Emma: Upbeat Cubs Can Bounce Back Against Cardinals
By Chris Emma--
ST. LOUIS (CBS) -- High above Busch Stadium in right-center field, 11 red flags blow with the breeze.
They grab one's attention in the ballpark, flying above the giant video board. Each represents a World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, with 11 marking the second-most in baseball. These caught the eye of Cubs left-hander Jon Lester as he walked from the third-base dugout to the pitcher's mound in the bottom of the first inning.
For the Cubs, those flags stand for the challenge they face against their rival Cardinals -- now even greater after falling 4-0 in Game 1 of the NLDS on Friday night.
"You look up at the banners in right-center field, you know that," Lester said after the loss. "It's like looking up at Yankee Stadium -- you know you got to go through those guys to get where you want to go."
The Cubs' desire is to win a World Series, the franchise's first since 1908. They overcame Gerrit Cole and the Pirates in Wednesday's wild-card win, celebrated wildly in the clubhouse, then hopped on a plane within two hours after the final out and traveled to St. Louis. That's where an even greater test was waiting.
John Lackey stymied the Cubs' bats, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowing just two hits over 7 1/3 innings pitched. Yadier Molina proved to be a master at framing pitches, expanding the strike zone to a point where the Cubs were out of sync. And, as customary for the Cardinals, there was timely hitting, too, with rookies Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty belting eighth-inning home runs to add insurance.
Even Cubs manager Joe Maddon seemed off his game, perhaps leaving Lester in a bit too long -- he was charged with two earned in the eighth inning -- and arguably mismanaging the lineup at times. Was trusting a reverse lefty-lefty split for Chris Coghlan against Kevin Siegrist in the eighth inning a good move? He struck out.
Friday brought one of those bad nights so rare for the Cubs. The stat line that stands out: Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are a combined 0-for-14 with six strikeouts in the past two games. The Cubs need to be better.
"We believe in ourselves," Kyle Schwarber said. "That's a key thing, we believe in ourselves as a team. At no point did we feel we were over-matched. We got to keep moving forward and go into tomorrow with a clear head."
This Cubs group possess a remarkable ability to flush bad losses. Moments from Maddon like bringing a magician to the clubhouse in New York or a petting zoo to Wrigley Field are seen as influential, but what makes this team resilient is its ability to dismiss pressure.
What stands out about an 1-0 hole to the Cubs? Absolutely nothing. Saturday afternoon brings a chance to even it up, and Jake Arrieta is pitching on Monday night.
"We're fine," catcher David Ross said. "We're absolutely fine."
Game 2 brings the Cubs a new opportunity, and they are approaching it without the slightest sense of panic. Kyle Hendricks seemed to find his form toward the end of September, but all the Cubs can hope for is their pitcher gives a chance to win. Left-hander Jaime Garcia will take the ball for the Cardinals.
Busch Stadium will be loud again, but the Cubs have proved not to be rattled by a big stage. And those flags Lester found above right-center field are nothing more than a symbol of the past. The Cubs aspire for a changing of the guard in the National League.
What stands in their way is a standard of success in the Cardinals, but the Cubs are pretty good, too.
"We're right there with them," Lester said. "There's no reason why we can't beat these guys."
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
