Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon has been preparing his team for the postseason since the moment they got to spring training, but even the skipper’s family is getting a big case of playoff fever.

In fact, Maddon’s grandson Tre is so fired up for the playoffs to begin that he got the Cubs’ logo shaved into the back of his head on Thursday. Maddon’s daughter Sarah posted the picture to her Twitter account after a barber made the magic happen:

This obviously isn’t a Maddon’s first foray into follicular fun. Before spring training in each of the past two seasons, Maddon’s charity has held an event at Sloan Park in Arizona to raise money for charity, and lucky Cubs fans who pledged money to the event had their heads shaved and were given “Respect Bald” t-shirts.

Maddon himself has gone in some interesting directions with his hairstyle in the past, including shaving his own head and going with a Mohawk at various times during his tenure as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta is going to face San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner in Game 3 of the NLDS on Monday, but even faced with the prospect of having to battle one of the best pitchers in postseason history, the Cubs’ hurler isn’t fazed at all.

“I played golf today. I’m not very anxious,” Arrieta told the media at Wrigley Field on Thursday. “We’re just excited to get back on the field. We’re fortunate enough to have health on our side and guys are ready to go.”

Arrieta should have every reason to be nervous, as he gave up seven runs in his final outing of the season and has to go up against Bumgarner, a pitcher that threw a complete game shutout against the New York Mets and has the best ERA in MLB history in must-win elimination games.

Even with all of those obstacles however, Arrieta is focused not on his individual matchup, but on the task at hand.

“It just doesn’t matter anymore what the record is. You can get in with 103 or 85 wins, (but) not it’s a matter of can you beat the opposing team to three wins,” he said. “That’s all we can worry about now. It was nice to win 103 in the regular season, but the only concern now is to win three before the next team does.”

Arrieta will certainly be looking to improve upon his performance from the 2015 postseason. He did throw a complete game shutout to knock the Pittsburgh Pirates out of the playoffs in the wild card game, but he struggled after that, giving up eight runs in 10 and 2/3rds innings against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Mets in his final two starts of the postseason.

Runners Thursday were checking the course and preparing for a Chicago Marathon that means more than just a sporting event to the city and its residents.

Last year the marathon brought more than $277 million to Chicago, a number organizers estimate is the equivalent of almost 2,000 jobs and nearly $94 million in wages and salary income, a number expected to increase again this year.

“What we are seeing is people coming earlier,” said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “They are bringing more friends, family members.”

Participants spend, on average, $81 a day on lodging, $48 a day on food, almost $260 in stores, $125 on transportation and almost $54 a day on entertainment at restaurants like the Park Grill, which is catering the annual carbo loading pasta dinner.

“We have really grown as the marathon has grown so it’s really cool to see the symmetry of the two organizations,” said Beth Bracco of Blue Plate Catering and the Park Grill. “The first year I think we catered it was coffee—we certainly evolved over the years.”

It’s been 39 years since the first Chicago Marathon and Henry Kozlowski says the city has kept him coming back to run in 38 of them so far.

“It’s like a tour of the city,” he said. “I see parts of the city I don’t see, I used to live on the North Side around Wrigley Field, you know, North Side, South Side, you don’t often see the other part of the city.”

Ward Room's Campaign Round-Up is a weekly column dedicated to keeping you in the know about upcoming 2016 elections. Check the Ward Room blog for continued coverage.

U.S. Senate

Rep. Tammy Duckworth has adopted a new fundraising strategy in her bid for the U.S. Senate that uses tweets from her opponent, Sen. Mark Kirk, to trigger donations to her campaign fund. Now, every time Kirk sends out a tweet, donations to the Tammy for Illinois fund will be triggered for donations.

Duckworth is the first politician to adopt the model, which was created by Chicago-based startup iKeedo.

“We couldn’t be more proud that the Tammy for Illinois team has signed on with iKeedo,” the company’s founder Chris O’Brien said in a statement. “In this all important election year, iKeedo allows the national democratic base to take their negative feeling about the Republican agenda (as represented by Mark Kirk’s campaign) and turn it into positive action in the form of donations.”

However, the campaign has only raised $140 since launching earlier this week.

“Epic fail,” Kirk spokesman Kevin Artl said in an e-mail that included screenshots of the iKeedo page showing $0 in donations from recent tweets. The Duckworth campaign did not immediately respond to Ward Room’s request for comment.

However, Duckworth hasn’t had a problem fundraising elsewhere. According to a report released Thursday by the congresswoman’s campaign, Duckworth raised $4.1 million in the third quarter of 2016. She enters the final month of the campaign with $4.3 million on hand.

10th Congressional District

Rep. Bob Dold released a new campaign ad Monday that looks to distance the Republican congressman from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and his party’s platform. The ad starts with a series of clips featuring Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

“That’s what’s wrong with politics and both sides share the blame,” Dold says. “We need problem solvers, not grandstanding, to put country first, not politics. I’ll work with anybody when they’re right and challenge both parties when they’re wrong.”

