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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs have only opened the champagne once, while the Milwaukee Brewers have already done it twice, including a second at Wrigley Field on Monday. The Cubs will have another chance to have a glass of champagne when they host Tuesday's Wild League game against the Colorado Rockies (ESPN, 8 pm EST). Nothing about the second half of the Cubs has been planned, not even celebrating a playoff spot.
The Brewers and Dodgers are clearly ahead after Monday's wins, but are the Rockies or Cubs better prepared to win the Joker game on Tuesday?
From the Wild Cards round to the World Series, we'll be covering the 2018 playoffs.
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"We will do it when we win the division," coach Albert Almora Jr. said last week.
That day never happened, as the Cubs' offense was again protected as a witness in the 3-1 loss to the Brewers in the Central tiebreaker. In some ways, the Cubs were lucky enough to be in this match, as their manager Joe Maddon acknowledged after Monday's loss.
"I do not have a really strong answer," Maddon said of his offense. "The [Daniel] The acquisition of Murphy allowed us to be in this position first. "
Without this waiver request in August, the Cubs would already play golf. Even with Murphy, they placed 10th in OPS at NL in the second half. Recognized for a long time for its power, this punch in its range has practically disappeared.
"Baseball is a tough game," said Kris Bryant. "Sometimes you will not hit the ball on the barrel Some of the best hitters find a way to get shots when they do not touch it."
Are there any hitter on the Cubs? They made three basic hits against the Brewers on Monday, in their most important game to date. At home. By decent typing time.
"It's just that hard and steady contact has not been there, more than anything," said Joe Maddon. "I can not give you a solid reason, we have to find it, quickly."
It's Maddon who has been spearheading coaching training last winter, but do not blame the new Chile Davis instructor for having accomplished what the Cubs asked him to do. to do. They led the league in the opposite field strikes this season after being very happy in 2017, and their situational strike was also better.
But at what cost? Their slugging has dried.
This is a problem to be solved after the season. Right now, they just need enough good batters – and races – to give Jon Lester and maybe Cole Hamels a chance to win. It's a big challenge for Cubs because they feel like they have not done anything good lately.
But a team of 95 wins that just made the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season is good. Just no better than the Brewers right now. At least they can regroup against another team that has lost and then traveled. If the Cubs are good at anything – since they do not hit baseball for now – they spoil a bad moment or a game and move on to something else.
"You have to go back to the caucus when something happens," said Maddon. "We have to go back to caucus."
Grouping is one thing. To strike, it's something else. Maddon is already handcuffed, with a less than dynamic marker, so a small offense could improve their chances on many levels. At least Lester and Hamels are capable of a shutout and Colorado is starting to come out of a weak offensive game.
"We are going to go and give everything we have," said Bryant. "This group is resilient – ninety-five wins in the regular season do not matter to you."
Bryant is not wrong, but losing the division after being in first place since July 12th and losing the deciding game followed by the potential loss of the game with generic cards is probably a good reason to lower the head. The Cubs are not happy to be able to play in October, but a defeat on Tuesday could give more credence to this idea.
"It will be a fun game," said Rizzo. "It will be a good atmosphere, I will be taking our team every day with the advantage of home ground here."
He said the same thing about Monday's game. Counting the Cubs – a team that has returned from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series – would be a serious mistake. But thinking that they can hit enough to win three rounds in the playoffs – not to mention the generic card game on Tuesday – is a leap of faith that few would take.
"We are not dead in the water," Maddon said. "We have another opportunity, we need to move forward and prepare for [Tuesday]. … it's the seventh game of the World Series. From the chute exit. "
The Cubs scored eight points in the seventh game of the World Series in 2016. Where did this offense go? They have at least a chance to find it – or they may have to keep champagne on the ice in winter.
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