After being shut out Friday, the Chicago Cubs rode a five-run second inning to a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the National League Division Series to even things at one game apiece Saturday.
Jorge Soler provided the big blast in the second, hitting a two-run home run to Busch Stadium's center field, but Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia opened the door for that inning before that.
Soler, who got the start in right field because Kyle Schwarber struggles against left-handed pitching, rewarded manager Joe Maddon's confidence by reaching base in all four of his plate appearances (2-for-2 with the home run, a double and a pair of walks).
Maddon told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune after Game 1 that he wasn't necessarily committing to playing the 23-year-old.
"It's possible," Maddon said. "His attitude has been fabulous. He has been staying ready. He has been a great teammate. He knows what's at stake. You'll see him out there at some point."
Given the mind games Maddon likes to play—there are few managers you would expect to have consecutive hitters bunt, for example—it's safe to say the Cubs manager was being coy in that situation.
Making his first postseason appearance since 2012, Garcia's five runs allowed were all unearned. He did have the biggest blunder of the game with an errant throw to first base after opposing pitcher Kyle Hendricks' safety squeeze in the top of the second inning, though.
Garcia came off the mound, looked to first base, then looked to home plate—where Austin Jackson would have been out with a good throw—and finally made a flat-footed toss to first base that sailed wide. Addison Russell followed with another safety squeeze, and Dexter Fowler hit an infield single to give Chicago a 3-1 lead.
Soler's home run followed for a 5-1 advantage.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com noted that Garcia didn't have many days like this during the regular season:
Soler's homer was also an anomaly for Garcia this season. Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com noted the southpaw had given up only one long ball in his last 71.2 innings.
Trevor Cahill was another key piece for the Cubs in Game 2 and could be critical moving forward. The right-hander signed a minor league deal with the team in August, posted a 2.11 ERA in 11 regular-season outings and tossed an eight-pitch eighth inning with two strikeouts Saturday.
The win snapped a long streak for the Cubs, as Bruce Levine of 670 The Score in Chicago noted:
Perhaps this means that pesky 107-year streak without a World Series title will end for the Cubs, who have fate on their side thanks to Back to the Future Part II.
The sad part for St. Louis is the game started wonderfully. Garcia worked a quick first inning, and Matt Carpenter then led off the bottom half of the frame with a solo homer.
This is a game the Cardinals will look back on if the series doesn't go in their favor, because their pitching staff was charged with one earned run.
Cardinals communications coordinator Chris Tunno pointed out the bad luck that Garcia seems to have when it comes to poor defensive games in the playoffs:
Kolten Wong made an errant throw on a potential double-play ball immediately before Garcia had his big blunder, so there were plenty of opportunities for the Cardinals to get out of the inning with no more than one run having crossed the plate.
The Cardinals did try to make a comeback, getting back-to-back homers from Wong and Randal Grichuk in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-3, but that was as good as things would get.
However, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Wong's homer did help him tie a Major League Baseball record:
According to the Cardinals' official Twitter account, Carpenter joined Lou Brock and Fernando Vina as the only players in franchise history to hit a leadoff homer in a postseason game.
The victory was huge for the Cubs, and not just because they'll head back home with the series tied. Ace Jake Arrieta, who has given up a total of four earned runs in his last 13 starts, including the NL Wild Card Game shutout against Pittsburgh, will take the mound in Game 3.
In fact, as Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post noted, Arrieta and Cahill can form a good Cubs sales team:
One positive for the Cardinals was that Adam Wainwright was terrific out of the bullpen, striking out three without allowing a baserunner in 1.2 innings. He's not going to be able to start a game in this series, but manager Mike Matheny could begin to stretch him out for two- or three-inning stints.
The Cardinals will have an excellent starter in Michael Wacha going Monday at Wrigley Field, but no one on the planet is pitching at the same level as Arrieta right now. St. Louis' 100-win regular season earned it home-field advantage, but the Cubs have turned the tables.
After hitting a low point less than 24 hours ago, the Cubs have the series right where they want it. The possible National League Cy Young winner will be on the mound next, and—if it gets that far—Jon Lester will be fully rested for Game 5.
Post-Game Reaction
Since the early bunting turned out to be the story of the game, it's only fitting that Maddon would address it during his postgame press conference.
Per 670 The Score, the manager praised his former bench coach in Tampa Bay, Don Zimmer, for the success of small-ball tactics:
Maddon, likely speaking from experience, also had a message for the people out there rooting for his team, via 670 The Score:
This is a special season for the Cubs, who won 97 games for the first time since 2008, and these kinds of years don't happen often. Even with a terrific young nucleus in place for the future, all that matters is this moment.
Speaking with all the confidence one would expect after the win, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo anticipates this is the team's last trip to St. Louis in 2015, via 670 The Score:
Matheny has his back up against the wall, though he's starting to play things close to the chest for Game 4, via 670 The Score:
Lance Lynn is the scheduled starter for that game, but a lot will likely depend on whether or not the Cardinals are facing elimination.
The ball is certainly in the Cubs' court. Heads were hanging after Game 1, but there isn't a better 180 than taking advantage of opportunities St. Louis gives you and knowing what is lurking in the shadows roughly 48 hours from now.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments