They will probably just have to make that trek without several guys who earned one, two or even all three of those previous championship rings. “And you like to think that you’re going to hold on and we’re headed to Chicago“. As far as we’ve seen, there’s been little to no drama.
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Chicago – Best in the majors this season, the Chicago Cubs cleared their first big October hurdle. They even would have some personal context as the 1984 Cubs had the same thing happen to them in the playoffs.
Scherzer (20-7, 2.96 ERA) lasted only six innings and lost Game 1 after giving up home runs to Corey Seager and Justin Turner.
But on Tuesday, two truths bubbled to the top of this cauldron.
The spotlight that was shined on the club’s shaky bullpen in the season-ending loss to the Chicago Cubs blinded Giants fans to a greater truth. And the Cubs were baseball’s best team for a reason.
Maybe it would have, if the Giants had at least a competent, high-school level quality of relief pitching. Especially now that they ended the Giants’ run of three straight even-year World Series wins in the most improbable of fashions. Not that anyone would mention Chicago’s collapse five outs shy of the World Series in the 2003 NLCS against the Marlins, when he was the Cubs’ manager.
After eight innings, the Giants appeared on the verge of tying the best-of-five Division Series against the Cubs. He had done his job and then some.
Meanwhile, the Cubs’ bullpen continued to struggle. There was parts of the last series that pushed for both, really. But the Cubs have taught fans that the game is never truly over until the final out, and the ninth-inning rally began with a single to leadoff hitter Kris Bryant. No thanks. We can all speculate what would have happened in a potential game five, but for our own sanity, it’s best to forget about it. Fans are exhausted of the same old thing from the Cubs, and this team is determined as ever to achieve the ultimate goal.
Tuesday’s shocking win gave the Cubs a brief break while two teams vye for the lower-seed in the NLCS. First came right-hander Derek Law to face the right-handed-hitting Bryant.
Hector Rondon (rahn-DOHN’) worked a scoreless eighth to pick up the win. They scored runs, Matt Moore threw the ball well and got out of jams. He came into the at-bat 0 for 13. He missed 2 1/2 months with a mildly herniated disk in his back. The Cubs went to the ninth trailing 6-3.
Javier Lopez owns four World Series rings, three with the Giants, while Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo have three apiece. That’s because the Dodgers have forced a fifth and deciding game in their division series by downing the Washington Nationals, 6-5 in Los Angeles. It didn’t take long. Ben Zobrist smacked an RBI double and rookie Willson Contreras tied the game with a two-run pinch-hit single, clapping his hands as he ran to first base. It’s not almost as quick as the Blackhawks pulled off their moment, but then again when is anything fast with the Cubs. A red-hot Johnny Cueto twice in one series? I am drooling about a match-up of managers, Terry Francona (Indians) and Joe Maddon (Cubs).
Suddenly, all the good work the Giants did was unraveling. Mike Clevinger will likely start Game 4 but will pitch only a few innings.
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With their backs up against the wall, the Cubs mounted a rally and delivered, much like the Red Sox did in 2004. Now they are eliminated in absolutely absurd fashion.
