Rockies defeat Cubs in NL wild card contest
Colorado prevails in epic 13-inning duel, advances to play Brewers in Division Series
Breaking down the National League wild card game between the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field: Rockies 2, Cubs 1, 13 innings:
The Rockies advance to the NLDS to face the Milwaukee Brewers in a bestof-five series starting Thursday.
The game: The Rockies survive to play another day.
In what turned into the longest sudden-death game in baseball history, it was Rockies backup catcher Tony Wolters coming through with the biggest hit of his career in the 13th inning, driving in the winning run to give Colorado a 2-1 lead.
“Our team’s been grinding, working our tails off,” said Wolters. “Did a great job getting this win... Got a changeup, went up the middle, it felt great.’’
Wolters says the club has been coming back all year, is ‘’dangerous.’’
The game, which was nearly five hours long (4:55), started out as a pitching duel between Rockies starter Kyle Freeland and Cubs veteran ace Jon Lester.
Lester was fantastic, striking out nine over six innings, but Freeland was even better. Freeland, who started on three days rest, kept the Cubs hitters at bay over 62/3 innings. At one point he retired 11 straight batters from the second to the fifth innings to hold a 1-0 lead.
Then the bullpens were summoned. A combined 13 relievers were used, with Kyle Hendricks earning the loss.
Hits and opportunities were at a minimum for the Cubs.
The Cubs had a chance to score in the bottom of the seventh, when Freeland was removed from the game. Reliever Adam Ottavino entered with two outs and a runner on first. His first pitch was wild, sending Albert Almora Jr. to second base. Catcher Willson Contreras drew a walk and Tommy La Stella reached first base on a catcher’s interference call. With the bases loaded trailing 1-0, pinch hitter Jason Heyward lived up to his postseason billing, striking out on a 2-2 pitch.
The Cubs mustered out a run in the eighth inning when shortstop Javier Baez drove in Terrance Gore with a game-tying double. Baez was 0-for-3 with a strikeout before that at-bat.
NL MVP candidate Nolan Arenado drove in the Rockies only run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning.
It’s the third time a wild-card 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 wild-card game, and Toronto defeated Baltimore in 11 innings to take the 2016 AL wildcard game.
State of the Rockies: The Rockies magical ride continues. After traveling nearly 2,600 miles since Game No. 162, Colorado won’t have too far to travel for the next round. Instead, they travel about 90 minutes north to Milwaukee for Game 1 of the NLDS against the Brewers on Thursday.
State of the Cubs: The Cubs, who were the most dominant team in the NL most of the season, exit the postseason early failing to live up to expectations. The Cubs will have a lot to discuss in the offseason, including the fate of manager Joe Maddon, who has one year remaining on his contract.
Pivot point: Terrance Gore, one of only four players with more stolen bases than plate appearances, was inserted as a pinch runner for Anthony Rizzo in the eighth inning. He immediately stole second without a throw from former Kansas City Royals teammate and catcher Drew Butera. That set up a game-tying RBI double by Javier Baez.
Man of the moment: Freeland, starting on short rest for the first time in the majors, was in complete control quieting the Wrigley crowd for much of the game. In his postseason debut, he allowed just four hits over 62/3 scoreless innings, striking out six batters. After allowing hits in the first and second inning, he sat down 11 consecutive batters only to earn a no decision.
What you missed on TV: The hug. In an awkward moment in the 11th inning, Javier Baez gave Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado a hug as he was be tagged out. The hug prevented any shot at potential double play, leading Rockies manager Bud Black to question the play.
(USA Today/TNS)