Chicago Cubs playing with house money from here on out

Watching the TBS broadcast, you would’ve thought the Chicago Cubs got in on a technicality of being the reigning champs. Otherwise, they had no business being in this series with the Dodgers.

Being stuck with the TBS broadcast of the NLCS between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers has me thinking about something I thought I would never say. I miss Joe Buck. The crew has talked trash about the Cubs from Day 1. The Cubs were as good or better than the Dodgers down the stretch, but that means nothing to this group. But that’s okay because the Cubs are playing with house money the rest of the way.

Last year in the World Series, the Cubs were down 3-1 as they played what could have been their last game of the season. It was going to be their last at Wrigley Field, regardless. But the Cubs battled for a win to get themselves back to Cleveland, and anything can happen–and did. Once again, the series is at 3-1, but the Cubs just need to win an extra game compared to last year. But still, they have already been written off. So that will be fine for the Cubs.

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Cubs will have to earn it

The Cubs will have to face Clayton Kershaw for the second time in this series. He’ll go against Jose Quintana who should be rested after the ordeal with his wife on the way to Los Angeles. Some fans ripped Quintana throughout the season, remarking that he wasn’t worth the prospects the Cubs gave up for him. Tonight will be the perfect opportunity to shut some of those naysayers up.

But once again, it will be the bats of the Cubs that need to come to like tonight. Javier Baez brought his yesterday, as did Willson Contreras. But we’re still looking at you, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. We can’t win this series without at least one of you. Some of the others can fill in the gaps. But this is the meat of the offensive “Italian beef.” Otherwise, this is nothing but peppers and onions. Sorry vegetarians, but we need this.

It’s not the first time

Last season, I believed the Cubs would come back from the deficit. I can’t remember where I read it, but a writer said “it’s good to put this stuff out in the universe. Better to say it and be wrong than to hold it in and be right.” I think I can agree with that.

We need some good mojo in the air, as there have been more than a handful of fans that have given up already. I’m aware the Dodgers have been the better team. But the Cubs have been right in two of the three losses. If they would have simply been swinging the bats better, who knows.

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So the Cubs will lay it all out n the table once again and hope the “house” favors them once again tonight. The way I look at it, every day they stay in it is a day closer to Cubs baseball in 2018. So I’m all for that. #FlytheW one last time at Wrigley this year, Cubbies.