Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
In uneven win, it’s Rizzo to rescue for ’16 champs
CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo looped a tiebreaking single with two outs in the eighth inning and the Cubs overcame Max Scherzer’s brilliant performance to beat the Nationals 2-1 on Monday for a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series.
Scherzer was dominant in his return from a right hamstring injury, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh. But just like in Game 1, when the Cubs were held hitless into the sixth by Stephen Strasburg, the defending World Series champions showed their resilience on the way to victory.
Game 4 of the best-offive series is Tuesday. Jake Arrieta returns from his own hamstring injury for the Cubs, while Tanner Roark gets the ball for the Nationals.
“We’ve got to attack. We’ve got to be in attack mode,” Rizzo said.
“There’s no relaxing just because we’re up in the series.”
The Cubs committed four errors, including two by left fielder Kyle Schwarber on one ugly play, and Rizzo and Jason Heyward each made uncharacteristic baserunning mistakes. But the Cubs got a huge pinch-hit RBI single from Albert Almora Jr. and a solid pitching performance from Jose Quintana in the return of postseason baseball to Wrigley Field after last year’s World Series ended in Cleveland.
“We made mistakes,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We made some errors, but then we made some great plays.”
All-Star closer Wade Davis retired three in a row for his second save of the series.
Scherzer struck out seven RESULTS, SCHEDULE Cubs 3, Nationals 0 Nationals 6, Cubs 3 Cubs 2, Nationals 1 at Cubs 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, TBS at Nationals TBD Thursday, TBS and walked three before he was pulled after Ben Zobrist doubled to leftcenter on his 98th pitch for the Cubs’ first hit with one out in the seventh.
With the Nationals clinging to a 1-0 lead, manager Dusty Baker opted for left-hander Sammy Solis, who had a 5.88 ERA during the regular season, and Maddon countered by sending Almora to hit for the lefty-batting Schwarber.
Mark this one down for Maddon.
Almora lined a 3-2 pitch into left-center against reliever Sammy Solis for his first career postseason hit in 15 at-bats.