Rozner: Cubs execute plan nicely in Game 1

Count Tom Ricketts among the few who are unafraid.

Sure, he understands Cubs Nation has a natural fear of success. After all, history has been unkind to the North Siders, even after seasons in which they were clearly the best team heading into the postseason.

But the Cubs owner, much like his manager, embraces the target and is happy to be where he is right now, starting the postseason at home as the favorite to win it all.

"We have the best team in baseball," Ricketts said, "and we think we have a better chance than some teams."

Know that Ricketts does not speak with arrogance when he says it, merely confidence that his team has done all it can to get ready for the first round of the playoffs, notably tearing apart the National League during the six-month processional.

"The fact is these are short series and you have to play well," Ricketts said. "You can't have a bad week or you're done. You don't have 162 games to prove how good you are.

"You have five games and then hopefully seven games, and you have to be ready right away and bring your best game every night.

"If we do, we'll be all right."

The Cubs were ready Friday night at Wrigley Field for Game 1 of the NLDS, playing great defense in support of starter Jon Lester, who battled the Giants' Johnny Cueto to a scoreless tie into the bottom of the eighth.

That's when Javy Baez jumped on a 3-2 pitch with one out in the eighth and with a mighty swing pounded a high shot through a fierce wind that had just enough to reach the basket in left.

"Shows you how big this ballpark can play," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. "Javy absolutely crushed that ball."

A seriously pumped-up Aroldis Chapman threw a scoreless ninth and the Cubs had a crucial Game 1 victory, riding a single swing from Baez.

"I was thinking of bunting," Baez said. "Just trying to get on base."

It's easy to project confidence and even easier to talk about it, but confidence can disappear as quickly as an opposition blast onto Waveland - and for as many reasons as there were fans milling around outside the park late Friday night after the Cubs' 1-0 victory.

So the Cubs' 103 regular-season victories were good for bravado heading into their NLDS with the Giants - and little else. A bad start from Lester - the $155-million man brought here not just to start Game 1 of the postseason, but also to win it - and the Cubs would have been reeling just that fast.

With Madison Bumgarner slated for Game 3 on four days' rest Monday night in San Francisco, facing a Jake Arrieta that has struggled with command for months, the Cubs could not risk heading to the West Coast having split the first two at home.

But you can't win two until you win the first one, and the Cubs got that done Friday night, thanks mostly to a brilliant Lester performance, some great defense and one long fly.

"Both sides really played an equal kind of a game," Maddon said. "Lester was outstanding. Cueto was outstanding. Defense was great on both sides.

"Classic kind of an old-school baseball game. Give both sides credit. It was really a well-played baseball game."

What's that we said before the series started? Pitch well and run into a home run once in a while. In October, it's not a bad way to go.

Friday night, it was the perfect way to go.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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