The home stretch

I'll be home this weekend for my bachelor party, which features the Cubs vs. Pirates game Saturday as the keystone event thanks to Best Man extrodinaire Frank the Tank's planning skills.

It should be a blast.

Granted, I'd love for the Cubs to be running away with the NL Central by this point in the season, but barring a major meltdown - and yes, I am aware of the past century of Cubs baseball - Chicago should have an easier road in the final two weeks of the season.

Milwaukee will face a three-game match-up with Houston and four with Atlanta on the road and finish at home with three games against spoiler-hungry St. Louis and four games to close out the season against San Diego.

Chicago sees Cincinnati and Pittsburgh three times each at home and then hits the road for three each against Florida and the Reds.

Chicago has this Thursday and next Monday off and Milwaukee plugs ahead without a break until the end of the year.

Worth noting: Atlanta is effectively out of the running, but San Diego is holding a slim one-game lead over the Phillies for the NL Wild Card spot and are two games back from the division leading Diamondbacks. The Braves probably won't take too kindly to missing the post-season two years in a row and have enough punch to do some damage.

Why am I on edge?

Because I was at the Metrodome last year, watching the Tigers piss away their lead to the Royals and allowing the Twins to take the AL Central crown on the last day of the season.

Never underestimate the ability of a team to kill itself - especially when wearing Cubbie blue.

(Image from: Vivisect.org)