, and while Wrigley is still losing its shit over that one, Dexter Fowler steps up and cranks one for another Home Run. All of a sudden the 3-3 tie is an 8-3 lead. A lead that would hold up through the end of the 9th as Hector Rondon would allow only one run to lock down an 8-4 victory in our first ever postseason victory over the Dodgers.

     We're back at Wrigley tonight for Game 2 as Kyle Hendricks goes up against Clayton Kershaw. For the record, I am no more intimidated by facing Kershaw than I would be for any other pitcher. We've faced Bumgarner. We've got to Bumgarner. There's no reason to fear Kershaw. By the end of the night, we'll know just how true that sentiment was. Till then, GO CUBS!!!!!

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: The Giant Killers

     As I was watching the end of Game 4 Tuesday night, I was getting ready to title this post 'DEFCON 1'. I was ready to write all sorts of inspirational, saccharine language to try and talk all of us off the ledge. I was preparing my heart to handle going back to the bar, watching a Game 5, and knowing that Johnny Cueto was waiting for us. I was getting ready for all of that, but then I was saved from all of those thoughts. I'm sure you've all heard the tale of the tape by now. After 8 innings of not playing ball the way we knew they could, the team's bats all of a sudden lit up in the top of the 9th. Between good hitting, even better plate discipline, and some flat out good luck, the Cubs scored 4 runs in the inning to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 lead. After that, I was PUMPED. But we still hadd to close it out. For that job, the team once again turned to 105 MPH man Aroldis Chapman. The previous night he had blown an attempt at a 6-out save, so this moment was not without apprehension. Luckily, he was his normal dominant self, and mowed down the side 1-2-3. The game ended, and just like that the Cubs had sent the Giants packing(and along with them, all of their even year mojo).

     Two days later, we all had the luxury of sitting back and watching a Game 5 as opposed to having to fret over one involving the Cubs. At the end of it, the Los Angeles Dodgers emerged victorious, which means that we will be playing them starting tomorrow. It also means that we get to avoid facing Daniel Murphy for a second straight October. Not just that, but since Clayton Kershaw came out of the bullpen to close out the Nationals, he won't be able to pitch again until Game 4. Which puts us in a pretty good situation. We shall see just how good it is for us when the National League Championship Series begins tomorrow. Till then, sweet dreams, good thoughts, and GO CUBBIES!!!!!

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: A 13 Inning Marathon

     Going into last night's game against the Giants,  the Cubs had a solid 2-0 lead in the NLDS. But we also knew that we needed to win those first two games so that we could handle what Game 3 would have in store for us. Namely, Madison Bumgarner. If we'd even dropped one game in Chicago, a Giants win would have put them on the brink of taking the series in Game 4 at home. But we had Jake Arrieta on our side. As the game started, both pitchers traded scoreless offerings in the 1st. Then Arrieta decided to help himself out by going yard for a 3 run homer. That was the 4th postseason home run by a pitcher in Cubs history. 2 of those have come since Saturday. The home run also ended Bumgarner's 23-inning scoreless streak in elimination games. By the time the 5th Inning came around, Bumgarner was at over 100 pitches and out of the game. Arrieta would give up two isolated runs, but left the game ahead 3-2. In the 8th, we were close to wrapping up the sweep when Aroldis Chapman came to lace up a six-out save. He got the first out, but then wound up surrendering 3 runs by the end of the inning. At the top of the 9th, the Giants were up 5-3. But then Kris Bryant came up to bat. He took the pitch, and dinged a 2-run homer over the wall. The Cubs would get no more runs though, and the 9th inning ended with the teams tied. Time for Bonus Baseball! The teams traded chances through several extra innings(David Ross missed a great chance to further cement his legend by striking out with two men on base), but the Giants finally broke through in the bottom of the 13th with a deep RBI double. That's 1:45 AM for those of you who were curious.

     What this means is that the Giants stood tall and staved off elimination for one day. While the Cubs' history of heartbreak and the whole even-year thing might tempt some to worry, don't do it. Follow the lead of Joe Maddon. He's the chillest guy in all of baseball. He's probably in the visitor's clubhouse at AT&T Park filling out tonight's lineup while drinking wine and listening to smooth jazz. We have John Lackey and all his postseason expertise on the mound tonight. And it would be best to finish them off tonight. If we don't, Wrigleyville will likely be at DEFCON 1 for Thursday's Game 5. Let's win tonight and give ourselves a nice rest before the NLCS.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: A Bullpen Game

     Going into Game 2 of the NLDS, the Cubs had already taken an early lead thanks to Jon Lester's Dominant performance and Javier Baez's timely home run. After the introductions, the game began. Jeff Samardzija was coming back to pitch against his former team, and let's just say that things didn't go so well for the Shark. Right away in the 1st inning, the Cubs got a run on the board. After a scoreless bottom of the inning by Kyle Hendricks, the Cubs jumped on the Shark again for 3 more runs. After a few more innings, the Cubs had to make their first change. Hendricks got hit in the arm by a ball. He is okay, but the change was necessary. He was replaced by Travis Wood, who then became the first relief pitcher since 1924 to hit a postseason home run. The Cubs wound up riding a combination of Mike Montgomery, Carl Edwards Jr., and Aroldis Chapman to secure the win. Cubs play the Giants tonight, and are now 1 win away from advancing. Let's go Cubbies!

