If the Cubs beat the Dodgers, I immediately expect the Cubs to win the World Series. In fact, if the Cubs win the first game against the Dodgers, that will do a lot to get the monkey off their backs and make me feel a lot more confident. I agree for the most part. Scoring a couple runs off Lowe and winning Game 1 eliminates any chance to use that excuse of not being sharp from not having a game of importance in weeks. It also removes the best matchup the Dodgers have. If we get past LA, I'm much more confident in being able to win a 7 game series against Philly or Milwaukee. The world series? It depends on the opponent, but again, the big strength of the Cubs this year was depth throughout, and a 7 game series plays to that strength.