Dodgers give the ball to Chad Billingsley

Chicago, in turn, is counting on a strong start by Carlos Zambrano at Wrigley Field to offset its 7-2 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday night and even the best-of-five series.

The Cubs won the National League's Central Division with the best record in the league, and are trying to end the team's 100-year history of not winning the World Series.

But as fans arrived at Wrigley on a crisp, fall evening for Game 2, Chicago infielder Mark DeRosa said the Cubs needed to avoid putting "undue pressure" on themselves.

"I felt like that's what we did last night," he said. "We fell behind 4-2 . . . [and] you felt like everyone was trying to do it by themselves.

"I just think we need to relax a little bit and let our offense flow."

It won't be easy, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said.

"My feel is there's more pressure on the home team" in postseason series, "based on the fact that you should win, it's your home, you've done well," he said.

The teams move to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 on Saturday and, if needed, a fourth game Sunday. But Torre again declined to say whether he would bring back Game 1 winner Derek Lowe to pitch Game 4.

"We don't know if there's going to be a Game 4," Torre said. "I'm still superstitious in that regard to name a Game 4 starter before I knew there was going to be one."

james.peltz@latimes.com