Hard to argue with Joe Maddon. Nike Air Max 270 Kaufen .Hes guided the Chicago Cubs to Game 7 of the World Series, with a chance to claim their first championship in 108 years.But a couple of jittery managerial moves Tuesday night mightve summoned the Curse of the Billy Goat one more time.Well know in about 24 hours.To begin with, Maddon hastily yanked starter Jake Arrieta, a guy whos won 40 games over the last two regular seasons, with two outs in the sixth inning and the Cubs holding a five-run lead on the Cleveland Indians.I wouldve loved to get through at least seven, Arrieta said.In the seventh, with Arrieta gone but the Cubs still comfortably ahead 7-2, Maddon looked downright panicky when he brought in lights-out closer Aroldis Chapman to get out of a jam that didnt feel all that threatening.For the second game in a row, Chapman pitched in three different innings to help ensure a Cubs win.This one seemed totally unnecessary.Even after Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer in the ninth, pushing the Cubs to a 9-2 lead and giving the home crowd a chance to start heading for home with the clock still shy of midnight, Chapman went back to the mound in the bottom of the ninth. Turns out, Chicago didnt have anyone warming up in the bullpen, so there wasnt enough time to get someone else ready to take over at the start of the inning.Chapman had to go back out to face one more hitter.He issued a walk, and Maddon hustled out of the dugout to finally make a change that seemed long overdue, a rare miscalculation for a manager who has made all the right moves .At this point, Chapman has thrown 62 pitches over the last two games. Even taking into account a day off between appearances, what will he have left for the final game of the season -- especially after he appeared to tweak his right knee covering first base?The Indians, on the other hand, have their Bullpen Big Three -- Andrew Miller, Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw -- all ready to go in the deciding game.None were needed in Game 6, which quickly got out of hand when the Indians surrendered three runs in the first -- two of them scoring on a botched fly ball that shouldve been the third out -- and four more in the third on Addison Russells grand slam.Advantage, Cleveland.A big advantage, really.Maddon defended his moves after the 9-3 victory. And, to a degree, one could certainly understand his rationale. If the Cubs had somehow blown this lead -- as improbable as that was -- there wouldnt have been a Game 7. He decided to go all-in, no doubt mindful of all the heartache this franchise has gone through over the past century-plus. No need to toy with those demons.The middle of the batting order was coming up, Maddon said, looking back on the seventh. I thought the game could have been lost right there if we did not take care of it properly.The Cubs will have Kyle Hendricks going in Game 7, which is certainly encouraging for the folks in ChiTown, and they could possibly turn to two other starters -- Jon Lester and John Lackey -- to bolster the bullpen. Thats a risky move, using pitchers in roles theyre not accustomed to, but Maddon probably doesnt have much choice since its obvious he has no faith in any of his relievers beyond Chapman and Mike Montgomery.Even Arrieta said he would be ready to go, despite throwing 102 pitches on Tuesday.Ill definitely be available if outs are needed, he said. Last game of the year, Game 7 of the World Series, everybodys available.But Chapman is the guy the Cubs really want to send out in the finale.That, undoubtedly, would mean a championship is on the line.Hes a very strong young man, Maddon said. I think hell be fine, honestly.Well see.Chapman threw 42 pitches in Game 5 , but that made total sense with Chicago down 3-1 in the Series and clinging to a one-run lead. The hard-throwing left-hander -- whose fastball is almost always measured in three numbers -- got the final eight outs for the save that sent the Series back to Cleveland.Now, after two grueling appearances, at least by closer standards, Chapman might have to do it one more time.Somehow, it seems like too much to ask.Especially for a franchise that has endured everything from a Billy Goat to Bartman.---Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . Air Max Schweiz . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Air Max 97 Kaufen Schweiz . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. http://www.schuheairmaxschweiz.com/ . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games.CHICAGO -- About the time Travis Wood was dousing Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein with champagne Tuesday night, Epstein was explaining the prevailing theory of roster construction.You build it for 162 (games) and you watch it play out, Epstein said.You build it for the postseason and you pray.So far, so good for the favored Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who advanced to meet in the National League Championship Series after difficult NLDS challenges from San Francisco and Washington, respectively. The first two games of the best-of-seven series are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday night at Wrigley Field.The Cubs beat the Giants in four games with a four-run rally in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday, only the second time in playoff history a team had scored four runs in the ninth inning to win a postseason clincher. The Mets did it to the Boston Red Sox in 1986.When you go through these moments, I think they make you better, and it makes you continue to focus, said Cubs catcher David Ross, who homered and hit a sacrifice fly in Game 4. Weve been through a lot of these with comebacks in the ninth. You just continue to grind. It just says a lot about the character of these guys in the young group. They continue to fight.The Cubs, who won a major league-high 103 games in the regular season and have been favored to win the World Series since the playoffs began, have won 10 games this season when they trailed entering the ninth, including Tuesdays game.Not that the Dodgers are fazed by being labeled underdogs.For us, its just a lot of noise, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. I think it comes down to 25 players against one another. It really doesnt matter to us, to (be) quite honest.The Dodgers advanced to the NLCS just as unconventionally, with a 4-3 victory at Washington in Game 5 on Thursday. Trailing 1-0 entering the seventh inning, the Dodgers scored four runs in that inning to go ahead, then held on by using closer Kenley Jansen to get seeven outs and set up three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, who got the final two outs with the tying run on base. Nike Schuhe Größentabelle. Jansen threw 51 pitches, but Roberts would not rule them out for use this weekend.Cubs left-hander Jon Lester, a top Cy Young candidate, opposes Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda in Game 1. Lester gave up five hits and no walks in eight shutout innings of a 1-0 victory over the Giants in the first game of the NLDS last Friday.Maeda gave up four runs in three innings of the Dodgers Game 3 loss on Sunday and will be pitching on regular rest.The Cubs and Dodgers were eliminated by the NL champion Mets last season. New York beat the Dodgers in five games in the NLDS and then swept the Cubs in four games in the NLCS.The Cubs may need to improve their hitting in order to advance to their first World Series since 1945, although batting averages are normally down in the playoffs because of the quality of pitching.Kris Bryant and Javier Baez had six hits apiece in the Giants series, and Wilson Contreras was 4-for-6. All were major players in the Game 4 rally -- Bryant singled to open the ninth. Ben Zobrist doubled in one run, Contreras singled in two to tie the game, and Baez drove in the game-winner before Aroldis Chapman recorded his third save of the series.Pitchers have driven in six of the Cubs 17 runs this postseason -- three coming on starter Jake Arrietas three-run homer in Game 3. Dexter Fowler has two hits while Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell all have one through four games.Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was 6-for-15 in the NLDS, and his double drove in the final run Thursday. Joc Pederson, whose homer off Max Scherzer began the Dodgers four-run rally, was 5-for-15. Shortstop Corey Seager, the certain NL Rookie of the Year, was 3-for-23, although two of his hits were homers. Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '