(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh).
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The Chicago Cubs are division champions for the first time since 2008. With one on and two down, Scooter Gennett smacked a home run to right off Lackey, putting the Brewers on top, 4-2. Boston is two games ahead of Baltimore and Toronto going into Friday’s games. After stumbling into the All-Star break, the Cubs pulled away with a 22-6 August that turned the NL Central race into a mere formality.
“So much of it begins in camp, ” Maddon said, “and the spring forward approach always works”.
The Cubs became the first major league team to clinch their division when St. Louis lost at San Francisco late Thursday night. The Cubs ultimately fell to the Brew Crew, 5-4; but the Giants did their part, topping the Redbirds 6-2 and sending the fans outside of Wrigleyville who stuck around to hear the West Coast results into fits of joy. Maddon worked with the front office to put together a winning combination that has dominated all year long. Broxton’s incredible second half resurgence brought his season-long line to.242/.354/.430 with 9 home runs and 23 steals (109 wRC+) in 244 plate appearances along with terrific center field defense.
Elsewhere, the Washington Nationals need only six more wins to wrap up NL East after a 7-2 defeat of the Atlanta Braves, while the New York Mets kept one hand on a wild card position with a 3-0 defeat of the Minnesota Twins. “I don’t know. We’re just going to get after it. We believe in this team”.
Chris Coghlan had three hits for the Cubs, including an RBI single that sparked the ninth-inning rally.
Brewers starter Chase Anderson cruised through the first four innings, allowing only a single and pair of walks.
The benches for both teams emptied in the seventh inning after Atlanta reliever Jose Ramirez threw inside to Miami ace Jose Fernandez, who had been knocked to the ground by a pitch from Teheran (5-10) in the fifth. It has not been a bad year of baseball for Chicago to say the very least. They went right back to work and came from behind for Friday’s win. Addison Russell hit an infield single to tie the game at 4 apiece.
Blake Treinen pitched the eighth and Mark Melancon got three outs for his 42 save. “I’m ready”, said Mike Medina, a lifelong Cubs fan. “This is only the beginning”. Josh Donaldson returned to the Blue Jays’ starting lineup as the designated hitter after missing the past three games because of a jammed right hip. He struck out swinging as a pinch hitter in the ninth.
“I felt good. I’d like to have that fourth inning back”, Montgomery said. It was unclear when the injury occurred. He drove a first-pitch fastball far out to left-center, a 437-foot drive that showed how far the lanky rookie can hit the ball.
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Manager Joe Maddon rested several of his regulars, including MVP candidates Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, Russell, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward. The Cubs were eliminated in the National League Championship Series in 2015. Jake Arrieta (3.83 DRA, 2.91 ERA) gets the start opposite the Brewers’ Zach Davies (3.47, 3.87, still one misspelled first name).
