Can the Cubs Clinch Before They Reach Cincinnati?

[C.C.]

Win today...

 

2/3 in Florida

1/3 in Cincy. They will clinch on Friday and pull their starters for the next two games.

 

Finish the season with 85 wins

 

86, actually.

 

Oops! Yes 86.

[anabiono]

Between now and the Cubs arriving in Cincy:

 

Cubs play 4 games (1 vs Pitt, 3 @ Fla)

Brewers play 5 games (1 @ Atl, 3 @ StL, 1 vs SD)

 

With the Cubs' magic number being six, that means that Cubs wins plus Brewers losses has to equal six over those nine games.

 

While the Cubs are definitely good enough to take all four of those games, I have a hard time believing that's actually going to happen. I think Gordz beats Z tomorrow, and Cubs will do well to take 2 of 3 from Florida.

 

I also don't believe the Brewers will lose any more than two of their next 5. They may not make up much (or any) ground over that time, but I really don't see the Cubs having it mathematically locked up by Friday. I will predict they clinch on Saturday.

 

That's the key. If the Cubs win tomorrow we could very well make this happen before the Cincy series. I think the Braves have a great chance to win the game tomorrow and Monday the Cards have Wainwright going against Bush. We could gain a ton of ground in a hurry!

 

Tomorrow isn't just key in terms of numbers in the division race, but it's important in that Z's running out of time to show whether or not he's going to have it together. The Cubs could very well go to the playoffs with Z continuing to be unreliable, but they're screwed once they get there. Tomorrow will show us a lot more than how quickly the Cubs will or won't wrap it up.

 

Winning tomorrow would do a lot for the Cubs confidence. They've won with Marquis pitching like crap. Won with Hill not having his best stuff. Odds are they aren't scoring 9-13 runs tomorrow. Zambrano shutting down the Pirates has to give the team a feeling of invincibility this late in the season.

 

Last home game. Last chance for the fans to see their team. Ace on the mound. This is a game Z has to win. And yes, I know it sounds cliche.

 

that isn't cliche...it is the truth...a big game...set up in all the right ways

 

the only thing left to do is PLAY BALL

[Vanilla Ice]

The Thursday game might take 5 hours. The Cubs certainly aren't facing the back of anyone's rotation right now. Willis seems to be putting it together just in time for the season to end. If the Cubs can be patient with Olsen, they will beat him.

 

Yea, right

[MembersOnlyJacket]

The Thursday game might take 5 hours. The Cubs certainly aren't facing the back of anyone's rotation right now. Willis seems to be putting it together just in time for the season to end. If the Cubs can be patient with Olsen, they will beat him.

 

Yea, right

 

True. However, with the new left-handed starter lineup it is certainly more probable.

[HoopsCubs]

It sure would be nice for that last series in Cincinnati to be meaningless. In order to do so, however, one of these 4 combinations would need to occur over the next 6 calendar days (Saturday through Thursday)

 

Cubs Brewers

5-0 no better than 3-3

4-1 no better than 2-4

3-2 no better than 1-5

2-3 0-6

 

I'm looking at scenario 2 (Cubs going 4-1). In the next 6, the Brewers face: Smoltz, Reyes, Wainwright, Looper, Pineiro and Cassell. Can you see Milwaukee losing 4 of those 6?

 

 

Hoops

 

We're one-third of the way there folks! Since I sent this out on Saturday morning, the Cubs have gone 2-0 and the Brewers have gone 0-2.

 

Now, the Cubs have 3 games to play before Friday (3 at Florida), and the Brewers have 4 games to play before Friday (3 with St. Louis and 1 with San Diego). If the Cubs go 2-1 and Milwaukee does no better than 2-2, division clinched by Thursday night!

 

Anybody think we could clinch by Wednesday night??!!

 

GO CUBS!!!

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Janitor played first base for the NL pennant-winning Cubs in Rookie of the Year

 

wait, a cop that can play baseball too?

[Coach C]

No, I think they'll clinch at the first game aganist Cincy.

 

That being said, be very prepared for alot of bad-mouthing the Cubs. Ya'll know how it'll go.

 

The 69 series with the cat, the infamous fan/meltdown, the 89 team melting down, the goat, etc etc.

[Banedon]

No, I think they'll clinch at the first game aganist Cincy.

 

That being said, be very prepared for alot of bad-mouthing the Cubs. Ya'll know how it'll go.

 

The 69 series with the cat, the infamous fan/meltdown, the 89 team melting down, the goat, etc etc.

 

Actually Gammons was talking about how dangerous the Cubs could be in the playoffs. The pitching is doing very well, and the hitting is covering for the pitching's few mistakes.

[CubsBears29]

Probly been covered, but after today's results...... Cards take 1 in MIL, and Cubs sweep Marlins, and Cubs clinch just before the weekend. If StL pulls off the miracle and takes 2 from MIL, Cubs just need to win 2 in FLA to clinch - even if MIL beats SD in first game of their final series on Thursday.

[IowaCubsFan]

No, I think they'll clinch at the first game aganist Cincy.

 

That being said, be very prepared for alot of bad-mouthing the Cubs. Ya'll know how it'll go.

 

The 69 series with the cat, the infamous fan/meltdown, the 89 team melting down, the goat, etc etc.

 

Actually Gammons was talking about how dangerous the Cubs could be in the playoffs. The pitching is doing very well, and the hitting is covering for the pitching's few mistakes.

 

Unfortunately, Gammons is just a reporter, and doesn't get the same kind of face time that the play-by-play guys or analysts do. Whatever announcers the Cubs get, the numerous mentions of Game 6, Durham, the black cat, the goat, etc. are just going to be nauseating.

[Soul]

Everyone ready to see goats running across the screen every game and endless re-runs of Bartman??

 

HERE. WE. GO. AGAIN. WITH. THE. CRAP.

 

:x :evil: