We deserve the avalanche of incredible moments we’ve received in the last two years, right? Just think about what we as Cubs fans have gotten to experience, starting right there in the first week of 2015 with that Dexter Fowler home run in the 9th inning in Colorado. We are repeatedly treated to HUGE moments in HUGE games, and I can’t help but feel like we’re being paid back for so many years of, well, not having that.
May these moments last at least just a few more weeks …
More coming on some of the big plays last night, and of course the decision to pull Jon Lester, so these Bullets will get into the many other things.
Last night’s win was special for so many reasons – obviously, right? I mean, you saw that game, right? – but I keep thinking about last year’s NLCS, and how deeply disappointing that ending was for what felt like such a special 2015 season. Having now won this first game of the NLCS in 2016 feels so important. I’m not saying it’s the satisfying conclusion to the season, of course. But it’s stamp on a different year for the Cubs, and an announcement that this team is not that team. Beating the 2016 Cubs now in four of the next six games is going to be extremely difficult. Possible. But extremely difficult.
[adinserter block=”1″]
Last night’s was also the Cubs’ first NLCS win since 2003, which, setting aside the haunting final images of that season, is a great year to remember, and to think about how special it is to be playing meaningful games deep into October. Only four teams are left playing, and the Cubs are now up 1-0 in their playoff series. I can enjoy that today, in isolation from everything else that came before and that follows.
I can explain it away this time, but it’s only fair to note: once again, when Aroldis Chapman entered the game in a non-standard save situation, it didn’t work out for the Cubs. By my rough count, every time (except twice, I believe) Chapman has entered a game for the Chicago Cubs in a situation other than a typical 9th inning save, it has not worked out. The guy has been essentially perfect in standard save situations, but when it’s the 8th inning, or coming into the middle of an inning, or trying to extend a game in extra innings, it simply hasn’t work out. When you look at each one of those moments, though, it’s not like they aren’t understandable. Take last night, for example. Any pitcher entering a game with the bases loaded and nobody out is going to have trouble getting out of it. For Chapman, he got two strikeouts, gave up a single, and got a groundout. That’s a perfectly fine inning. But because of the situation, it resulted in the two game-tying runs. Is it really fair to say it was a bad performance? Or that it was the wrong call to bring him in? I can’t argue with it.
That Joe Maddon held Hector Rondon in abeyance for the 9th inning as the 7th and 8th innings were playing out probably says something about his confidence in Rondon after a well-discussed rough couple months to end the season. I’m just not sure what, specifically, it says. On the one hand, once Aroldis Chapman came into the game in the 8th inning – after Rondon was not used – it was clear that, if there was any further trouble or (as it played out) a long bottom of the 8th, Rondon was going to have to handle the 9th. On the other hand, there were probably chances to bring Rondon in earlier in the 8th inning, but Maddon went with Pedro Strop and then Chapman. I really don’t know what we can take from it, but I can say that the questions we had coming into the playoffs still haven’t really been answered yet. Consider that Rondon gave up a run in his inning of work and didn’t strike anyone out, but, with a five-run lead and the wind howling out, he had one job: pump strikes. Ultimately, the two hits he gave up were an infield bouncer and a hard double. He got his outs via a standard grounded and then a rocket line drive that turned into a double play. The velocity was great, but the location was only so-so. Once again with him, it’s so difficult to judge the performance because of the situation.
[adinserter block=”2″]
There was quite a bit of managerial gamesmanship in advance of the Montero grand slam, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts electing to intentionally walk Jason Heyward with the lead run on second in order to get to Javy Baez (which worked out), and then intentionally walking Chris Coghlan to load the bases for Montero and force Aroldis Chapman out of the game (which did not work out). Even Montero did not expect that Joe Blanton would stay in the game once Montero was announced, but Roberts didn’t want to bring in a lefty and then have to face Willson Contreras. So he stuck with Blanton, and Montero stuck one in the bleachers.
From Montero on that grand slam (Cubs.com): “Obviously, after the first pitch, I’m looking something middle, middle in, and he threw me that slider. It was a really good pitch to hit, and I missed it. And in my mind, I was like, ‘oh, my God, I missed that.’ That was a perfect pitch to hit. But you have to step out of the box and just pull yourself together and try – all I was trying to do was get a base hit. Don’t strike out right here. Get a good pitch and try to put the ball in play and make something happen. But to be honest, in the back of my head, I was like, ‘I want that slider back,’ because it was such a good pitch to hit. And I guess he heard me because he threw it back, and luckily I hit the ball pretty good.” Give me the slider, give me the slider, give me the slider …
As I said, we’ll have much more on some of the biggest moments from last night’s game in separate discussions, but I wanted to point out an early play that probably won’t get a ton of attention, what with the other craziness. It was the truly terrible send on Kenta Maeda’s base hit to left field, with Adrian Gonzalez chugging from second:
Your browser does not support iframes.
