CHICAGO -- Its October in an even-numbered year, and the San Francisco Giants appear to be following their usual routine. The Chicago Cubs think their time is now.Welcome to one intriguing NL Division Series.Fresh off a dramatic wild-card victory in New York, the Giants were brimming with confidence when they arrived in Chicago on Thursday, albeit a bit late due to travel problems. Madison Bumgarners four-hitter in Wednesday nights 3-0 victory against the Mets means he likely is pushed back until at least Game 3, but the Giants have 18-game winner Johnny Cueto ready to go for Friday nights series opener at Wrigley Field.San Francisco stumbled in the second half of the season, then closed with five wins in six games to hold onto the second NL wild card. The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, and manager Bruce Bochy and company feel this is their part of the calendar- again.The moment wont bother these guys, Bochy said.The Giants sustained success is exactly what the Cubs are hoping to string together. It has been 108 years since the North Siders last won the World Series in 1908 -- a number that will chase them around for as long as they stick around in this years playoffs -- but the Cubs made it to the NL Championship Series in 2015 and led the majors with 103 wins this season.With a deep rotation and young sluggers in Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs are positioned to challenge for titles for years to come. They want to start right now, and the Giants are standing in their way.Every year theyre in it. Every year theyre contending. Every year they have a chance to win the World Series, said left-hander Jon Lester, who will start Game 1 for the Cubs. So I think thats what every team wants, not just us. I think theyre an organization that a lot of teams look after to figure out how, why, how to get to that point.Its a model of consistency. Its impressive to see what they do.The Cubs clinched the NL Central title way back on Sept. 15, giving them a couple weeks to rest a few bumps and bruises and get their pitching staff ready for the playoffs. Even manager Joe Maddon is interested to see how they respond after four days off.Yeah, were going to find out, Maddon said. I thought we handled the last couple days well.One of the key moments in Chicagos run to a wild card last season was a four-game sweep of San Francisco in August. If this years seven-game season series is any indication of what the playoffs will look like, get ready for a string of tight, low-scoring matchups.The final five games were decided by one run, including Chicago taking three of four at home last month. The Cubs won four times and outscored the Giants 23-17 this year, but one of their wins was an 8-1 victory.Weve got our work cut out for us, said Jake Arrieta, who likely will match up with Bumgarner in Game 3. Weve had a nice amount of time off. Now its going to be nice to get back on the field and playing some meaningful games.Cueto made one start against Chicago this year, pitching seven solid innings in a no-decision on Sept. 4. The right-hander, who helped Kansas City win the World Series last season, is very familiar with the Cubs and Wrigley Field after spending the first 7 1/2 years of his major league career with Cincinnati.I like to pitch when its a sold-out crowd with everybody cheering for me or against me, and that kind of motivates me, Cueto said through a translator.Lester had one of his worst starts of the year at San Francisco on May 21, lasting just 2 2/3 innings in a 5-3 loss. He responded with five consecutive wins and went 15-2 with a 2.38 ERA in his final 23 starts.After Lester makes his 17th career postseason appearance, major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks gets the ball in Game 2, followed by Arrieta and John Lackey. The Giants had not set their series rotation, but Jeff Samardzija could pitch on Saturday night against the team that gave him his start in the majors.The status of All-Star Eduardo Nunez also was unclear. Nunez missed the wild-card win with a strained right hamstring, and Conor Gillaspie delivered in his absence with a three-run homer in the ninth -- just another example of San Franciscos even-year magic.Can he start tomorrow? No, Bochy said while providing an update on Nunezs status. But its a five-game series, if we think he can help coming off the bench, maybe start the back end of this series then we probably would activate him.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Cheap Detroit Pistons Jerseys . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Wholesale Pistons Jerseys . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed. http://www.cheappistonsjerseys.com/ .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Khyri Thomas Jersey . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Cheap NBA Jerseys . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. VERMILLION, S.D. -- Matt Mooney and Tyler Flack scored 18 points apiece and South Dakota held off a late Montana rally to beat the Grizzlies 72-67 on Sunday.Mooneys free throw put the Coyotes up 62-54 with 6 minutes left before Montana went on 13-6 run and closed to 68-67 on a pair of Walter Wright free throws with 2:13 remaining.Trey Burch-Manning and Mooney both added a free throw for South Dakota (6-2) to push the lead to three with 33 seconds to go. Brandon Gfeller missed a 3-point attempt and Mooney added two ffree throws for the final margin.ddddddddddddMooney finished 8 for 10 from the free throw line.South Dakota led 36-28 at halftime. Montana committed 26 personal fouls.Jared Samuelson led Montana with 12 points, making all five shots from the field and a pair of free throws. Montana (1-6) finished a nearly two-week road trip after playing in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Oxford, Mississippi. ' ' '