Dold goes on to explain that he's broken with the GOP to "support common sense gun laws and defend a woman’s right to choose.”

Meanwhile, Dold’s Democratic opponent, Brad Schneider, released a Norrington Petts poll last week that gives him a 46-41 lead over Dold. The poll is based on landline and mobile phone interviews of 399 likely voters from the district.

Illinois Comptroller

Democratic nominee for state Comptroller Susana Mendoza released a new television ad Wednesday that shows the Chicago City Clerk campaigning for “the most important office you’ve never heard of.”

The 30-second spot features Mendoza explaining what a comptroller does to a variety of Illinois voters.

“The comptroller can make sure the politicians in Springfield are the last to get paid when they don’t pass a budget,” Mendoza says in the ad. “I’ve been a taxpayer watchdog who believes in rooting out waste.”

Mendoza is locked in a tight race with Republican incumbent Leslie Munger that’s primed to be one of the state’s most expensive this campaign season. The matchup is being billed as a proxy battle for Gov. Bruce Rauner, who appointed Munger in 2015, and House Speaker Mike Madigan, who Mendoza has called a mentor.

The ad is currently airing on broadcast television in the Chicago, Springfield, Rockford and Peoria markets.

Notable Contributions

After smashing campaign finance limits with a $260,000 loan from her husband last month, Comptroller Munger received some significant donations from top GOP fundraisers with ties to Gov. Rauner.

Last Tuesday, the comptroller got $2 million from Richard Uihlein, the owner of the Uline shipping supply firm. Additionally, billionaire investor Ken Griffin chipped in $2 million last Thursday.

Munger has since transferred $3 million to the Illinois Republican Party fund that the group will likely spend on state legislative races. The comptroller contributed $1 million to the group last Thursday and added another $2 million Wednesday.

Additionally, the Illinois Republican Party has spent more than $2 million on ads in the state's 20th House district, the Associated Press reports. Veteran state Rep. Michael McAuliffe, the only Republican representing a state legislative district that includes parts of Chicago, is facing a tough re-election bid against Democratic newcomer Merry Marwig, who has spent roughly $187,690 on television ads this cycle.

According to the report, contributions in the race have helped make Illinois the biggest spender on TV ads for both Republican and Democratic legislative candidates in the U.S. for the current election cycle. Nearly $14 million has been spent on ads since January of 2015. Florida ranked second with about $8 million in spending.

Gov. Bruce Rauner hosted his second Facebook Live event Thursday, focusing on Illinois manufacturing and job creation.

Rauner, who called Illinois the “manufacturing heart of America for almost 200 years,” repeatedly stressed the need to cut regulations and tax burdens to encourage job growth and business relocation to the state.

“Growing our economy and bringing more jobs is a big partnership,” Rauner said Thursday. “It’s a big effort for state government, city governments, county governments, township govenments, and local economic development corporations.”

“We are trying as a state to bring all our efforts together as partners to leverage each other, help each other and get the biggest impact in every community to grow more jobs,” he added.

The governor was joined Thursday by the former Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce Jim Schultz, who now manages Intersect Illinois, a non-profit created by Rauner that's dedicated to recruiting companies to the state. Thursday's event was broadcast live from Downers Grove-based Flexco, a company that manufactures products in the fastening field.

In a development from Rauner’s first Facebook Live, the governor’s team pulled real time questions directly from the comments section for the governor to address. The event has been viewed over 5,000 times.

In response to a question about bringing manufacturing jobs to the state, Rauner said regulations and tax burdens were “punishing” companies who are now moving because they’re not growing in Illinois. The governor claimed that Illinois hasn’t added a single manufacturing job since the end of the most recent recession. Meanwhile, Indiana has added 84,000 manufacturing jobs and Wisconsin has added 44,000 in that same timeframe. He also stressed investments in education to create a trained, skilled Illinois workforce.

During the event, the governor championed workers compensation and tort reform and pushed to get a handle on the state’s property taxes, all of which are components of his Turnaround Agenda.

The Republican leader noted that Illinois’ workers compensation insurance costs are among the highest in the country, calling that the number one challenge for manufacturing firms. He said those costs need to be brought down using things like causation, which only gives workers health coverage for injuries that were sustained on the job.

“Injuries should be job related, not outside of that, in order for workers comp costs to be competitive,” Rauner said.

According to Rauner, business relocation firms don’t want to expand or relocate to Illinois because of the state’s regulatory burden. He said growing the state’s economy would expand the state’s tax base and create resources to address problems like unemployment, poverty, crime, school funding and unfunded pension liability.

“Today, Illinois is not competitive,” Rauner said. “Our regulations are some of the worst in America on businesses. Our property taxes are the highest in America. They’re pushing employers out or they’re inhibiting employers from growing and creating more jobs."

“We’ve got to change that,” he added. 

