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

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.

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.”