Chicago Cubs: Mere Two Game Cushion Keeps Fans Weary

After losing their third game in a row Saturday, the Chicago Cubs seem to be in an offensive tailspin. Unfortunately for them, the St. Louis Cardinals have hit a July heat wave as far as their offense is concerned, winning their last four ballgames.

Is it too early to start panicking if you are a Cubs fan? Probably. After all, this team put up the best offensive numbers out of any NL team, by far. That said, though, the Cardinals aren't the only ones to fear for a potential NL Central or NL Wild Card race.

The two-headed pitching monster of Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia has coupled with a dynamic offense led by All-Stars Ryan Braun and Corey Hart to find themselves just three games behind the Cubbies.

It's been covered in a ton of articles, not only on Bleacher Report, but media outlets everywhere, one team in the NL Central is going to be awfully disappointed at the end of the season. The division currently holds the three best records in the NL, and one of those teams will not see the playoffs.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella expressed his concern after a 4-1 loss to the Houston Astros this weekend, stating that the offense is utterly stagnant and it's certainly not helping that Kosuke Fukudome can't get a bat on the ball.

The NL-best Cubs have managed to plate just four runs in their last three games, consequently losing them all.

Even as a diehard Cardinals fan, I am not ready to put aside the Cubs as possible World Series favorites, especially looking at their production in the first half of the season. But I do think that if the Cardinals and Brewers continue to swing the bats and toss effective outings, that the end of the season may be very interesting.

Luckily for the Cubbies, surprising star Ryan Dempster will take the mound, looking to stop the post-All-Star break bleeding. Dempster is trying to start a new line of success for the Cubs, and it might just happen today against Brandon Backe.