Chicago Cubs: Time to be confident, not arrogant

The Cubs need to exude confidence, not arrogance as they head to Wrigley for Game 3

After a huge Game 2 win in St. Louis, the Chicago Cubs now have the advantage heading back home to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field for Game 3 with the series knotted up at one game apiece. On the mound for the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 is none other than Cy Young candidate and staff ace, Jake Arrieta.

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With that, there is good reason for Chicago Cubs players, management, and especially fans to be more than confident about the Cubs chances on Monday, but be careful Cubs fans. It’s okay to be confident, but let’s not get arrogant about what lies ahead.

Of course, there is a lot to be confident about with Arrieta pitching and the next two games being played in Wrigley Field. Arrieta has been nothing short of dominant since June. His last loss was July 25th against the Philadelphia Phillies where he surrendered three runs over six innings of work. Since then, Arrieta has gone 11-0 in 13 starts while allowing only six earned runs.

This season at Wrigley Field, Arrieta is 9-5 with a 1.95 ERA on the season. Considering the high standards that Arrieta has set for himself, some might look at the home record as a possible black mark on a spectacular season, but the 1.95 ERA shows that he was the victim of a lack of run support.

The scheduled starter to face off against Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs is Michael Wacha. An all-star this season, Wacha was 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA for the “Red Birds“, but has struggled some in the second half of the season. While he did post a 7-4 win/loss record for the Cardinals, his ERA went up from 2.93 in the first half of the season to a 4.01 ERA.

While momentum seems to be on the side of the Cubs, it is the playoffs and things can and will change in a blink of an eye.

It is important to remember that the Cardinals have been here in the playoffs before, and a lot like the Cubs, have been a bit of an overachieving team all year long. Considering the amount of injuries to key players the Cardinals have had to endure, to post the only 100 win season in the majors and hold the best record in baseball, this team cannot be counted out for one minute.

I’m not saying not to be confident and not enjoy the moment, I’m just saying to be a little cautious and start counting out this very good team who won’t go away so easily.

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