I know the Cubs have luck on their side when they are swept by the Florida Marlins and they're still up by two games in the National League Central with only three games to play.
The Chicago Cubs traveled to Florida and were absolutely manhandled by the last place team of the National League East. Steve Trachsel pitched for the Cubs and he was absolutely awful. He is the one pitcher that should be left off of the playoff roster adding a third catcher to our outfit. Besides laboring on the mound putting the viewer into submission between pitches, he left everything up and over the plate allowing the Marlins a huge lead in the early innings. Trachsel (7-11, 4.90 ERA) allowed five earned runs on five hits in five innings. He wasn't even timing his delivery correctly and it cost the Cubs dearly. If the Cubs took care of business like they should have, with Milwaukee dumping a few games our way, we'd be celebrating a post season birth right now. It truly befuddles me to see the Cubs playing this way realizing the usual non-Cubs fan's excuse, "But they're the Cubs" seems to be more real every day. Zambrano (17-13, 4.08 ERA) takes the hill Friday looking for his 18th victory of the season against Bronson Arroyo (9-14, 4.22). It should be a better matchup than the second game because we face Aaron Harang on Saturday who is an absolute Cub-killer.
The Brewers have to pretty much win out against the Padres to have hopes of entering the post season because they gave up their second game in a row losing Thursday night to the rejuvenated San Diego Padres, who have playoff aspirations of their own. The Pad rookie, Jack Cassel left the Brewers bats looking ridiculous tonight (Rickie Weeks did have two homeruns in the game) as the men from San Diego helped the Cubs out, just like St. Louis did the night before, beating the Brew Crew 9-5 sending Milwaukee to their second straight loss. The loss helps the Cubs take their magic number down to two with only three games to play. The Brewers also set this year's team record with five errors helping the Padres go into game two with Maddux (13-11, 4.50 ERA) on the mound. Ben Sheets misses his start with a bad hamstring so Yost (serving a one-game suspension on Thursday for sending McClung {appealed a three game suspension on Thursday} out to hit Pujols) will send Chris Capuano (5-12, 5.09 ERA) to the hill who basically has not received any offensive support from his team this year.
The bottom line is this; if the Cubs win tomorrow and then the Brewers lose, the Cubs practically back their way into the playoffs. This is what all Cubs fans are hoping for and their praying for it to happen on Friday.
I'm Clay Koenig and the Cubs are two games up on the Brewers (with three games to play on both sides).
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