CubsChic

WOW! We all knew Zambrano had the stuff. The question was always would he be able to maintain composure long enough to throw a no-hitter. Last night he showed that he was. In fact, he was one walk and a hit batsman away from a perfect game. I guess this puts to rest questions about the health of his arm. Regarding his being somewhat of a head-case, maybe all the talk about Dempster being the true #1 pitcher on the team made Zambrano step it up a notch. Whatever it took, it was fun to watch.

While many fans have been worried during the Cubs’ latest struggles, the teams chasing us haven’t been able to gain any ground. The Cubs are 4-6 during their last ten games and the Brewers and Cardinals are both 3-7. The Cubs now have a 7 1/2 game lead and a magic number of 7 with 14 to play (not counting the game vs Houston to be played if necessary). That means that the Cubs only have to win half their remaining games to ensure winning the Division, even if those chasing them win all of their games. Of course, the Cubs want to make sure they have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, so they can’t let up entirely.

You almost had to feel bad for Houston last night, playing a ‘home game’ at Wrigley North. At least the crowd won’t be as large for today’s game, it being a Monday afternoon and all. With the numbers leaning the way of the Cubs, I don’t see how any knowledgeable Brewer fan doesn’t root for the Cubs at this point. Rather, they should know to root against the Astros to save their own Wildcard hopes. It’s almost getting to the point where we can discuss who we’d rather win the Wildcard. I’ve got my opinions, but we’re not there, yet…