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Javy Hits the Home Run Basket

After weeks of anticipation, the Cubs finally kicked off the playoffs last night against the Giants. It was a star-studded affair, with appearances by Da Coach, Theo Epstein, Eddie Vedder, Ryne Sandberg, and Bill Murray(more on him later). By the time Jon Lester threw the first pitch, EVERYONE was ready to play ball. To oppose Lester, the Giants offered up Johnny Cueto. The affair quickly turned into a pitcher's duel, as Lester and Cueto matched each other pitch for pitch. At one point in the 4th, the Giants got two men on base and were threatenng to break the game open. But Lester got things back under control, and the game moved on. A few innings later, the Cubs threatened too, but that too was extinguished. By the time the 8th Inning rolled around, the fans were anxious to see who would blink first. Lester made it through the top half without much undue hardship. Then the Cubbies are up to bat. Cueto shows no sign of slowing down, and it looks like this one is going down to the wire. At the same time, the camera pans over to Bill Murray, hanging out in the stands just like you'd ezpect him to. No sooner than when they return to the action, Javier Baez slugs a savage shot into left-center. The ball drops right into the basket surrounding the bleachers. It's a HOME RUN!!!  The place goes wild, Javy gets a curtain call, and the party is afoot. You can all come to your own conclusions as to whether the sudden appearance of Murray on our screens was a good omen. The Cubs come out to close it out in the 9th with Aroldis Chapman on the mound. He makes quick work of the first batter, and gets some pitches in on the second before giving up a double that looked like it had all the makings of a home run. Eventually he calms down and retires the side for a Cubs VICTORY. After that, Wrigley went nuts. 1 win down, 10 more to go. Tonight's Game 2 starts in about an hour.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: It's almost Time.

     For the last 3 weeks(and really for the last 6 months), Cubs fans have been waiting for this moment to arrive. The moment that the Chicago Cubs take the field for the real season. The moment that the Chicago Cubs embark on their journey to notch 11 more victories-and end 108 years of heartbreak. There are so many things that could be said about this, but frankly, I think I'll let someone else do the talking for a change. Michael Norton over at Scorecard Sports put together this GREAT hype poem. I'm re-blogging it here, but please go and give him a look too:

Twas the night before Game One, when all through Chicago

Every stomach was turning, with all thoughts on tomorrow;

The W Flags were hung through the City with care,

In hopes that Saint Maddon’s boys soon would be there;

The Cub fans were nestled, all snug in their beds;

While visions of champagne corks danced in their heads;

And some in their jerseys, and I in my cap,

Were tossing and turning, unable to nap.

When all of a sudden, I remembered this season,

I remembered the games back in May that were freezin’

Away to my iPhone I flew pretty fast,

To relive some moments, and dwell on the past;

The moonshot, the pickoff, the walk-off base hit,

The feeling of comebacks, this team never quit;

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a team that made all feel that “this year” is here.

With a little old manager, so lively and quick,

Who pressed all the right buttons, and made everything click;

More rapid than eagles, they ran all the bases,

Things were great, you could tell, by the smiles on their faces;

There was Jon, and then Jake, Kyle, Jason, and Hector,

And then Carl, and then Javy, Addison, Ben, and Dexter;

To the top of the scoreboard! To the top of the wall,

To left field, and right field, they hit the baseball;

There was Addy off Jumbo, the no-hitter by Jake,

The wall catch by Rizzo, that made Wrigley shake;

And wherever they went, the baseballs, they flew,

In Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Milwaukee, too;

I remembered when Fowler came back to the team,

And how Heyward and Zobrist fit right in Joe’s scheme;

I thought about Javy, his glove and his bat,

And Rondon and Strop – with his slightly turned hat.

Not to mention Contreras, what a lovely surprise,

And the skills he picked up from Rossy the Wise.

I then closed my eyes, I could hear and could see,

The crowd chanting loudly for their “M-V-P”

His eyes – how they twinkled, made for the silver screen

The crowd would go wild, for good ol’ seventeen.

And then there’s his buddy, his partner in crime,

With clutch hits and putouts, he was there every time.

His defense was great, nothing to underscore,

He’s tops in our books and he wears forty-four.

So tonight when you’re squirming, and thinking oh no!

Know that this team is different; put your faith in dear Joe,

He’s got that broad face and a little round belly,

That shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly,

But he’s also the smartest, and brings out the best,

In his hitters and pitchers he’ll take care of the rest;

And if you are doubting, pessimistic this Fall,

Take a deep breath, just enjoy it, that’s all!

Just eleven more wins, all they need to achieve,

Forget the last 1-0-8, now it’s time to believe,

And tell all San Francisco, we’re afraid of no Giant,

You can keep your BUMgarner, we’ve got Rizzo and Bryant.

     First pitch of Game 1 is in just over 19 hours. Get Ready.