Home field advantage was more than a tangible factor that allowed the Chicago Cubs to advance to the National League Championship series. Wrigley Field was witness to a significant power surge that saw the Cubs swat homers left and right. In the end, the 100 win team was subdued in four games. Whom was responsible for the fireworks and will this carry over to either the Mets or the Dodgers.
Maddon Even Taken Aback
Joe Maddon is known for his positive mindset but even his heightened sense of optimism was in for a surprise. He was projecting near the nineties for his team’s win total for 2015. Now it stands at 101 after winning the necessary three games to advance to the NLCS. The last two victories came from nine hammer blows which all left the yard in the two games held at Wrigley. Even when the long ball was not hit, players like the pitcher were coming through with clutch RBI hits for Chicago.
Rizzo Came to the Forefront
Left handed pitching did not even come close to working for the Cardinals this series. Anthony Rizzo held dominion over the southpaws all season. His last season push with an over .300 BA and .400 on base percentage provided the Cubs with that next gear to get them here. THe only person that could prove to be a distraction was Schwarber with his heroics in the Wild Card and his long ball bomb that punched the ticket for the Cubbies.
By finishing it at home, they get to rest both Lester and Arrieta. This allows them to have starting rotation options that they did not have before. With the Mets and Dodgers taking each other to the limit, this is the ideal scenario so that maybe this might be the year. Hold on to your hats at APEX Baseball Betting as the Chicago Cubs are one step away from the World Series. Good fortune in your Game Five wagers and we will talk to you next time to see the pros and cons of the Cubs against their yet to be determined opponent.
