Bernfield: Giants might be Chicago Cubs' toughest challenge
The Chicago Cubs' first challenge in the 2016 playoffs may be their greatest, but nobody said winning a first World Series since 1908 would be easy.
On Friday night, the Cubs will welcome the Giants to Wrigley Field for Game 1 of the National League division series. In case you forgot, the Giants have won the World Series three times this decade.
Led by extraordinary manager Bruce Bochy, a great young catcher in Buster Posey and fabulous pitching, the Giants have been the closest thing to a baseball dynasty since 2010. While none of their three championship teams won more than 94 regular-season games, the Giants always are built for postseason success with outstanding starting pitching.
This year's team has taken an unconventional route to the NLDS. The Giants led baseball with 57 wins at the all-star break but stumbled down the stretch.
San Francisco was just 30-42 in the second half, posted losing months in July, August and September and had to win its last four games just to secure the second wild-card spot.
But after Madison Bumgarner's latest postseason masterpiece, here they are. Again.
Bumgarner may be the greatest playoff pitcher in baseball history, and he's only 27. He has 8 career victories in October, and a 1.94 ERA. His dominance Wednesday night against the Mets marked the second time in three seasons he has thrown a complete shutout in the wild-card game, and he boasts a 4-0 record with a microscopic 0.25 ERA in five career World Series contests.
Yet because the Giants had to play Wednesday, Bumgarner may only pitch once in the NLDS, likely in Game 3 on Monday. By winning the NL Central, the Cubs rested while the Giants played. This allowed the Cubs to set up their ideal rotation for the series, a luxury San Francisco didn't have.
Though the Giants' ace won't start until the series shifts to the West Coast, the team still features quality starting pitching, just as they did in each of their three previous World Series runs.
Game 1 starter Johnny Cueto started the All-Star Game for the National League in July and finished the regular season 18-5 with a 2.79 ERA, fifth best in baseball. Former Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija posted a solid 3.81 ERA in his first season in San Francisco, and midseason addition Matt Moore provided 12 decent starts down the stretch.
The Giants' bullpen has been the problem, and it's one of the reasons they nearly missed the playoffs.
San Francisco lost five September games after leading entering the ninth inning in September, the most by any team in a single month since the 1992 New York Mets. The Giants blew 30 saves this season, the most in baseball, and had the sixth-worst save percentage.
The Cubs' goal should be to wear down the Giants' starters with quality plate appearances. Should the Cubs get to San Francisco's bullpen early in any game, they will have a distinct advantage.
The Giants have won 11 consecutive playoff rounds and haven't lost a postseason series since the 2003 NLDS. Their experience, leadership and intangibles certainly make them a tougher foe than their 87-75 record would suggest.
But if the Cubs perform the way they have all year, they will prove they're the better team.
• Jordan Bernfield is a co-host of "Inside The Clubhouse" on WSCR 670-AM The Score. Follow him on Twitter@JordanBernfield.