LDN - Sports

Cubs play like they have no worries

[October 08, 2016] By Tom Musick, The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- Somebody forgot to tell the Chicago Cubs that they are supposed to feel stressed.

Where is the fear of failure? Where is the dread? What about the chewed fingernails and frayed nerves?

After all, the Cubs are the odds-on favorite to win the World Series. The franchise has not won a title since 1908. Nursing homes around the city are filled with white-haired fans who never have witnessed a World Series winner.

Yet the Cubs are playing loose and having fun as if it's a sunny day in May.

The latest proof arrived Friday night as the Cubs outlasted the San Francisco Giants for a 1-0 win in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

The game was scoreless in the eighth inning when Javier Baez strolled to the plate, considered laying down a bunt -- he admitted as much afterward -- and instead launched a towering home run toward left-center field for the only run.

Talk about staying calm under pressure.

"Obviously, everybody gets really excited," Baez said with a smile.

Imagine the excitement level Saturday night as the Cubs go for a commanding 2-0 series lead. Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks will oppose Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who spent six-plus seasons on the North Side.

Heading into the series, the Giants seemed like the team that would feel the most confident and relaxed. Manager Bruce Bochy's club had won 20 of its past 25 postseason games and 11 playoff series in a row. That matched the all-time record set by the New York Yankees, who won 11 series in a row from 1998 to 2001.

Chicago's playoff history was, shall we say, less decorated.

No matter. Cubs players were happy and laughing even before the first pitch of the game.

During pregame introductions, the Cubs lined the field. The team's public-address announcer mistakenly introduced right-handed relief pitcher Pedro Strop as Jake Buchanan, Strop's teammate in the bullpen. Strop smiled wide and wagged a finger, Dikembe Mutombo-style, as John Lackey cracked up next to him.

Moments later, Cubs infielder Munenori Kawasaki was introduced. He winked and blew kisses at the camera.

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Left-hander Jon Lester said he started feeling excited -- not nervous -- on his way to Wrigley Field.

"Fun atmosphere from really just driving in this afternoon, coming to the ballpark and seeing all the people on (Clark Street) and all that stuff," Lester said. "That was my first playoff game with the Cubs at home, so that was pretty cool.

"That's what makes it fun for us as players. You show up, you grind it out, it's a long season, and these fans have been there since day one. It's been unbelievable to grow with them as we have gone through this journey the last two years. The atmosphere tonight was unbelievable from the time I stepped on the field until the end of the game."

As the game progressed, tension built in the stands. Lester and Cueto were locked in a pitchers' duel.

Baez said he was undeterred by Cueto's dominance on the mound.

"The game of baseball is 27 outs," Baez said. "Because we haven't scored a run in the eighth doesn't mean you're going to give up. You're just going to keep working and working until we got a runner or the win."

Incredibly, the past six games between the Cubs and Giants have been decided by one run each.

You know what that means, right?

More pressure-filled moments are ahead. But don't expect either team to be intimidated by the big stage.

"Two good teams," Bochy said. "Two good teams with good pitching that play well on defense. That's normally what you see when you have two teams with good pitching going at it -- low-scoring games, one-run ballgames. And I expect it to be the same from this point on.

"(On Saturday), we're going to face another good one. And you scratch and claw for runs, and hopefully we find a way to win these games."

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