I walked Sport tonight and it was a pleasure to feel the brisk, chilly late September air against my skin and know … the Cubs are still in it.

I wouldn’t dare to predict how far the Cubs will get in the playoffs. Especially in a best-of-five, it’s kind of a crapshoot. Let’s say that the Cubs will definitely have to earn a trip to the league championship series, having to go through Atlanta, the team with the best record in baseball this year.

What gives the Cubs a chance is their starting pitching. Thanks to the clincher on Saturday, Wood will start game one and, if necessary, game five. Zambrano, Prior and Clement would each get one start in a five-game series.

It’s impossible to predict how effective each pitcher will be against the power-packed Braves, but there is at least a good chance the starters will keep the Cubs in each and every game. And if you stay close, there’s no telling what could happen.

The Braves have to be the favorite in the series, but then again it looked like the Astros were favored too. And the Braves appeared to be the favorite last year in the first round against the Giants, then led by … Dusty Baker.