I don't want to start panicking just yet but 7 losses in 8 games has me looking for any possible advantage the Cubs can have heading into the postseason. This team has a very difficult last month of the season not to mention potentially playing without Zambrano and Harden in the rotation for a couple of games.
With four possible teams that the Cubs could face in the NLDS (five I suppose, still holding out a little hope Col. can make a run to take the West) if the Cubs want a confidence boost and an easy series, then start rooting for the Dodgers, Cubs fans!! I don't care how much the Cubs are struggling right now, this is an extremely easy series for them.
Manny Ramirez, as everybody knows is a tremendous player and may very well give LA the advantage they need to take the West. But let's be honest, this is not a playoff team. Manny and Russell Martin are the only weapons that this offense has and I love the fact that pitchers such as Lilly and Marquis who can be solid, but you don't know what kind of performance you can expect from them, can gain a lot of confidence pitching in this series, if they even get to them which they won't because this series will be a sweep. They also have a few potentially decent starters but nobody that would remotely scare the Cubs offense.
In terms of the other potential NLDS opponents, the Mets are probably the most difficult team to read. With players such as Wright, Delgado, Beltran etc., this offense could do some major damage. When it's all said and done, however, with Billy Wagner out I don't see how this bullpen will hold any leads at all. And if you can get past Santana, the starting rotation really doesn't scare anybody.
The Phillies and the Dbacks scare me the most being a Cubs fan. With the likes of Howard, Utley, Rollins and Burrell, this offense already did a solid job a couple of weeks ago at Wrigley against the best of the Cubs rotation. For the longest time, their starting rotation was their weakness but what worries me is the likes of Hamels, Myers etc have seemed to step it up a notch and if the Phillies get anything from their starters, it'll be a bonus for them.
As for Arizona, every Cubs fan knows why I'm so worried about them. We know they're having a very bad season compared to last year when they got to the NLCS. And when I look at this lineup I'm honestly tempted to laugh half the time because only a couple of guys like Conor Jackson and Stephen Drew are good hitters. Yet somehow, when this lineup faces the Cubs starters, they know what it's gonna take to get hits and just play solid team ball. And we all know the main reason Az. is feared. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and especially in the Cubs case still, Randy Johnson. Those three starters can shut down anybody and don't be fooled by Webb and Haren's recent struggles. Because if there's any team I can see them righting the ship against it's the Cubs.
I think after a final month which will see us face STL, Milwaukee and the Mets just to name a few teams, the Cubs will need the easiest matchup they can get to get back on track and be an extremely confident team heading deep into the playoffs. Give the Dodgers credit for not giving up after looking like they were done a couple of weeks ago. Taking 5 of 6 against Az in the last two weeks has given them a 1.5 game lead. But when it's all said and done this is a mediocre team in a horrible division and a team that is not remotely capable of doing any sort of damge against the Cubs. I thought that a matchup against the Dbacks was inevitable, but luck really may be on the Cubs side this time coming in the form of the LA Dodgers.
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