Wrigley explodes in celebration
Past frustrations forgotten as club ends its 71-year Series drought
CHICAGO — Cursed by a billy goat, bedeviled by Bartman and crushed by decades of disappointment, the Chicago Cubs are at long last headed back to the World Series.
Kyle Hendricks outpitched Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras homered early and the Cubs won their first pennant since 1945, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 on Saturday night in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series.
The drought ended when closer Aroldis Chapmangot Yasiel Puig to ground into a double play, setting off a celebration inside Wrigley Field, outside the ballpark and all over the city.
Seeking their first crown since 1908, manager Joe Maddon’s team opens the World Series at Cleveland on Tuesday night. The Indians haven’t won it all since 1948 — Cleveland and the Cubs have the two longest title waits in the majors.
“This city deserves it so much,” Rizzo said. “We got four more big ones to go, but we’re going to enjoy this. We’re going to the World Series. I can’t even believe that.”
All-everything Javier Baez and pitcher Jon Lester shared the NLCS MVP. Baez hit .318, drove in five runs and made several sharp plays at second base.
“Just having fun,” Baez said. “Living my dream, playing like a little kid, moving everywhere, catching the ball and making plays.”
Lester, a former World Series champion in Boston, was 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against L.A.
“It’s been unbelievable to be here and be part of this,” Lester said. “Words can’t really describe where I’m at right now.”
Deemed World Series favorites since opening day, the Cubs topped the majors with 103 victories to win the NL Central, then beat San Francisco and Los Angeles in the playoffs.
The Cubs overcame a 2-1 deficit against the Dodgers.
Chicago had not earned a World Series trip since winning a doubleheader opener 4-3 at Pittsburgh on Sept. 29, 1945, to clinch the pennant on the next-to-last day of the season.
The eternal “wait till next year” is over. No more dwelling on a history of failure — the future is now.
“We’re too young. We don’t care about it,” slugger Kris Bryant said. “We don’t look into it. This is a new team, this is a completely different time of our lives. We’re enjoying it and our work’s just getting started.”
Hendricks pitched twohit ball for 71⁄3 innings. Chapman took over and closed with hitless relief, then threw both arms in the air as he was mobbed by teammates and coaches.
The crowd joined in, chanting and serenading their team.
The Cubs shook off back- to-back shutout losses early in this series by pounding the Dodgers for 23 runs to win the final three games.
And they were in no way overwhelmed by the moment Saturday, putting aside previous frustration.
Kershaw, dominant in a Game 2 shutout, gave up five runs and seven hits before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth.
Kershaw fell to 4-7 in the postseason overall.
“I think that the first thing I saw is the Cubs hitters, they had a great game plan tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.