Oct. 17--After three days to soak in their latest accomplishment, the Cubs face the task of continuing the play that lifted them to 12 victories in their last 13 games and vaulted them into the National League Championship Series.
"The playoffs are such a blur," said left-hander Jon Lester, who will start Game 1 for the Cubs Saturday against the Mets' Matt Harvey at chilly Citi Field. "The further you go, the faster things pick up -- more travel, later nights, getting up earlier. So I really don't think until it's over and it all settles in for you that you can look back and enjoy the moments."
The Cubs celebrated their NL Division Series victory over the Cardinals for a couple of days before getting some rest and traveling to New York for a brisk workout on Friday. Players said they won't have an advantage over the Mets, who flew cross-country early Friday morning after eliminating the Dodgers on Thursday.
The Cubs will be facing a vastly different Mets team from the one they swept in seven regular-season games, including a three-game set here June 30-July 2 during which the Mets scored only one run in 29 innings.
Thanks to the additions of Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto plus the return of David Wright, the Mets ranked second in the majors with 100 home runs and a .464 slugging percentage and were third with 352 runs after July 25. The Mets went 41-24 from that time on, including 18 comeback victories after Aug. 1, to surpass the Nationals and win the NL East.
"Their offense wasn't nearly what it is right now, so I'm not even looking at that (7-0 record) as being pertinent," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
Game 1 won't have the tension of the NL wild-card game the Cubs won at PNC Park, but this marks these Cubs' first best-of-seven series.
"It could be a completely different crowd, team, series," rookie third baseman Kris Bryant said. "We're that much closer to where we want to be. The stakes are higher, but it was nice playing in the wild-card game.
"It was huge for us. It was the first playoff game where it was one-and-done, and it turned out the way we wanted it to. Pittsburgh was crazy and loud."
This series marks the first time the Cubs will be without dependable shortstop Addison Russell (moderate left hamstring strain) for an extended period since he took over the regular's role from Starlin Castro in August.
Cubs players are too young to remember the 1969 season, when the Mets wiped out a 9 1/2-game deficit to surpass the Cubs for the NL East title and roll to victory in the World Series, but this NLCS brings back memories for President Theo Epstein, who realized the importance of going through Yankee Stadium to get to the World Series during his tenure in Boston.
Epstein said that someone reminded him that this series marks the 12th anniversary of Aaron Boone's game-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series that eliminated Epstein's Red Sox.
"I love that feeling of coming to New York as the visiting team, the enemy, walking around town seeing the Yankees caps, and now the Mets caps, and getting a few knowing glances," Epstein said. "Time to go to battle.
"I'm not a player, so it's not that big a deal, but you still get that feeling of being in enemy territory in one of the biggest and best cities in the world. It's a good feeling. I'm glad to come back."
mgonzales@tribpub.com
