Cubs Rally In Ninth For 6-5, Come-From-Behind Win Over Giants, Advance To NLCS

by Pablo MenaOctober 12, 2016, 2:57 pmNews, Z-Home Slider >

After every game, the Chicago Cubs’ mantra is “We never quit.” They scream it together and repeat it over and over again.

Cubs Rally In Ninth For 6-5, Come-From-Behind Win Over Giants, Advance To NLCS

On Tuesday night, they had a reason to celebrate something that spirit of perseverance had given them: the feat of advancing to the National League Championship Series for the second consecutive year, something that caused the Cubs to be nicknamed the “October giant.”

After being shut down by Matt Moore for eight innings– during which he threw 120 pitches– the Cubs rallied against the San Francisco Giants’ exhausted bullpen for an impressive four-run ninth inning and a 6-5 victory at AT&T Park to win the best-of-five series, 3-1.

Chicago will next advance to Game 1 of the NLCS, set for Saturday at Wrigley Field against the winner of the Nationals/Dodgers series.

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The Cubs finished with the best record in the Majors, although their fans clearly want more: Chicago has not won a World Series since 1908.

“Any time you can survive like that against an October giant like that — it’s hard to finish any team in the postseason, let alone a team with that kind of character and pedigree,” said Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, who was drenched in champagne after being soaked in the post-game celebration.

The Cubs’ comeback was the largest in playoff-series clinching history. By erasing a three-run deficit against five different relievers, Chicago tied the New York Mets’ feat in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 NLCS, when the Mets rallied to tie the Astros with three in the ninth and went on to win the NL pennant with three runs in the 16th, holding off Houston in a 7-6 victory.

“I wasn’t worried, it’s just that we weren’t ourselves for eight innings,” Epstein said. “We weren’t having the kind of at-bats we normally have and that wasn’t us. … I believe in our guys, but it just was not a great feeling that weren’t playing our kind of ball.

“Hitting before the ninth inning is overrated anyways,” he added with a laugh. “It’s about doing it when it matters, I guess.”

The game also marked the Giants’ first loss in a postseason series under manager Bruce Bochy, and ended their streak of 10 straight victories in playoff elimination games.

While the Cubs began celebrating for getting one step closer to ending their 107-year title drought, the Giants were left crushed after witnessing an opponent eliminate them from the playoffs on their own field, a first for many of their players.

“It kind of sucks,” said shortstop Brandon Crawford. “Not the way anybody wants to go out, not the way anybody wants to end the season. Especially with a lead in the ninth it’s kind of a punch to the gut.”

Moore handed the Giants’ bullpen a 5-2 lead with eight strong innings, holding the Cubs to two hits with 10 strikeouts.

Down 5-2 in the ninth, Kris Bryant singled to lead off against the first of five Giants pitchers Bochy used. Anthony Rizzo then walked, and Ben Zobrist delivered a key RBI double. Chris Coghlan was on deck to pinch-hit, but the Giants answered with Will Smith, and the Cubs countered with rookie Wilson Contreras, who blasted a two-run single to tie the score at 5.

Jason Heyward reached on a fielder’s choice and Javier Baez hit an RBI single for the game-winner. Aroldis Chapman picked up his third save in four games, and then the celebration began.

“[We did it] in a really difficult environment against a team that hasn’t lost a closeout game in a while,” manager Joe Maddon said. “All that stuff matters. All that matters is that we continue to move forward and establish this identity as being a team that plays well in the postseason.

“Give our guys credit. They’re young, and people don’t understand, they’re young and inexperienced, too. To be able to do what we’ve done is pretty special.”

David Ross extended his retirement party another day. Making his second start of the series, the 39-year-old catcher led off the Cubs’ third with a home run to tie the score at 1. It was his second career postseason homer, and he became the oldest player in Cubs history to homer in a postseason game. Moises Alou had that distinction when he homered in the 2003 NLCS at the age of 37.

“To come back from three down against a really good ballclub says a lot about the character of this group that I’ve known about all year … It’s an amazing group and it’s fun for me to be a part of,” Ross said on FS1.

Cubs left-hander Jon Lester, who threw eight shutout innings in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Giants, will open the NL Championship Series on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 11: Jason Heyward #22 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates with Anthony Rizzo #44 after scoring the go ahead run on a RBI single by Javier Baez #9 in the eighth inning of Game Four of their National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on October 11, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)