By GREG MEYERS
Staff Writer
The Chicago Cubs are one win (or one San Francisco Giants loss) from clinching the second wild card spot in the National League. Behind a solid offense led by first baseman Anthony Rizzo and rookie third baseman Kris Bryant and a shut-down pitching staff led by starting ace Jake Arrieta, the Cubbies have a decent chance of making the World Series.
Assuming they clinch the second wild card spot, the Cubs have many obstacles they have to overcome in order to reach the series this year.
To start off, the Cubs would have to beat their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, in the one-game wild card playoff. This game has the potential to be a great pitching duel.
The Cubs are most likely going to pitch their 20 game winner, the previously-mentioned Arrieta, who is currently 20-6 with a 1.88 earned run average with 220 strikeouts and only 48 walks. The Pirates have an elite arm as well, Gerrit Cole, who is most likely going to pitch for the Pirates. Cole is 18-8 with a 2.60 ERA, 200 K’s and 44 BB’s this season leading the Pirates rotation.
Arrieta’s last start against the Pirates on Sept. 16 was a gem, picking up the win throwing eight innings of six hit ball, allowing two runs, one earned, throwing five strikeouts and allowing a walk.
Cole wasn’t too shabby against the Cubs when he pitched against them on Sept. 15, the day before Arrieta’s start. He picked up the win, throwing six and a third innings, allowing six hits, four runs, three of them earned, adding eight K’s.
This would be the ideal matchup for both teams and fan bases, watching aces battle it out for a playoff spot.
If the Cubs were to theoretically beat the Pirates, they would advance to the National League Division Series playing against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs are going to need their pitching to be perfect and their offense destructive for this series. Luckily for the Cubs, the Cardinals offense has been lackluster this season, with some strong play out of rookie outfielder Randal Grichuk and third baseman Matt Carpenter.
The problem for the Cubs offense is that the Cardinals have the best pitching staff in baseball. With a rotation consisting of John Lackey, Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia, the Cubs could get in trouble.
The Cubs are 8-11 against the Cardinals this year, 4-2 in September, but their offense has been able to attack the Cardinals aces this month. On Sept.7, the Cubs shut out the Cardinals 9-0, socking Lance Lynn for six runs in two and a third innings. The next day the Cubs won again, 8-5, scoring six runs in four innings off Michael Wacha.
More recently on Sept. 18, the Cubs won 8-3, once again knocking out Lynn after three and a third innings of three-run ball, the Cubs offense drawing six walks. The next day, the Cubs won 5-4, getting six hits including four runs off Wacha. If the Cubs can beat Lynn and Wacha, they should be able to attack the other aces and claw out a series victory.
If the Chicago Cubs can beat the St. Louis Cardinals, the winningest team in the National League this season, the Cubs should be able to reach the World Series and beat just about every team but the Toronto Blue Jays. If the Blue Jays win the ALCS, there is no hope for any National League team, except maybe the Cardinals.
If the Cubs plan to contend, they are going to need three things. First is a terrific bullpen. The Cubs have a decent bullpen, but it is not nearly as strong as division rivals Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, who have the top two bullpens in baseball. If relievers Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm, Travis Wood and closer Hector Rondon can all do their part and shut down opposing offenses, I don’t see why the Cubs bullpen couldn’t compete with the Pirates and Cardinals.
Second is great starting pitching from someone not named Jake Arrieta. Starters Jon Lester, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks are all pitchers who are capable of pitching to Arrieta’s level. Jon Lester, however, was brought to Chicago by general manager Theo Epstein this offseason to help win a World Series, so all eyes will be on how Lester deals with the Cardinals offense, assuming the Cubs beat Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round.
Third and lastly, the Cubs need offense from somebody not named Anthony Rizzo or Kris Bryant. Bryant is expected to be one the most impactful rookies in the playoffs and Cubs fans won’t know for sure if Bryant is up for the challenge unless he has the rest of the offense to rally with him.
If players like left fielder Chris Coghlan, center fielder Dexter Fowler and catcher Miguel Montero can hit with Rizzo and Bryant, the Cubs offense could be something fun to watch this year in the playoffs.
It’s not going to be easy by any means, but if the Cubs can win the wild card and take out the Cardinals early, we could be seeing something baseball fans haven’t seen in well over a hundred years: a World Series title for the Chicago Cubs.