The governor also stressed the need to reduce the number of state taxing districts. Illinois has more taxing districts than any other state. Rauner recommends consolidating those districts and letting local communities deal with the size and cost of government.

He also said the state needs to be more efficient in order to lower taxes. As examples of how that’s already happening, he pointed to the modernization of state information technology systems, as well as new compensation structures for state employees.

Additionally, he touched on his plan to help minority manufacturing in the state, noting that Illinois has the highest unemployment rate for African-Americans in the entire country. Rauner claimed minority-owned businesses need access to business networks that can provide capital and access to consultants and management.

The governor pointed to the state’s Advancing the Development of Minority Entrepreneurs program, which was developed under Schultz. Rauner claimed the program is dedicated to creating those sorts of networks for minority business owners.

For his part, Schultz explained that Intersect Illinois is still growing. He said the non-profit has added seven people to its staff and hopes to increase that number to 25 by next year. Schultz explained that, although they are already doing some business development, there will be much more when the team is built out.

“We’re the concierge service to Illinois businesses and to the economic development local,” Schultz said. “So consider Intersect Illinois to be your one stop resource."

“We want to be your red carpet state and not be a red tape state,” he added.

During the event, Rauner also pointed to a new Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll that shows 80 percent of Illinoisans supporting term limits, something the governor has pushed for.

“The courts said it can’t be done through a voter referendum,” Rauner said. “Even though we collected 600,000 signatures, they said no, can’t go on the ballot, denied you a voice.”

However, he noted that the General Assembly can vote to put the initiative on a future ballot to be voted on by Illinoisans. Rauner, who is limiting himself to 8 years in office, thinks all state lawmakers should be held to a similar timeline.

The Chicago Transit Authority is attempting to identify a person who jumped on the outside of a Red Line train and rode it underground after a passenger posted video of the stunt on social media, a spokeswoman for the transit agency confirmed Thursday.

In the video, which was posted on YouTube, a man recording near the train car’s doors calls the hanger-on outside "crazy" and says he is on the Red Line. The person riding on the train's exterior, clad in a white button down and backpack, gives a thumbs up. The video description says the man rode from the Lake station to Monroe.

“A guy missed his Red Line train in Chicago so he hopped on the outside,” the description reads. “Pretty intense!”

A CTA spokeswoman said that the transit agency will pursue "appropriate charges" if the person who clung to the train is identified.

“Actions like this are extremely foolhardy and display an astonishing lack of common sense and judgment,” said CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase. “This is not only illegal, but dangerous, not just to the person involved but other passengers as well. Incidents like this can have tragic consequences for not only the individual, but for other CTA customers and employees.”

The Chicago Police Department said, citing the Office of Emergency Management, there were "no calls for service at the Lake Red Line Station" on Thursday.

Twelve years ago Mary Jo Kish was in the path of a hurricane that tore her Florida condo apart—but this time she’s fled Hurricane Matthew to Crown Point, Indiana, worrying about leaving her husband behind with friends.

Kish watched the news intently Thursday night with her grandkids.

“It’s disheartening,” she said of the news out of Melbourne Florida, where she lived for the past 16 years.

Her husband stayed behind to help neighbors and elderly Floridians who thought hurricane season was over.

“He wanted to make sure that they were aware of the severity of this,” she said.

Kish and her husband communicate via FaceTime.

“He’s evacuated already, he’s got ample water and food supply, he has all his medications—he knows how to be safe,” she said of her husband, who mentioned the water would soon be shut off during one of their video chats.

She will stay with family in Crown Point, she says, as long as necessary.

“That’s the hardest part of a hurricane is the wait, the scariest part of a hurricane is the wind,” she said. “The wind is strong and it just doesn’t stop.”

But the wind isn’t her biggest fear.

“That’s our biggest fear, is that we’re gonna have to face all of that rebuilding again,” she said. “Which in the scheme of things, property and possessions can be replaced.”

Hurricane Matthew cleared out of Florida's southern tip Friday morning and service gradually resumed in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale's airports. Orlando International Airport said it will resume operations at 6 a.m. Saturday, though many flights are still cancelled. 

However, as the storm moves north transit hubs in neighboring states tapered off flights or closed terminals altogether.

According to FlightAware, a site that tracks global flight statuses, Matthew has forced airlines to cancel more than 4,500 flights between Wednesday and Sunday.

Charleston International in South Carolina shut down operations Friday afternoon and cancelled all Saturday flights. The airport said plans for Sunday will be announced at a later time, and updates can be found here.

In Georgia, the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport closed at 12 a.m. Friday. The terminal is scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m. Sunday. 

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport, said it is monitoring the storm and asked passengers to check with their carrier for cancellations. Over 200 flights have been cancelled Friday and dozens more on Saturday.

The Air Force controls the runways and will dictate when to close the airfield. Service at the airport could resume Sunday, Campbell said.

