Cubs knock out Cardinals in Wrigley party
Chicago moves on to NLCS • Dodgers pull even with Mets behind Kershaw's gritty performance
CHICAGO – The championship-starved fans danced in the aisles Tuesday at Wrigley Field, screamed until their lungs ached, clapped until their hands were raw and shook the joint with unadulterated joy.
The Chicago Cubs, those lovable losers of the past, are now the powerful winners of the present, knocking off their rival St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 and moving on to the National League Championship Series.
It was the first time in the 139-year history of the franchise that the Cubs clinched a playoff series at home, turning Wrigley into a love-fest.
The sellout crowd of 42,411, many standing for most of the game, refused to leave Wrigley for more than an hour after the game ended, trying to fully grasp what had just happened.
So the Cubs, who retreated momentarily to the clubhouse to celebrate, decided to take the party to them.
The entire team, wearing T-shirts that read, “Chicago Wants It More,’’ went back onto the field, spraying champagne on fans. Rookie sensation Kris Bryant jumped into Anthony Rizzo’s arms and skipped along the infield.
“I think we’re getting better at these celebrations,” Bryant said. “We’re learning in a hurry.”
It had been 12 years since the Cubs had even won a playoff game, and now they’re in the NLCS for the first time since 2003.
The Cubs, who will play the winner of the New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers NL Division Series, are four victories away from winning the pennant for the first time in 70 years, keeping the dream alive of winning their first World Series title since 1908.
This is a team that believed in itself since spring training and never stopped, winning 97 games. The Cubs might have finished third in the NL Central but they certainly proved they’re the best in the division, knocking off the Pittsburgh Pirates in the wild-card game and now the Cardinals.
It was almost a symbolic passing of the torch, rookie shortstop Addison Russell said.
“They’re the standard bearer,’’ manager Joe Maddon said, “so for us to be able to beat them really is important to us as a franchise, organization. They’ve done it for so many years. It’s kind of special to be able to beat a team of that magnitude.’’
The Cubs, with their loaded farm system and young talent, knew there’d be a day they would be kings of the division.
They just had no idea it would happen this quickly.
While the Cardinals clubhouse was quiet, streets outside Wrigley were packed with fans partying in the bars, falling back in love with a team that won 24 more games than a year ago, playing with four rookies in the starting lineup.
“I had to pinch myself, I was watching guys in Instructional League last year hit balls over the scoreboard,’’ said Cubs President Theo Epstein.
Yes, he was referring to the moon shot hit by rookie Kyle Schwarber in the seventh inning, clearing the right-field scoreboard.
This was supposed to happen next year. These Cubs didn’t wait.
“Obviously, times weren’t easy the last few years,’’ said Rizzo, who hit the go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, “but with all the talent we had, and all the talent we were building, everyone knew that the Cubs were coming.
“We’re here. Hopefully, we can keep this thing going.’’ (USA Today/TNS)
Dodgers 3, Mets 1
Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw, pitching on short rest, stymied New York to help his team stave off elimination and send the National League Division Series back West.
The victory leveled the series at 2-2 and set up a decisive Game 5 on Thursday with the winner advancing to the best-of-seven series against the Cubs. It also snapped a personal five-game postseason losing streak for three-time Cy Young Award winner Kershaw, who pitched seven innings and gave up one run on three hits, which was all the Mets could muster in the entire game.
Two relievers followed the big left-hander to the mound as Los Angeles’ pitching shut down a Mets’ attack that produced 13 runs on Monday.
“I felt good to get a win tonight. I definitely wanted to send this back to Los Angeles,” said Kershaw. “I just really wanted to push it.”
Los Angeles scored its runs in the third inning in a rally started by a single from Kershaw and keyed by an RBI-single by Adrian Gonzalez, followed by a two-run double by ex-Met Justin Turner off New York rookie starter Steven Matz.
Pitching on three days rest, one fewer than usual, following his Game 1 loss, Kershaw struck out eight and walked only one through 94 pitches, yielding his only run on a fourth-inning homer by Daniel Murphy.
Kershaw, who has a career regular season record of 114-56 with an ERA of 2.43, came into Tuesday’s game with a post-season record of 1-6 and a career ERA of 4.99, and left as the man who saved the Dodgers’ season, at least for the time being.
“I’m actually really happy for him,” said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. “This kid is tremendous. To see him be able to do that tonight on short rest is a really good feeling. I think a lot of those guys in our clubhouse feel the same way.”
New York threatened in the eighth, putting men on first and second with two outs after walks to Curtis Granderson and David Wright, before Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen got Murphy to fly out to right on a 3-2 pitch.
Zack Greinke, LA’s Game 2 winner and a Cy Young candidate, who went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA in the regular season, will take the mound in the series decider against the Mets’ Game 1 winner Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54).