ANTHONY SCORES 13 AS ROCKETS WIN PRESEASON OPENER
CHICAGO — Tony Wolters hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the 13th inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Tuesday night in an epic NL wild-card game.
Wolters, a reserve catcher who entered as part of a double switch in the bottom of the 12th, came up with runners at the corners and drove in Trevor Story with a liner back up the middle off Kyle Hendricks, quieting the Wrigley Field crowd of 40,151 on a crisp fall night.
Colorado heads to Milwaukee to open a best-offive Division Series against the NL Central champion Brewers on Thursday.
Scott Oberg, the sixth Colorado pitcher, fanned Kris Bryant for the final out of the 12th and then struck out the side in the 13th to end the longest postseason game in Wrigley Field history. Terrance Gore tried to sell that he was hit by a pitch, but was sent back to the plate after a review confirmed the initial call.
Javier Baez hit a tying double for the Cubs off reliever Adam Ottavino with two outs in the eighth inning Tuesday night.
Colorado lefthander Kyle Freeland pitched four-hit ball over 62⁄3 scoreless innings on short rest in his playoff debut.
Nolan Arenado had a sacrifice fly in the first against Jon Lester, who gave up four hits in six innings.
Cole Hamels, normally a starter, threw two shutout innings of relief for Chicago. Hendricks, also a starter, got the final two outs in the top of the 12th.
It’s the third time a wildcard game has gone to extra innings, and the home team won the previous two. Kansas City beat Oakland in 12 innings in the 2014 AL wildcard game, and Toronto defeated Baltimore in 11 innings to take the 2016 AL wild-card game.
Baez walked leading off the 11th against Seunghwan Oh and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Albert Almora. Daniel Murphy was intentionally walked, and Baez got tagged out by Arenado on Willson Contreras’ grounder to third.
As Arenado applied the tag in the middle of the basepath between second and third, Baez wrapped his arms around him. Arenado smiled and patted him rather than try a throw to first.
Chris Rusin then retired pinch-hitter Victor Caratini on a grounder to first to end the inning.
The Cubs broke through in the eighth after Anthony Rizzo singled with two outs. Gore, who entered as a pinch-runner, stole second before Baez hit a line drive to left-center on an 0-2 pitch from Ottavino.