Cubs on brink but know they have big ask against Cards

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Cubs, who have gone 107 years without a World Series title, are poised to clinch their National League Division Series on Tuesday but know they face a daunting challenge in the top-seeded St. Louis Cardinals. An electrifying display of hitting power helped the Cubs win Game Three 8-6 at Wrigley Field on Monday to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series against a formidable team who have reached the World Series in two of the last four years. "It's just difficult to finish off good teams," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said during a post-game news conference. "They (St. Louis) battled back in the ninth. We've done that all year. We've been behind a lot of times. We've battled back. "We totally expect that out of the Cardinals. A lot of their better record against us was early in the season, their ability to battle back against us in the latter part of a game. So you can take nothing for granted." The Cubs, who booked their place in the National League Division Series with a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a one-off wild card game last week, blasted six home runs on Monday to take control of Game Three. However, the Cardinals took a lot of satisfaction from the way they kept fighting back, epitomized by a two-run homer from Stephen Piscotty in the top of the ninth that cut the deficit to 8-6. "I thought we took some good approaches against their whole staff," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. "Just felt that we were able to come back and we got within a couple there. "I liked the way the guys are competing. I like our odds when our backs are against the wall. This is the kind of team that we've had all season long, regardless of what anybody else thinks ... regardless of who we're stacked up against. "This team just continues to fight, and that's not something that you lose regardless of where you stand, and I'm excited to watch them come out and compete." (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)