Well ... Maybe It Really Could Happen

Tuesday night’s 7-3 win over Philadelphia was very telling for this Cubs team. On the heels of a loss, this team came out with the mental strength it’s shown since the blowups of early June and fought back one of its many wild-card rivals.

The loss on Monday could have been a big blow. With a chance to move into a tie for first place, on a day when the Cubs were making up one of the games-in-hand of which they seem to have an abundance, and coming off a successful road trip, they walked out onto their home field and squandered a huge opportunity.

But, unlike many of the Cubs teams I’ve watched in my nearly 30 years of fandom, they didn’t let it affect them. They came right back out and won the next night. Just like they win despite a lack of home run power, and despite constant lineup tweaks, and seemingly without a care as to who gets the big hit or makes the best play, this team can win on the heels of a bad loss.

They do it with a quiet confidence that is reflected in the “It’s Gonna Happen” slogan that is rippling through Wrigleyville. Watching this team play as solidly as it’s played since June 3, you really do get the sense that they expect good things to happen to them, and in turn the expectation leads to realization.

So instead of suffering from a bad loss, the Cubs went out and posted a good win. It prevented a losing streak. It kept pressure on the Brewers. It took a game back from a wild-card chaser. And, most importantly, it kept the Cubs tied or ahead of all their playoff rivals – including the Brewers – in the most important category, fewest losses.

The Cubs may be a game back of Milwaukee, but they also have two games in hand on the Brewers, which means the Cubs can control their own destiny and move into a first-place tie simply by winning on the days Milwaukee doesn’t play. This condition holds for as long as the Cubs can stay tied in the loss column.

There’s still a lot of baseball left to be played, and with as many strong teams as there are in the West, it’s impossible to call a playoff spot for the Cubs right now. But what is guaranteed is that this team will be very fun to watch for the next 57 games.