The Cubs Must Win Tonight Or Face Elimination From The Playoffs

By Kate Shepherd in News on Oct 21, 2015 5:00PM

It's do or die for the Cubs tonight as they face elimination from the New York Mets. After losing three straight games in a row, they must win tonight to force another game Thursday evening at Wrigley Field—or else they'll be swept away by the Mets until next year.

Led by slugger Daniel Murphy, the Mets are playing like a stronger team than they were in the regular season. Murphy hit his sixth home run of the postseason last night and it was the fifth straight game he's homered in. Meanwhile the Cubs, who couldn't be stopped just a week ago, look like a different team.

"They've done little things well and they've taken advantage of us in different moments," manager Joe Maddon told reporters. "We've not been able to overcome that because we're not hitting the ball like we normally can."

The team looked good during the first half of the game but never really recovered from a mini-meltdown in the 6th inning. Fans were quick to blame pitcher Trevor Cahill and catcher Miguel Montero for the wild pitch—but it's easy to throw blame when you're not on the field.

"It's not a bad pitch," Montero told reporters. "It seems so easy from the outside. 'You have to block that ball.' Yeah I know I have to block it. It's not as easy as it looks."

Fortunately, they have another chance to win tonight. If they lose, Cubs fans shouldn't be upset. It's a young team who's gone much further this year than anyone expected. Maddon has been one of the best things to ever happen to the North Side. There's a very bright future ahead and things look better for the Cubs than they have in 107 years.