At 7:08pm tonight (which, coincidentally, is 1908, or the last year the Cubs won the World Series, in military time), the Cubs will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in a single-game playoff at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. If the Cubs win, they will advance to the NLDS and play the hated Saint Louis Cardinals in a best-of-five series. If they don't, well, you know the old refrain. "Wait 'til next year." But there's no doubt in my mind the Cubs can stave off the Pirates tonight and move on to the next round of the playoffs. Here's why:
Jake Arrieta's confidence. The undisputed ace of the Cubs pitching staff has been absolutely unreal since August 1. In his last 11 starts, Arrieta has given up a total of four earned runs, thrown a no-hitter against the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers, and made a clear case that he should win the NL Cy Young Award. But the only thing better than his pitching lately has been his Twitter game. Pirates fans have been tagging his account @JArrieta34 in their posts trying to talk smack, and he's been giving it right back to them. That's the kind of confidence you like to see from your pitcher heading into a do-or-die situation.
Joe Maddon is a godsend. Joe Maddon continues to be one of the best things to ever happen to this franchise. The team's success this year can be largely attributed to his creative lineup shuffling (which we will no doubt see tonight), his ability to get the most out of his young players and, maybe most importantly, the way he keeps the clubhouse loose no matter what the situation is. If you don't think keeping a relaxed atmosphere makes a difference, look no further than the Cubs playoff teams of recent past, who all collapsed under the tension and negative energy that arose when they faced the slightest bit of adversity.
The Blackhawks are raising their championship banner tonight. That's just good juju right there.
Playing on the road doesn't matter. As nice as it would have been to host the wild-card game on the North Side, the fact is home field advantage doesn't matter as much in baseball as it does in college football or the NBA. The Cubs went 49-32 in Wrigley this season and 48-33 on the road (including a 6-4 record in Pittsburgh), so they've been equally as good no matter where they play. Having to play the wild-card game in Pittsburgh isn't the worst thing either, as the San Francisco Giants proved last year on their way to a World Series title.
There's no such thing as a curse. Billy goats, black cats and Bartman. If you haven't heard any of that talk yet, you'll definitely hear it tonight. Just remember curses aren't real, and in the unlikely circumstance the Cubs lose tonight, it'll be because they came just short in a hard-fought battle against the second-best team in baseball. But while there may be no such thing as curses, I fully believe in the word of prophets and put full stock into a vision they had long ago.
This is the year. #LetsGo #WeAreGood #FlyTheW