3 keys for Cubs to reach World Series

CHICAGO — In the National League Championship Series last year, Mets pitchers stifled the Cubs and swept the series. Now that the Cubs have ousted the Giants in the NL Division Series, they need to regroup for the next round, which starts Saturday (7 p.m. CT on FS1). It won’t matter if it’s the Nationals or the Dodgers, who will play a deciding Game 5 of their NLDS on Thursday (7 p.m. CT on FS1). The Cubs just do their own thing.

“It doesn’t matter,” manager Joe Maddon said about who’s next. “When you start worrying about who you’re going to play, it could bite you. Because it really shouldn’t matter. … I’m just happy to be in the dance.”

The Cubs will likely hear more talk about the franchise’s long drought since the last World Series championship — 1908, in case you didn’t know. They’ll just shrug it off.

Game Date Time Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 15 8 p.m. LAD/WSH @ CHC FS1 Gm 2 Oct. 16 8 p.m. LAD/WSH @ CHC FS1 Gm 3 Oct. 18 TBD CHC @ LAD/WSH FS1 Gm 4 Oct. 19 TBD CHC @ LAD/WSH FS1 *Gm 5 Oct. 20 TBD CHC @ LAD/WSH FS1 *Gm 6 Oct. 22 TBD TBD @ LAD/WSH FS1 *Gm 7 Oct. 23 TBD TBD @ LAD/WSH FS1 *- If necessary | All times listed ET  • Complete postseason coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Dodgers | Nationals

“I think the biggest thing is nobody really cares in there about a curse or a goat or anything else,” Cubs pitcher Jon Lester said. “If we make a mistake, we’re not going to blame it on a curse or anything else like that. We’re going to blame it on ourselves and be accountable for it and move on to the next play or the next …

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