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The Chicago Cubs didn’t do many things right in the 2017 NLCS, but you can’t take credit away from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who got their revenge from 2016. Jose Quintana was out of the game by the third inning and the Dodgers destroyed the Cubs in Game 5 of the NLCS, winning 11-1 to win the National League pennant.
Plain and simple, the Cubs got their ass handed to them by a better team. If we take a step back, the Washington Nationals were better too, but it’s baseball and crazy shit happens in October, like Game 5 of that NLDS.
Anyway, after seeing the Cubs be the best team a year ago and win the World Series, it feels a little less worse losing? Don’t get me wrong, watching your favorite team get embarrassed is tough to witness, but unlike other seasons like 2007-08 and even 2003-04, you still have the confidence in the front office to get this team back to a superior level.
Absolutely nothing went right for the Cubs in this year’s NLCS and it points to questions that need to be addressed in the offseason. The bullpen was atrocious, especially Mike Montgomery and Carl Edwards Jr., who were supposed to be the men counted on to be the bridge for Wade Davis. The hitting was awful throughout the entire postseason and at times so was Joe Maddon’s decision-making. But again, I’ll always say, when you have a bad bullpen, it doesn’t matter how good or bad you’re perceived as a manager. Just look at Bruce Bochy last year.
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Jake Arrieta was the lone bright spot for the Cubs against the Dodgers and he will most likely be pitching somewhere else in 2018. John Lackey is heading toward retirement, so that leaves two spots open in the Cubs starting rotation. Plus, the bullpen has to be improved as well. We can get into the possibilities some other time.
But again, it does suck right now, yet does anyone actually think this run of the Cubs is over? Think about the entire 2017 season. There were several things the team didn’t succeed in and they still ended up winning the division and making the NLCS.
From the start, Theo Epstein promised one thing, making the Cubs World Series contenders year in and year out by sustaining success. So far that plan has three trips to the NLCS and one World Series. You’re not going to win every championship, just ask the Atlanta Braves. The goal is to make the playoffs and hopefully by then you’re positioned to make a deep run.
It just didn’t work out this year. It blows. But save your fire Joe Maddon bitching because the Cubs will be back next year and they’ll get another spin at the wheel.
