Levine: Joe Maddon Doesn't Place Extra Weight On Cubs' Series With Mets

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With the Cubs losing eight straight games to the New York Mets, you might think that extra emphasis would be put on the three-game series that started Monday evening at Wrigley Field.

Yet that's not how Chicago is preparing, according to manager Joe Maddon.

"I will honestly tell you straight up, I never want to put any extra weight on any particular game," Maddon said. "The concept which we try to put forth from spring training on is I want to play the same game on March 15 that we did on June 15 or October 15."

The Mets made the Cubs look bad just two weeks ago in taking four straight at Citi Field in Queens. Two blowouts and two one-run games were a part of the convincing New York victories. That followed last year's NLCS, in which the Mets swept the Cubs in four games to advance to the World Series.

The mind games may start for some people, but not for Maddon and his club.

"You never want to work with that dimmer switch," Maddon said, using a light fixture analogy. "Definitely not with an on-and-off switch. You don't want it raised and lowered by the competition. Every game counts. Today coming in to play (the Mets), I did not feel any different. In our game, it is hard to utilize emotion a positive way on a daily basis. I always prefer this balanced approach. My phrase has always been not to try and apply any more weight to any particular game."

Not all the Cubs players view the series the way Maddon does. Closer Hector Rondon feels the team needs to establish itself on its home field against a formidable Mets team that entered Monday at 49-42.

"Right now we want to focus on playing way better than we did in New York," Rondon said. "Last year during the season, we beat them seven straight times. They beat us in those playoffs. When we went to New York (recently), they really beat us up. So I feel we really need to win in this series. We need to get over the hump and know we can beat them again."

The Cubs (55-36) took two of three games from a quality Rangers team over the weekend. So is this too a a big series to get up for? In a way, Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist said.

"It's the middle of the year," Zobrist said. "They are a good team, we are a good team. So it's a good series. We were thinking the same way when we went to New York and they beat us four straight. When you consider yourself a good team all of the time, I don't think it matters as much."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.