Early Friday Ft.Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport announced that the airport's terminals were being reopened and that "our airline partners are implementing their plans to resume service later this morning," the airport announced in a tweet.

The number of canceled flights globally on Friday morning was down to 1,946 from Thursday's 2,800, according to FlightAware. As Miami and Fort Lauderdale clear up, the number of delays and cancellations will continue to decline.

American Airlines announced Friday that most of its flights would resume sometime Friday morning or afternoon. The airlines saw its first arrival at Miami International Airport at 9:05 a.m with a flight from São Paulo, Brazil. A reduced departure schedule began Friday at 1 p.m. and a full departure schedule was expected at 4 p.m.

As the storm tracked northward, Delta Airlines also resumed flights Friday morning to Miami, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

Miami, along with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, both shut down Thursday. Fort Lauderdale halted operations at 10:30 a.m. with Miami following at noon.

Orlando International Airport announced Thursday afternoon that it would cease commercial operations at 8 p.m. ET. It anticipates to resume flights on Saturday, Oct. 8, contingent on staff availability and clean-up ability. 

All flights to and from Orlando have been cancelled Friday and half scrapped Saturday. FlightAware expects that number to rise. Orlando's world-famous theme parks — Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld — all closed due to the storm.

Orlando Melbourne International Airport closed at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. It was not clear when it expect to reopen. Jacksonville International Airport remains open, but noted several flights have been canceled. "Check flight status with your airline before coming to the airport," JAX wrote in a tweet.

The Palm Beach International Airport also reopened Friday and many airlines planned to resume operations from the terminal. The airport advised passengers to check with their airline before going to the airport as several flights remain cancelled.

Changing Flights

Hurricane Matthew has prompted airlines to offer travel waivers to passengers scheduled to fly from airports impacted by the storm.

Airlines had previously offered Matthew-related change-fee waivers to areas in the Caribbean hit by the powerful hurricane but are now extending them to cover U.S. airports as well.

American said it would waive change fees on trips scheduled between Oct. 5 to Oct. 9 from certain airports in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina. The airline had already offered waivers on trips scheduled through Thursday in several Caribbean nations including Cuba.

United Airlines said it would waive change fees and any difference in fare for customers scheduled to fly Wednesday through Friday to, from or through five airports in Florida. The waiver has also been extended to several airports in the Carolinas and Georgia.

Delta waived change fees on flights to, from and through the Caribbean between Oct. 2 and Oct. 6 that may have been impacted by Matthew. Flights Thursday and Friday in or out of eight Florida cities as well as to and from several airports in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia can also be changed without incuring fee. Customers who wish to cancel a trip as a result of a flight cancellation are entitled to a refund.

JetBlue Airways said passengers flying Thursday through Sunday to or from eight cities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina can change planes without a fee or additional fare. A similar offer covers Caribbean travel through Thursday.

Spirit Airlines said it would waive the change fee and fare difference on Florida trips Thursday and Friday.

Southwest Airlines will allow customers with flight reservations scheduled to arrive or depart cities that have been affected by or will be in the storm's path between Oct. 2 and Oct. 7, to re-book a new trip or travel standby within 14 days of their original travel date. 

Cruises

Cruises have also been affected by Hurricane Matthew, with Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line all rerouting some ships or modifying the order of ports.

For instance, the Carnival Elation — which is currently in the middle of a five-day cruise — is skipping Half Moon Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas, adding in an extra day at sea and an extra day in Key West, Florida. The Carnival Conquest skipped a stop in the Dominican Republic for an extra day at sea.

Royal Caribbean, however, has changed the date for at least one cruise sailing out of Port Miami. The Empress of the Seas will now depart Friday instead of Thursday.

Port Canaveral has announced it will close by Wednesday afternoon, the first time the naval port has shut down operations since 2004.

Bus and Rail

Amtrak suspended passenger rail service through Friday between Miami and New York and the auto train between Lorton, Virginia, and Sanford, Florida. A line that normally runs from New York to Savannah, Georgia, only went as far south as Washington.

Transit Operations have also been affected by the storm. Broward County Transit will cancel all scheduled bus service and paratransit service for Thursday. The county said it will decide on what service will run on Friday and Thursday evening. 

In a matchup of two of the best starting pitching staffs in all of baseball, the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants will do battle beginning on Friday night in the National League Division Series.

Buoyed by stars like Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner, the Giants have made it this far because of their starting pitching. The Cubs are also the beneficiaries of some incredible work, as the three-headed monster of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, and Jake Arrieta helped make the team the best statistical rotation in the entire league this season.

So which team has the edge on the mound in this series? To answer that question, we’re breaking down each of the pitching matchups that we’ll see in the first four games of this series.

Game 1: Johnny Cueto vs. Jon Lester

Cueto historically has been an incredibly inconsistent postseason performer, with a 2-3 record and a 5.35 ERA in seven career playoff starts. He’s had some great games, including a complete game shutout during the 2015 World Series, but he’s also had some stinkers as well, including giving up eight earned runs in just two innings during a start in the American League Championship Series for the Royals.

