THAT’S THEIR STORY
Cubs have played big part in writing World Series- or- bust script
As soon as the ball left his bat, Javy Baez didn’t stop running.
Baez shot a line drive into the gap in right- center field in the 12th inning Monday. As the ball rolled to the base of the ivy- covered wall, Baez slid headfirst into third base.
As the historic clock in center field inched closer to midnight, the Cubs once again proved time is of no consequence.
But just as it appeared the Cubs were on the verge of a come- frombehind victory, a perfect throw by Pirates left fielder Starling Marte nailed Baez at the plate. Baez also was thrown out at the plate on the back end of a double play to end the 10th.
The score remained tied into the 13th, when the Pirates took a 7- 6 lead on a sacrifice fly by Josh Harrison.
But the Cubs had one more rally up their sleeves in this summer of magic, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Anthony Rizzo and pinch hitter Miguel Montero to escape with an 8- 7 victory atWrigley Field.
The Cubs trailed 6- 3 after seven before forcing extra innings by scoring twice in the eighth and tying the score on a home run by Jorge Soler off Pirates closer Tony Watson with one out in the ninth.
It proved to be just the shot in the arm the Cubs needed and that their fans have come to expect in a season in which the Cubs have maintained the best record in baseball for much of the summer.
The rally came after Cubs starter Jake Arrieta allowed six runs and five hits in 6⅓ innings.
Arrieta, who had won his previous four starts, didn’t allow a hit in his first three innings. But after the Cubs staked the reigning Cy Young Award winner to a 3- 0 lead, Arrieta allowed a solo homer to Josh Bell in the fourth and a three- run homer to Gregory Polanco in the sixth before being charged with two more runs in the seventh.
A two- run homer by Willson Contreras in the eighth pulled the Cubs to 6- 5 and reinvigorated a crowd that had gone nearly silent after the Pirates had taken a threerun lead onHarrison’s two- run double off TravisWood in the seventh.
The Cubs threatened to draw even in the eighth after Baez doubled and reached third on a wild pitch. But after Bryant walked to extend the inning, Pirates reliever Neftali Feliz struck out Rizzo, who slammed his bat to the ground in disgust.