I watched the Cubs’ dream die quietly – almost.

They said Saturday night in Wrigley Field was a do or die game for the Cubbies, who were behind two games to one to Cleveland in the World Series. Not many teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in any best of seven match-up.

I was in Chicago and watched the highly underrated Indians sap the energy out of Wrigley by breaking open Game 4 and taking a late 7-1 lead. The jacked-up home crowd got quiet, but a distinct air acceptance filled the old ballpark instead of frustration and anger.

Guess the Cubs have been lovable losers for so long they ultimately have to prove something to their loyal following. You would think that getting to the World Series for the first time in 71 years wasn’t enough, having not won one since 1908. But it sure didn’t seem that way late Saturday as the crowd outside partied on into night. After all, Cubs fans have had a lot more practice losing.

They may have been resigned that the Indians were the better team or just playing and pitching better. Compare the two lineups and it’s hard to argue the point. Cleveland doesn’t get the same publicity as, say, Chicago and Boston, and one of its teams has to win something before it does – like the basketball Cavaliers. And now the Indians are on the brink despite the Game 5 loss Sunday night and the Cubs’ second and third starters lined up for the last two games.

The Cubs sluggers who led the team to 103 wins in the regular season don’t seem so lethal right now, getting shut out twice and struggling to score runs. Any team with Ben Zobrist, a good hitter but not a great hitter, batting clean-up can’t win the world championship. And the Cubs have been shaky in the field with errors and mental mistakes.

It’s okay, the fans seemed to be saying. We are a young team that will be back in the hunt next year. And GM Theo Epstein came close with the Red Sox before he got them over the hump and broke the Curse of the Bambino. The Cubs will have to raise their game considerably or the Billy Goat blasphemy will keep on going on.