On the other side of the matchup, Lester has been dominant not only at Wrigley Field, where he’s posted a 1.74 ERA and a 10-2 record this season, but during his career in the postseason. He has a 6-6 record, but his ERA is a sparkling 2.85 and he has a huge experience advantage over Cueto.

Edge: Lester

Game 2: Jeff Samardzija vs. Kyle Hendricks

Samardzija has just one postseason inning under his belt, which game as a member of the Cubs during a 2008 series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This season has been an up-and-down one for the hurler, as he’s posted a 12-11 record with a 3.81 ERA in 32 starts.

Lefties have hit Samardzija particularly hard this season, with a .272/.320/.461 slash line against him, so look for guys like Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist to get prominent placement in the team’s lineup for Game 2.

As for Hendricks, he doesn’t have a lot of postseason experience either, with just two starts under his belt, but his performance at Wrigley Field this season has been out of this world. He has a 9-2 record with a 1.32 ERA at the Friendly Confines this season, and this mark likely led Joe Maddon to tab him as the Game 2 starter.

Another reason for Hendricks’ presence as the second starter out of the blocks is the fact that he induces a lot of weak contact. That should benefit the Cubs greatly, as they had the best statistical defense in baseball this season according to Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), with a 73.7 in that category, a figure nearly double that of the Giants, who were in second place in the big leagues.  

Edge: Hendricks

Game 3: Jake Arrieta vs. Madison Bumgarner

In the highest-profile pitching matchup of the series, the Cubs will send Arrieta to the mound, where he hopes to continue his recent dominance in the state of California. According to Christopher Kamka of CSN Chicago, Arrieta has posted a 0.20 ERA in his last six starts in California, with 44 strikeouts and just nine walks in 45 innings of work.

Unfortunately for Arrieta, his struggles with command recently have put a bit of a damper on his season, and have led some to question whether he will be able to get the job done in the postseason. His overall numbers are solid, with an 18-8 record and a 3.10 ERA, but his walk rate has nearly doubled from a season ago, as he’s walking 3.5 batters per nine innings in 2016.

As for Bumgarner, it isn’t hyperbolic to put him among the greatest postseason pitchers in the history of baseball. In 15 playoff appearances, Bumgarner has an 8-3 record and a 1.94 ERA, including a four-hit shutout against the New York Mets in Wednesday’s wild card game.

The one good thing the Cubs can point to in their favor in this matchup is their performance against left-handed pitchers this season. The team hit .267 and slugged 59 home runs against southpaws, which both ranked as the second-best totals in the National League.

Edge: Bumgarner

Game 4: John Lackey vs. TBA (Likely Matt Moore)

One of the big reasons the Cubs signed Lackey was because of his postseason experience, as he has an 8-5 record and a 3.11 ERA in 23 playoff appearances in his career. One of those appearances came last season against the Cubs, as he bested Lester in Game 1 of the NLDS as a member of the Cardinals.

Lackey sets up well to best players like Buster Posey and Hunter Pence, as he has been particularly strong against right-handed hitters this season. He has limited righties to a .201 batting average and has struck out 113 right-handed batters in 2016.

The Giants have not set a starter for Game 4 of the series, but the assumption is that Moore will get the ball. He hasn’t been all that great so far this season, with a 4.08 ERA in 12 starts with the Giants, and one interesting tidbit to keep an eye on is his command, as his walk rate has ballooned to 4.2 per nine innings since he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this season.

Edge: Push

The day that Chicago Cubs fans have been waiting nearly a year for has arrived, as the team gets ready to get their postseason underway against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

The Cubs are considered to be the favorites to win the World Series title this season, but they’ll have to get through a tough Giants squad to move one step closer to that goal. The Giants have a penchant for dramatic October performances, as they’ve won nine straight playoff series and won two National League wild card games, including Wednesday’s 3-0 triumph over the New York Mets.

So how can the Cubs overcome a Giants squad this loaded with postseason experience? To answer that question, here are our Five Keys to Victory for the Northsiders in the National League Division Series.

Defend Home Field

One of the big advantages for the Cubs going into this series is that they won’t have to face October legend Madison Bumgarner until at least Game 3, as he pitched a complete game shutout against the Mets in the NL wild card game.

If the Cubs were to lose one of the first two games at Wrigley Field however, that advantage could quickly turn into a nightmare. Going up against a pitcher with a sub-2.00 career ERA in postseason play is hardly an advantageous position, and so the team would be well-advised to win the first two games of the series at the Friendly Confines.

Fortunately for the Cubs, they have two pitchers going in those games that are more than happy to pitch at the legendary stadium. Game 1 starter Jon Lester has posted a 10-2 record with a 1.74 ERA in his starts at Wrigley this season, and Game 2 starter Kyle Hendricks has been just as good, with a 9-2 record and a 1.32 ERA at home.

