Theres a newsreel clip from the 1930s or 40s, where radio and television personality Bill Slater is voicing over black and white footage of baseball teams reporting to spring training. At one point, with a sparkle in his voice, he says, And here come the Chicago Cubs! Its gonna be a hot race this year -- youre not going to win, but you dont know it yet.More than 80 years later, the joke still holds. For so long its been safe to assume that the Cubs are about as likely to win the World Series as Wile E. Coyote is to catch that damn roadrunner. Across all cities and all sports, the Cubs are the most famous losers that ever were.But maybe, just maybe, by the end of this month they wont be losers anymore.Ive spent all season trying not to get ahead of myself. Just two years ago I was celebrating baby steps in the form of a record above .500. Last year the Cubs eked into the playoffs, scored a win over the Pirates and upset the rival Cardinals to advance to the NLCS. It didnt even hurt all that much when they were swept by the Mets. The impossibly young squad was playing with house money. They were at least a year ahead of schedule and their deep postseason run just served to get long-suffering Cubs fans excited for 2016.So this year when they won 24 of their first 30 games, I tried my best to stay in the moment and enjoy the ride without looking too far ahead to what might be.But now that the division has been clinched (by a whopping 17.5 games!), home-field advantage secured and 100 wins achieved, I have no choice but to face the music. Its October and all the home runs, shutouts, walk-offs and wins go out the window. No matter who the Cubs face in Game 1 of the NLDS on Friday night, both teams will need three wins to advance.Now, anything less than a World Series win will be a disappointment. Theres incredible excitement heading into their opening series, but also a tremendous amount of anxiety. Just the other day my stomach dropped when I saw an ad featuring playoff footage from last year, fans going nuts at Wrigley waving rally towels. Oh god. Its here.Id like to rest easy knowing how good theyve been all season, but Ive already seen too many stats arguing that they might be too good. Only twice in the last 25 postseasons has the team with sole possession of baseballs best record gone on to win it all. And of the 15 teams that have won 100 or more games in the regular season since 2000, only one went on to win the World Series. I can feel my heart beating faster as I type this.No matter what happens this October, the Cubs are on the right track. Theyre full of young talent, theyve got a great manager and the mastermind behind it all, Theo Epstein, just signed a five-year contract extension. But even as I try to convince myself that a loss wouldnt be the end of the world, I know deep down theres always next year just doesnt feel right this time around.So whenever my brain starts to fill up with worst-case scenarios, I have to remind myself that this team is not the Cubs of old. We cant saddle these guys with the struggles of their predecessors. There are no curses, just bad outings, sleepy bats and bungled double plays by Alex Gonzalez.This time will be different. This is the year! Im gonna embrace every second of October baseball with confidence and enthusiasm ... and a medic on standby. Scott Stevens Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. Martin Brodeur Jersey . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. http://www.cheapdevilsjerseys.com/ . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Wholesale Devils Jerseys . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Pavel Zacha Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo has been watching a lot of the Final Five gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic womens gymnastics team. So when he jumped onto a wall to make a remarkable catch of a foul ball before sticking the landing, he had one thought.Maybe Final Six? Rizzo said, grinning.Jason Hammel threw seven innings of two-hit ball, Rizzo drew MVP chants after his circus catch, and the Chicago Cubs beat the banged-up Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 on Tuesday night to sweep a day-night doubleheader.Javier Baez hit a two-run homer while Hammel (13-5) struck out seven to extend his scoreless streak to 22 innings.But Hammel was more interested in talking about Rizzo. The first baseman jumped on the wall with both feet, leaned into the crowd and made a one-handed grab of Keon Broxtons popup in the fifth. He then snapped back and landed on his feet on the field.Stuck the landing, Hammel said. It was a great dismount.In the opener, Trevor Cahill came off the disabled list to throw five innings of two-hit ball in his first start in nearly 16 months in Chicagos 4-0 win.It was a nightmare day for the Brewers, who lost second-game starter Chase Anderson to a bruised left quadriceps after two batters and slugger Ryan Braun to a left knee injury in the fourth inning.We think we dodged a bullet there, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsel said of Braun. The doctor checked everything out and everything looks good. Its going to be day to day with him.Hernan Perezs two-out solo homer in the ninth off Travis Wood ended Milwaukees 17-inning scoreless streak. After another single, Aroldis Chapman entered and gave up a walk and infield single before striking out Martin Maldonado for his second save of the day and sixth with the Cubs.David Ross walked and scored on Kris Bryants single to left in the third off Jhan Marinez (0-1), who relieved Anderson.Hammel had two hits and the Cubs took control on Baezs two-run shot to left-center in Chicagos three-run sixth off lefty Rob Scahill to secure its 13th win in 15 games.In the opener, Chapman got two outs and reached 103 mph to complete the three-hitter.Its probably a demoralizing feeling for the other team to see him warming up, Hammel said.The Brewers were left with seven losses in 10 games amid plenty of bad news.Anderson, who took a no-hitter into the eightth in his last start against the Cubs, was struck by Bryants comebacker.dddddddddddd Anderson fielded and threw to first for the second out, but then limped off.Stiff and sore, Anderson said. Theres really not too much pain. Luckily it got all the muscle, so its just trying to get the swelling to go down.Braun limped off in the fourth after he crumpled into the side wall trying to catch a fly ball down the left field line.I sprained my knee, sprained my ankle a little bit, Braun said. But I think all things considered, it was probably the best scenario.Mike Montgomery followed Cahill in the first game and pitched two innings, Hector Rondon worked the eighth and Joe Smith walked two in the ninth.Cahill (2-3) also drove in a run with a safety squeeze, and the Cubs added runs on a wild pitch and Addison Russells sacrifice fly off Matt Garza (4-5).With right-hander John Lackeys right shoulder still sore after he left Sundays start, Cahill provides an option if the Cubs need a replacement.He gave us something to talk about, manager Joe Maddon said.Cahill bunted a 3-2 pitch in the fourth, and first baseman Chris Carters flip home wasnt in time to get Chris Coghlan.Garza allowed five hits and threw 103 pitches in five innings. Tyler Cravy, Milwaukees 26th player, threw two scoreless innings.They did a good job of grinding out at-bats, Garza said. They fouled off a lot pitches. Granted, I didnt have the best command.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: Struggling RHP Michael Blazek went on the 15-day DL with a right forearm strain. He was really just fatigued, Counsell said. ... Damien Magnifico was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs and gave up Coghlans sacrifice fly in the eighth in the opener in his major league debut.Cubs: RHP Pedro Strop (knee surgery) was off crutches. Hes expected to miss at least a month.PAPELBON?Maddon said he hasnt been involved in any discussions about signing former Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon, who was released Saturday by Washington.Im not saying it cant happen, Maddon said, but for right now there is nothing happening.UP NEXTCubs RHP Jon Lester (12-4, 2.93 ERA) faces RHP Jimmy Nelson (6-12, 4.07) on Wednesday night. ' ' '