The Cubs took down the Cardinals and advanced to the National League Championship Series with Tuesday’s 6-4 victory at Wrigley Field. Joe Maddon’s team was able to celebrate winning a post-season series at Wrigley Field for the first time in franchise history.
The Cubs outplayed the Cardinals in three straight games to take the series. The Cubs have lost only one time since Sept. 28.
The Cubs hit nine home runs in two days that accounted for 13 of the 14 runs the team scored off the Cardinals pitching staff. Seven different players hit longballs in games three and four with both Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber going deep twice.
The Cubs bullpen really stepped up and Joe Maddon pushed all of the right buttons. The pen allowed four runs in two days covering 9 1/3 innings on seven hits with a walk and 17 strikeouts.
Tuesday’s Game 4 victory over the Cardinals was a team effort. Jason Hammel, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber drove in runs and Maddon used all but one of the pitchers he had available.
Jason Hammel drove in the first run of the game with a two-out single to center that plated Starlin Castro. And Hammel kept the inning going and John Lackey on the ropes.
Javier Baez stepped in for his first at bat and gave the Cubs a 4-2 lead with a long homer to right field, a three-run shot.
The Cardinals tied the game in the sixth with back-to-back hits from Tony Cruz and Brandon Moss. But if not for Jorge Soler throwing a strike to Miguel Montero and nailing Cruz to end the inning, the game might have had a different ending. Soler’s throw was overlooked as one of the biggest plays in the game.
Anthony Rizzo delivered what would end up being the game winner in the bottom of the sixth. A solo homer to right on a 0-2 pitch with two down in the inning.
Kyle Schwarber as it turns out called his home run. There is no way he could have called the mammoth homer he hit leading off the seventh.
Here are the three home runs with Pat Hughes’ calls mixed in the audio.
And Schwarber admitted he called his home run.
Kris Bryant showed off his wheels in the eighth with a leadoff triple. Bryant became the third youngest player in franchise history to triple in a post-season game.
Pat Hughes calling the final out as only the Voice of the Chicago Cubs can …
And Joe Maddon addressed his team advancing in the post-season.
The Cubs await the winner of the Dodgers-Mets series. The Dodgers won on Tuesday night and forced a Game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night (7:00pm CDT).
The Cubs open the National League Championship Series on Saturday at either Dodger Stadium or Citi Field.