The question now is whether the Cubs will be able to break a curse that has left them out of the World Series since 1908, which is the last time they won a playoff series.
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“But we’re going to celebrate this”, he added as his fellow Cubs players, coaches and executives got into champagne-soaked party mode – both in the clubhouse and out on the field.
Asked who will be the next hero for the Cubs, Maddon said during the victory celebration: “Stay tuned, man. They’ve all been playing, they are all part of the ownership group here”. “We just have to continue to play like we play and more exciting things will come”.
Chicago will face the victor of the Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Mets matchup.
With two outs in the sixth, Rizzo, who went 2-for-4, sent an 0-2 pitch from left-handed reliever Kevin Siegrist to the right field bleachers for a 5-4 Cubs lead. He clubbed a two-run homer in the first inning, his third of the postseason.
Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber did the heavy lifting Tuesday as each came up with very big home runs and the bullpen did the rest to give their their fans what so many have been dreaming about for so long. The long ball was used heavily in Game 4 last night as well and there is no question that their power bats can help carry them in the postseason against high caliber teams. It was the first postseason home run Lackey had allowed in eight years and 74 innings.
In 2012, the Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Game and then knocked off the Washington Nationals in the NLDS. The victor will host the Cubs on Saturday. He exited after giving up a leadoff walk to Jhonny Peralta in the fourth. Piscotty, who made his major league debut on July 21, also hit a two-run homer in the Cardinals’ 8-6 loss on Monday night. “There’s no time to hope and wish that you’re going to win the game”.
Hammel singled on a line drive to center field for Starlin Castro to score in the bottom of the second before shortstop Baez blasted a three-run homer over the right fence for the Cubs to lead 4-2. An inning later, Kyle Schwarber struck a monstrous home run that landed on the right-field video scoreboard.
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Knowing if they can get a split in the first two games on the road, they can close out the series in three straight games in Wrigley is a wonderful position for this talented team. The reigning NL MVP and Cy Young Award victor was 1-6 with a 4.99 ERA for his postseason career entering this start.
