Rozner: Pleasure? Pressure? Lots of both for Cubs right now

That's 161 down, one to play.

Or maybe two.

The angry within the flock will be upset that it's come to this, that the Cubs have been pushed to the absolute limit by their neighbors to the north, have seen a big lead in the NL Central evaporate over a single month.

But the more reasonable will see a wounded and exhausted team playing at far less than full strength, somehow patching it together and reaching for a finish line that has appeared so far in the distance over the last two weeks.

That seems a more appropriate response, an appreciation for the character of a group that could have crumbled under the weight of expectations, could have tripped while stumbling and been passed easily by the sprinting Brewers.

That's rather impressive, when you consider the realities, the ability to adapt and overcome, to scratch out victories that are not as visually pleasing as they have so consistently been over the last four years.

There have been too many games over the last month that looked just like Saturday's, a terrific outing from the starter, some less than perfect defense and virtually no offense.

And while the Cubs lost 2-1 Wrigley Field Saturday in a spiffy 2:25, they have been on the right end of a dozen games just like it that they probably should have lost in precisely this fashion.

Sure, the Cards' Miles Mikolas (18-4) was brilliant, just a hair better than Cole Hamels (1 earned run in 7 innings), but the Cubs were once again stuck trying to hit home runs into a fierce wind, when a couple timely gappers would have served them nicely.

But they've won enough — just barely enough of those types of games, and 94 in all — to get us here, to Game 162, with everything on the line on the final day of the season.

With Game 163 feeling inevitable.

“It's a special moment to be able to see the intensity that comes with meaningful games, but it's a little better when you win,” said Hamels, who's pitched in 12 postseason series and started 16 playoff games, including three in the World Series. “You really appreciate what we have.

“We will be playing next week, but we want it to be a five-game series and not the crazy wild card game that it is. So you're a little more content when you win the division.”

Mike Montgomery will be on the hill Sunday, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon won't be especially patient if his starter doesn't have it, not with the division title on the line.

He won't, however, be burning all his starters. It's not Game 7 of the World Series and he may need starters for a tiebreaker Monday and a wild card game Tuesday.

“The biggest thing there is if you got into a bad situation (Sunday), you don't utilize guys you might need the next day,” Maddon said. “If it's all systems go, then it's all systems go.”

Kyle Hendricks pitched Friday, so he's unavailable Sunday. Jose Quintana would be on the normal four days' rest Monday. Jon Lester would be in line to pitch the wild card game Tuesday. And Hamels started Saturday.

So …

“On the Greatest Night in Baseball (to end the 2011 season), we started badly (in Tampa) against the Yankees,” Maddon said. “I was holding the bullpen back (in anticipation of a tiebreaker), but all of a sudden we hit a couple home runs and now we're in the game and you switch your method and try to win the game that night.

“So we'll see how it all breaks and go from there. But you have to be cognizant of the fact that you might need a starter for Monday or Tuesday.”

Whether they play a tiebreaker or a wild card game or — best case — clinch on Sunday and start the NLDS at home Thursday, the truth is they should be underdogs against any team they play moving forward, given the current construct of the lineup, half injured and the other half unable to produce.

It's always better to be pitching than hitting this time of year, if you had to choose one or the other, but it would be more comfortable to have a little offense to help a stout pitching staff, and the Cubs' offense has come to a halt since teams decided they would not allow Javy Baez to beat them.

Nevertheless, there are a couple dozen teams that would like to have the opportunity sitting in front of the Cubs right now.

“It's a blast,” Maddon said. “Since the time you're in Little League, these are the situations you always wanted to be in, so why would you choose to not enjoy that? Or create an ominous situation that subtracts the joy?

“I did tell them again not to let the pressure exceed the pleasure. Embrace it. Enjoy it.

“Normally, it should bring out the best in our guys.”

We'll find out Sunday if that's still true. Or maybe Monday or Tuesday.

Buckle up.