Chicago Cubs have the Washington Nationals right where they want them

Despite two near no-nos, the Washington Nationals find themselves one loss away from elimination. A Game 4 at home is exactly how the Chicago Cubs drew it up.

No one said it’d be easy. The playoffs are a different animal, and the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals have been going at each other like dogs all series long. So far, the former has the bigger bark.

While they’ll likely never admit it, the Cubs couldn’t be happier up 2-1 in a best-of-five series. Of course they’d rather have swept in three games, but a Game 4 at home is an ideal situation for many reasons.

For one, the Nationals – whose rotation was one of the best in the league during the regular season – now has to rely on their worst starter in order to keep the series going. Tanner Roark may have had a solid second half after a miserable first, but the Cubs would much rather be facing Roark than Stephen Strasburg or Max Scherzer.

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No offense to Roark, but he won’t be taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. In a series dominated by starting pitching, the Cubs have a chance to flip the script against a susceptible starter with only seven career postseason innings.

The Nationals, as a whole, are also trying to get a massive monkey off their back. In pursuit of their first playoff series win in their team’s history, the pressure will be on for them to extend the series to a winner-take-all Game 5 in D.C. The Cubs, however, will be playing much looser and for once won’t be thinking about breaking a curse.

This situation is arguably the best one the Cubs could’ve asked for going into the series bar a sweep. Up 2-1 with a rested Jake Arrieta on the mound at home with a chance to win the series? Yes please.

Offense due for a breakout

It’s amazing how the this Cubs team can play terrible and still find a way to win. The streaky tendencies this offense possesses has reared its ugly head this series, but today is the perfect time to bring the thunder sticks.

With only nine hits in three games so far, the offense is due for a breakout. And with the team riding high after yesterday’s gutsy win, the team will be motivated to close out the series in front of their home crowd.

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In short, all the momentum belongs to the Cubs. Unless the impending rain gives Strasburg another days rest, Game 4 looks to be the Cubs’ to lose.