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Levine: Are The Cubs Ready For Prime Time?

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Cubs have been one of the more delightful stories in Major League Baseball during the 2015. The TV networks always love the Cubs' intrusion into the equation and now have the two New York teams and the Dodgers on a postseason path to help garner big numbers and ad sales as well.

So, are the Cubs themselves ready for prime time? That's the next question to answer for this upstart team, with its first post season appearance under the Ricketts family ownership on the verge of being clinched.

Chicago lost a hard-fought 3-2 game to ace right-hander Gerrit Cole and Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, a contest that was typical of the "never say die" fight that they've shown under the guidance of Joe Maddon.

"I was happy with our group today," Maddon said. "I thought we were ready to play. I felt sameness, which I kind of liked, and we had the right guy pitching (in Jon Lester) for us today. The big thing was their pitcher and how do we beat him. That was the concern going into the game. We talked about it before the game -- he is that good. We were right there, toe to toe until the very end. They beat us by a run ... I was really pleased with us."

Lester pitched a fine game, holding the Pirates to two runs in seven innings of work. This was the 15th time this season he has allowed two runs or fewer in at least seven innings thrown.

Afterward, the question of whether his young teammates will be feeling the heat in the pressure cooker of the wild-card game on Oct. 7 was broached. Pittsburgh leads Chicago by 4.5 games for the right to host that game.

"They have been (fighting to the end) all year -- that is nothing new for us," Lester said of his teammates. "It was good to get one in the ninth off of (Mark) Melancon. He is obviously the best closer in the game. It was nice to scrap one across on him and put some pressure on him and force him to make some important pitches."

Even with 51 saves in 53 attempts, Melancon is human and vulnerable too getting beat. That's the message Lester and the veterans want to get across.

With the tying run at third base and one out for the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth Friday, Melancon struck out both Jorge Soler and Javier Baez on nasty 59-foot breaking balls to secure the save and victory. Rookies must learn in the heat of battle what the fine line is between winning and losing.

"It has been a great learning curve overall the last two weeks," veteran Cubs catcher David Ross said. "All season, I have felt these guys just keep on learning. They keep answering the bell when the fight is brought to them. For such a young group, they are poised and show a a lot of character. It is fun to watch them grow on a daily basis and get better."

Maddon did point out the obvious after the close loss.

"It's not just those two guys," Maddon said of Soler and Baez striking out late. "Our team in general, with less than two outs, we are not very good. You (need) to just try to get the run in. It does not have to be over the fence. You need an adjustment. I say move the ball, we have to get better moving the ball in that moment. We need to force the defense to play. You can get the ugly hit and that high chopper like they did (the Pirates had an RBI on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning) as an example. If we got same, we would have scored. Moving the baseball is an important play there."

Are these good young Cubs players ready for prime time? The lights, cameras and action are awaiting for them to answer that question on Oct. 7 in Pittsburgh.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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