CHICAGO—Following the Cubs' first-round elimination from the playoffs, a stunned and confused Lou Piniella asked umpires and reporters to clarify the rules of division-series play, claiming he "could have sworn" that advancing to the NLCS involved losing three games as quickly as possible. "I thought we had the Diamondbacks right where we wanted them—we looked terrible out there, we had all the momentum on their side, and it seemed like the other team was practically trying to win," said Piniella, who claims he began getting suspicious before Game 3 due to the ease with which he lost the first two games. "Though, I guess when you think about it, this way makes lots more sense." Piniella promised that he would attempt to win the games in the NLDS next year should the Cubs amass the 90 losses needed to make it to the postseason.