Strong Defense a Must

During the NLCS in 2015, the Cubs’ defense was a soft spot, as several key miscues helped the Mets to a series victory.

This season, the Cubs have not only been better on defense, but they’ve been historically good. According to the UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) metric employed by Fangraphs, the Cubs had the best defense in baseball by a wide margin, putting up staggering numbers and racking up the biggest margin of victory over the second-place team, with a 73.7 to their credit that far outpaced the Giants at 42.6.

A great deal of the credit for the Cubs’ success goes not only to their stalwart players like Jason Heyward and Addison Russell (who are both strong Gold Glove candidates) but also to the versatility of guys like Kris Bryant, who can play above-average defense at third base and left field, and Javier Baez, who is a Gold Glove-caliber defender at three different positions on the infield.

The Giants put the ball in play more than just about any team in baseball, so the Cubs’ defense will be tested early and often, and it will be critical that they be up to the challenge.

Back End of Bullpen Must Remain Strong

When the Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman before the trade deadline in July, they did so in order to shore up the back end of their bullpen and to give themselves a great insurance policy if their starting pitcher could only go six innings in a game.

As for late however, that insurance policy has looked a bit shakier than usual. Hector Rondon has had a worrisome lack of command after coming back from a triceps injury, surrendering seven earned runs in his last four appearances. Pedro Strop has been better, but he only has four appearances under his belt since returning from a knee injury, and questions about his health linger.

If those two pitchers can join Chapman as steadily effective, then the Cubs become incredibly difficult to beat, especially with how good and efficient their starting pitching has been this season. If they are shaky and unable to close out games, then things get a lot easier for the Giants in the series.

Get Into San Francisco’s Bullpen Early and Often

For as strong as the Cubs’ bullpen has been in the second half of the season, the Giants’ bullpen has been plagued with question marks. The team has been trying to find a steady closer for a while now, and their numbers overall this season aren’t much to behold, as their 3.65 bullpen ERA ranks ninth in the National League and is the worst among the teams remaining in the playoffs.

One of the things that has made the Cubs’ offense so good this season has been their ability to work counts and force pitchers out of games early on, and that will be crucial against the Giants. Their starting pitching is a strong suit, but their bullpen isn’t, and that is a matchup that the Cubs need to exploit.

Cubs’ Offense Needs to Remain Versatile

Along with their defensive issues during the NLCS last season, the Cubs’ offense also experienced a power outage, leaving them without the ability to manufacture runs against a tough pitching staff and expediting their exit from the postseason stage.

During the offseason, the Cubs addressed these issues by acquiring Ben Zobrist and bringing back Dexter Fowler, and the strategy has paid dividends for the team. Bryant and Anthony Rizzo each drove in over 100 RBI thanks to all the extra baserunners that they had on in front of them this season, and the team’s offense was able to thrive even when they weren’t driving the ball over the fence.

Going up against some of the pitching staffs that they would have to face in the postseason (including the Los Angeles Dodgers or Washington Nationals if they can advance past the first round), the Cubs are going to have to be able to score in a lot of ways, and the changes they made to their lineup should hopefully help them to do just that.

The Chicago Cubs are preparing to begin their postseason on Friday night when they host the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field, and on Friday morning they unveiled their 25-man playoff roster. 

Here are the names of the players who made the team for the first playoff series:

Catchers: Willson Contreras, Miguel Montero, David Ross

Infielders: Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Tommy La Stella, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist

Outfielders: Albert Almora Jr., Chris Coghlan, Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, Jorge Soler

Pitchers: Jake Arrieta, Aroldis Chapman, CJ Edwards, Justin Grimm, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Mike Montgomery, Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, Travis Wood

If the Cubs advance to the next round, they can tweak their roster, and it would appear likely that they would add at least one more pitcher to the mix, as the NLCS is a best-of-seven series rather than a best-of-five.

The Giants also named their roster on Friday morning:

Catchers: Trevor Brown, Buster Posey

Infielders: Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Conor Gillaspie, Eduardo Nunez, Joe Panik, Kelby Tomlinson

Outfielders: Gregor Blanco, Gorkys Hernandez, Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence, Denard Span

Pitchers: Ty Blach, Madison Bumgarner, Santiago Casilla, Johnny Cueto, George Kontos, Derek Law, Javier Lopez, Matt Moore, Sergio Romo, Jeff Samardzija, Will Smith, Hunter Strickland

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon steps off Sunday, bringing runners from around the world and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Chicago’s streets once again.

Featuring a slew of elite runners, few of which have recently withdrawn from the race, experts say a new champion could emerge from the crowd of talented athletes.

Last year, an estimated 1.7 million spectators lined the streets to cheer on more than 37,400 runners.

Conditions are expected to be sunny and mild as athletes hit the ground running in this year’s event.

