larger view

Are the Cubs finished in this postseason? You lose two straight at home to open a best-of-5 series and you practically deserve to get ousted.

Four errors, a bases-loaded double by Russell Martin, another home run from Manny Ramirez-his 26th career post-season homer, and seven two-out RBIs in game two, have the Dodgers one win away from their first playoff series win since 1988.  Two of the four errors came in a five-run second inning against Cubs pitcher, Carlos Zambrano.

 “It wasn’t good baseball. In fact, the last two days, that’s probably been the two worst games we’ve played all year,” a frustrated Lou Piniella said. “It wasn’t fun to watch, I’ll tell you that.” The Cubs manager then gently laid his head on his desk and closed his eyes, as members of the press tiptoed out, careful not to wake him.

Only once in the history of a best-of-5 series has a team lost the first two games at home and come back to win the series. That team was the 2001 New York Yankees, managed by Joe Torre, who did it against Oakland.

The Cubs certainly are capable of winning three straight games. In fact, they've had winning streaks of at least three games 16 times this year. Meanwhile, champagne is on ice in Mannywood, as the Dodgers look to close it out in Chavez Ravine on Saturday night.