Cubs' offense goes cold in Miami; Prior, Wood scheduled for starts

As quickly as it appeared, Chicago's offense disappeared.
MIAMI (AP) -- After waiting all year for their offense to get on a roll, the Chicago Cubs thought it had finally arrived. And with perfect timing, no less.
They hit .299 in the first four games of the NL championship series, and had an NLCS-record 10 home runs. They outscored the Florida Marlins 33-19 as they took a 3-1 lead, one game shy of their first World Series appearance since 1945.
"You hang around long enough," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said before Game 5, "you're going to get hot sooner or later."
Not so fast.
As quickly as it appeared, Chicago's offense disappeared.
No disappointment
"When we came down here, our whole goal was to make sure we had the opportunity to play in Chicago," first baseman Eric Karros said. "We came down here and we've got the opportunity to play in Chicago. We'll go from there."
And Chicago has to like its odds. The series is going back to Wrigley Field, and Mark Prior will start Game 6 on Tuesday night. Prior is 12-1 with a 1.55 ERA in 13 starts since returning from the disabled list Aug. 4, and he's already won two postseason games.
When he started this year, the Cubs went 21-9.
If Prior falters, the Cubs will go with Kerry Wood in Game 7. Wood who is 5-0 over his last six starts, including two playoff wins against the Atlanta Braves.
Wood held the Braves, the NL's top-hitting team, to just three runs and seven hits in two division series games. When the Cubs needed to win Game 5 to advance to the NLCS, Wood got the job done.
"Yeah, we feel confident with those guys on the mound," Baker said. "Especially after the loss. Mark Prior's record after a loss has been outstanding."
Prior was 9-2 in 17 starts after a Cubs loss during the regular season. He's 2-0 after a loss in the postseason.
"We've got two games, we've got to win one," said Matt Clement, who won Game 4. "For them to get through us, they've got to beat our best."
Odds favor Cubs
And for once, the Cubs have history on their side. Since the NLCS went to a seven-game format in 1985, eight of the nine teams that took a 3-1 lead advanced to the World Series.
"We're not hanging our heads now because we ended up losing the ball game," hitting coach Gary Matthews said. "We need another game."
But Prior -- and maybe Wood -- can't do it on their own. They're going to need some help from the Cubs offense.
After scoring in bunches the first four games, the Cubs had trouble just getting on base against Beckett. The Marlins starter allowed only three baserunners, and none got past first. Chicago didn't have a hit until Alex Gonzalez's two-out single to right-center in the fifth.
"We came to a tough park, and won two out of three," Sammy Sosa said. "Now we're going back home, and we have to step forward."