Among the elite contenders are multiple past champions, including 2015 marathon winners Dickson Chumba and Florence Kiplagat, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Micah Kogo, Boston Marathon champion Atsede Baysa and debut marathoner and 8K world record holder Stephen Sambu, among others.

Additions to the elite field include Paul Lonyangata on the men's side and 2015 runner-up Yebrgual Melese, Meskerem Assefa, Purity Rionoripio and Visiline Jepkesho in the women's field.

The iconic event, which has generated millions for the city each year, is celebrating its 39th anniversary in the city.

The race will be broadcast on NBC 5 and live streamed on the NBC Chicago app beginning at 7 a.m. CT.

Runners will travel along the course that snakes through 29 neighborhoods in the city as they complete the 26.2-mile feat.

An investigation into the potential filing of fraudulent voter application information has expanded from nine Indiana counties to 56, police announced Friday. 

Indiana State Police said earlier this week detectives had obtained a search warrant for business offices of the Indiana Voter Registration Project in nine counties. On Friday, they announced the number of counties involved in the investigation had jumped to 56. 

The investigation into the Indiana Voter Registration Project began in August after allegations that fraudulent records may have been filed, possibly disenfranchising several voters.

With the investigation’s expansion, authorities believe the total of potentially fraudulent records “may be in the hundreds.”

Authorities said the investigation indicates the false information filed is a “combination of made up names and made up addresses, real names with made up or incorrect addresses and false dates of births with real names as well as combinations of all these examples.”

“Victims of the activities by some agents of the Indiana Voter Registration Project may not discover they have been disenfranchised from voting until they go to vote and realize their voting information has been altered,” state police said in a statement. “Such action may result in the citizen having to cast a provisional ballot.”

The investigation is “complex,” police said, and could take several more weeks, possibly even months, to complete.

News of the investigation's expansion precedes Tuesday's vice presidential debate, involving Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine. 

Voters are being urged to check their information and ensure they are properly registered at https://indianavoters.in.gov. If information listed on the site is inaccurate, potential victims should contact their local voter registration office and the 24-hour Indiana State Police Voter Registration Application Fraud tip line at (888) 603-3147.

The full list of counties includes:

1. Adams

2. Allen

3. Bartholomew

4. Benton

5. Blackford

6. Boone

7. Brown

8. Carroll

9. Cass

10. Clark

11. Clay

12. Clinton

13. Daviess

14. Dearborn

15. Decatur

16. DeKalb

17. Delaware

18. Dubois

19. Elkhart

20. Fayette

21. Floyd

22. Franklin

23. Fulton

24. Gibson

25. Grant

26. Greene

27. Hamilton

28. Hancock

29. Harrison

30. Hendricks

31. Henry

32. Howard

33. Huntington

34. Jackson

35. Jasper

36. Jay

37. Jefferson

38. Jennings

39. Johnson

40. Knox

41. Kosciusko

42. LaGrange

43. Lake

44. LaPorte

45. Lawrence

46. Madison

47. Marion

48. Marshall

49. Martin

50. Miami

51. Monroe

52. Montgomery

53. Morgan

54. Newton

55. Noble

56. Owen

The forecast for the Chicago Cubs' first postseason game Friday has its ups and downs – literally.

After a sunny and mild start to the day, things are expected to cool down at game time.

Temperatures at the start of the Friday night match are expected to dip into the 50s.

Fans will likely want to grab a sweater or an extra layer for the game, but rain jackets won’t be necessary.

After the city saw rainy and wet weather Thursday, conditions are set to stay dry.

The big question mark for the game will likely be the wind. With a windy and breezy afternoon set for the Chicago area, the winds could have an impact on batters.

Though gusts are expected to dip to anywhere from 5 to 15 mph at game time, coming from the northwest, they could impact the potential for home runs and increase the likelihood for foul balls.

The winds could also, however, send hits leaning foul along the third base line into fair territory.

The Cubs are set to take on the Giants at 8:15 p.m. at Wrigley Field Friday.

The Chicago Cubs may be the betting favorites to win the World Series this season, but at least one prominent prognosticator was quick to remind fans that it’s statistically unlikely that the team will break the Curse of the Billy Goat.

That statistics guru is Nate Silver of “Five Thirty Eight” fame, and his comments about the Cubs came during a Q&A appearance at Northwestern University on Thursday night.

During his speech, Silver was asked if the Cubs would win the World Series and whether Democrats would win back control of the United States Senate.

“The answer to one of these is no and the answer to the other is yes,” he said. “The best baseball team doesn’t win most of the time.” 

While Democrats are off celebrating in the other room, Cubs fans will have to face the sobering reality that Silver’s stance is based on statistical evidence.

The Cubs have a 42 percent chance of making the World Series (the highest among National League teams), and they do have a 26 percent chance of winning the Fall Classic according to Silver’s Five Thirty Eight modeling, but even that leaves a 74 percent chance that another team will take home the title.

