My "happy to be here"-ness comes from what has already transpired and not what is likely to come. The Cubs were the best team in baseball this year, and it wasn't close, nor their performance a fluke. In the last two years no team is within 14 games of the Cubs. I've already gotten an incredible amount of enjoyment and satisfaction out of watching them run roughshod over MLB for 300+ games. I would very much like to cap that off with a World Series to put to rest the drought/curse/narrative silliness that might impede them from being remembered as such a dominant team, but my appreciation for the Cubs doesn't hinge on them winning this series, especially since at this point they haven't been eliminated 'early' or otherwise been considered a playoff disappointment. All that said, this game does feel like the series decider. Winning 3 straight elimination games is a tall order, but winning 2 of 3 when you have your best 3 starters against short rest Bauer, short rest Tomlin, and Kluber for the 3rd time in 9 days(and having just won a Kluber start) feels like an overwhelming advantage.