The Dodgers look like the team that won more games than any other in the National League, not the Cubs.
It was Chad Billingsley, not Carlos Zambrano, who looked like the dominant pitcher who had a no-hitter at the end of the season.
But the Cubs appeared to be the same old Cubs.
On Wednesday the Cubs couldn't hit or pitch. On Thursday they couldn't field or hit.
It wasn't Zambrano who self-destructed -- it was the Cubs infield. And at the worst possible time.
In the second, the first two Dodgers got hits. Then Mark DeRosa messed up a potential double-play ball. Then Derrek Lee fumbled a ball hit right at him.
Russell Martin hit a bases-clearing double and the Dodgers were on their way. Four of the five runs scored in the second were unearned.
Zambrano pitched pretty well. But it was all for naught.
Were the Cubs tight? Did they choke?
You could make a good case for that. But you could also say that the Dodgers were a better team at the end of the year. Derek Lowe, who pitched Wednesday, and Billingsley were great at the end of the season -- and pitched very well in the first two games of the series. Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake were strong additions to the team. Getting Greg Maddux helped.
Maybe the Cubs overachieved all season long while the Dodgers underachieved for much of the season. They were lucky to be in a weak division, and then started playing well in August.
It got so bad in Thursday's game that the Chicago crowd started booing. That's rare, but you can hardly blame them. The Cubs played poorly in both games.
Now the Cubs are in deep trouble. You can't say their task is impossible. Four teams have overcome a 2-0 lead in divisional series, but only one lost the first two games at home, the Yankees.
The Dodgers have played great. Manny has a homer in each game. Their starting pitching has been outstanding. After experiencing trouble scoring during the year, they've piled it on in both games.
They've hit and shown power. Getting Rafael Furcal back has been huge. He had three hits in Thursday's game and was part of the five-run second inning with a bunt single.
Remember that the Dodger team that floundered much of the year didn't have Manny, Blake or Furcal (almost all the season). This is a far more potent Dodger team.
Furcal is a great shortstop and a perfect lead-off man. Getting him back has proved to be crucial.