There are many factors that have been cited as reasons for the low probability, including the randomness of the baseball playoff games and the fact that momentum can swing so quickly in short series, meaning that a small sample size rarely yields the same result as the much larger sample size of a 162-game season.

Even with all of that being said, the Cubs still have the best chance to win according to Silver’s models, even if it doesn’t mean that they have a higher probability that they won’t.

Commuters in the Chicago area have a lot going against them this weekend.

With the Cubs’ first games of the postseason being held at Wrigley Field, President Obama in town, Kanye West performing numerous weekend shows and the Chicago Marathon taking over more than 20 miles of the city, getting around certainly won’t be easy.

The first of the traffic woes firs began after President Obama arrived in the city just after noon.

After landing at O’Hare Airport in Air Force One, Obama then took Marine One to Soldier Field where he was expected to head to two Chicago events during the afternoon.

With his first event being on the North Side, commuters took to social media to report rolling closures in the area before 1 p.m.

Obama’s final event is expected to end during rush hour in the city, and whether he travels to his South Side home or heads to cast an early ballot or even travels elsewhere in the city (might he go to the evening Cubs game?), commuters can expect rolling closures wherever he goes.

The White House has confirmed that the president will stay in his Hyde Park residence overnight.

Additionally, Obama’s press secretary, Josh Earnest, was asked Wednesday if the president plans to attend either of the Chicago Cubs playoff games at Wrigley Field. Earnest didn’t explicitly respond to the question, but said the president is “looking forward to tracking their progress through the payoffs,” despite his allegiance to the White Sox.

Obama also announced Friday that he plans to cast an early ballot for the upcoming November election during his weekend trip, though it’s not clear which precinct he will go to.

Whichever option he chooses, there’s a strong chance Lake Shore Drive could see rolling closures during the evening rush hour as Cubs fans flock to Wrigley Field.

With Cubs fever hitting the city, and its roadways, there’s no doubt traffic, particularly in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood, will be on the rise.

The team will face the Giants in two night games this weekend in their first postseason series.

Officials are urging people to arrive at least two and a half hours before the game begins if they want to see the first pitch.

They’re also advising fans to use public transportation.

Fans can be dropped off or picked up by limousine and car services, including Uber and Lyft, Irving Park Road between Clark and Seminary (east of Clark).

The Chicago Transit Authority is advising fans to take the Red Line to the Addison station or the Sheridan stop just blocks from the park. Loop-bound Purple Line Express trains will also make stops at both of those stations during weeknight evening rush periods.

Yellow Line trains will operate from Howard to Skokie until midnight during night games as well. On Friday, the trains will continue until 1 a.m., however.

For a full list of parking restrictions click here. 

Travelers will also likely see increased traffic near the United Center and Allstate Arena as Kanye West is set to perform at both venues this weekend.

Finally, marking the final and arguably largest round of closures in the city this weekend is the Chicago Marathon.

Streets will close along the marathon route between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Oct. 9, reopening as soon as the final runners pass through (at a 15-minute mile pace). Click here for a full list of street closures.

It looks like the Chicago Bears will be without quarterback Jay Cutler for a third consecutive week, as he was listed as doubtful on the team’s final injury report on Friday.

Cutler, who suffered a thumb injury in a Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, did not practice all week as he continues to deal with the injury, and it would appear that Brian Hoyer will once again get the start when the Bears take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.

Running back Jeremy Langford and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman were also listed as doubtful with ankle injuries. Goldman hasn’t played since Week 2 of the season, and Langford missed last week’s game against the Detroit Lions. Will Sutton will likely play in place of Goldman in the middle of the Bears’ defensive line, and Jordan Howard should get another start out of the backfield.

Cornerback Deiondre’ Hall suffered an ankle injury during Thursday’s practice for the Bears, and the injury got worse on Friday, landing him among those players listed as “doubtful” for Sunday’s contest.

The Bears also had a slew of players listed as questionable for the game, including linebacker Danny Trevathan, who returned to the practice field this week after undergoing thumb surgery a few weeks ago. There is a possibility that he could play with the injury, but Bears fans will have to wait until game time to find out whether he’ll be suited up.

Wide receivers Eddie Royal (calf) and Alshon Jeffery (knee) were also listed as questionable, as were cornerbacks Sherrick McManis (hamstring) and Tracy Porter (knee).

Linebackers Leonard Floyd (calf) and Willie Young (knee/ankle) are also questionable. Charles Leno (illness), Ka’Deem Carey (hamstring), Zach Miller (ribs), Jonathan Bullard (shoulder), and Nick Kwiatkoski round out the long list of players who are question marks heading into Sunday’s contest.

Runners from more than 100 countries are expected to participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9. Many of these people and their supporters are turning to social media to post photos and express their emotions ahead of and during the event. The above mosaic shows social posts from people along the race course, overlaid on a Marathon photo. Were you there tweeting? Use the 'Find Yourself' tool to find your post or click on the faces to see posts by others.