Ben Zobrist fields that ball in shallow left field at the same time Gonzalez reaches third base. Unless there’s a bobble or a brutally bad throw, Gonzalez is going to be out by a mile. And, while Zobrist doesn’t have the strongest outfield arm, you can bet he’s a guy who is going to make an accurate throw in that situation. Gonzalez was toast, and the Cubs kept their early lead.
Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here.
Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.
With a lefty Marlins starter on the mound this afternoon, Nico Hoerner lead off today's game for the Chicago Cubs. And he did it in style, ripping a leadoff double to the left-center field wall, before coming into score a...
*The Cubs were rained out yesterday, but today? Today, we've got a Friday 1:20 start at Wrigley Field, and that means all is right in the world. Before you take a look at the Cubs lineup against Miami, check out...
Happy Friday! Well, for everyone except for the pilots who were supposed to be manning the Colorado Rockies flight last week but instead allowed a member of the Rockies coaching staff to hop in the pilot's seat for a fun...
Justin Steele, arguably the single most irreplaceable player on the Chicago Cubs 2024 roster, went down with a hamstring injury just 4.2 innings into his Opening Day start against the Rangers on March 28. In his place, the Cubs sixth...
If you do this job long enough, it's really wild to see the range of topics that can somehow become attached to sports. That is to say, I did not envision myself at some point writing about flight safety, cockpit...
The Iowa Cubs were rained out, but the rest of the farm was in action, and so was Kevin Alcántara, who picked up four hits and now has seven in his last three games as he breaks out of an...
Well, the rain stole one from us yesterday, which is a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, the bullpen gets an extra day of rest (on top of the day Hayden Wesneski bought them). But on the flip...
The Chicago Cubs are against theft. Of bases: https://twitter.com/codifybaseball/status/1781046629103231339 The Chicago Cubs this year have stolen just three bases, the fewest in all of baseball. Dansby Swanson has stolen two bases, Nick Madrigal has stolen one. That's it. I don't...
Even with tonight's rainout, the Chicago Cubs are still making some roster moves. When Patrick Wisdom was removed (perfectly healthy) from the I-Cubs game in the 4th inning on Wednesday, we had an idea of what was coming next. When...
The weather wasn't going to cooperate for Jameson Taillon's season debut, and tonight's Cubs-Marlins tilt has been postponed. The game will instead be part of a split-doubleheader this Saturday, with the first game at 1:20pm CT and the second at...
With a lefty Marlins starter on the mound this afternoon, Nico Hoerner lead off today's game for the Chicago Cubs. And he did it in style, ripping a leadoff double to the left-center field wall, before coming into score a...
The Toronto Blue Jays (10-9) and Daulton Varsho (2 HR in his last game) are favored (-112) on the moneyline for their matchup with the San Diego Padres (11-10) on Friday at 9:40 PM ET on SDPA.Toronto's Yariel Rodriguez gets...
Jung Hoo Lee will look to extend his 10-game hitting streak when the San Francisco Giants (9-11) take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (9-11). The Giants are listed as -130 favorites on the moneyline for the contest, which starts at 10:15...
The New York Mets (10-8) will vie for their fifth straight victory when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers (12-9) on Friday at 10:10 PM ET on MLB Network. The Dodgers are listed as -201 favorites to stop the streak,...
The New Orleans Pelicans play the Sacramento Kings at 9:30 PM ET on Friday, in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this matchup requires just one make from Jonas Valančiūnas.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds...
To beat his 3-point prop, Brandon Ingram must make two from beyond the arc on Friday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament, tipping off at 9:30 PM ET.Brandon Ingram's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...
On Friday at 9:30 PM ET, the New Orleans Pelicans meet the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and CJ McCollum's 3-pointer over/under for this clash requires four treys.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the KingsCJ McCollum's over/under for...
At 9:30 PM ET on Friday, in the NBA Play-In Tournament, it'll be the Sacramento Kings against the New Orleans Pelicans -- with Domantas Sabonis needing to score just once from beyond the arc to beat his 3-pointer prop.Domantas Sabonis'...
De'Aaron Fox must make three 3-pointers to beat his over/under when the Sacramento Kings play the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday at 9:30 PM ET, in the NBA Play-In Tournament.De'Aaron Fox's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDe'Aaron Fox's over/under for...
Justin Steele, arguably the single most irreplaceable player on the Chicago Cubs 2024 roster, went down with a hamstring injury just 4.2 innings into his Opening Day start against the Rangers on March 28. In his place, the Cubs sixth...
NEWSLETTER
We deserve the avalanche of incredible moments we’ve received in the last two years, right? Just think about what we as Cubs fans have gotten to experience, starting right there in the first week of 2015 with that Dexter Fowler home run in the 9th inning in Colorado. We are repeatedly treated to HUGE moments in HUGE games, and I can’t help but feel like we’re being paid back for so many years of, well, not having that.
