NEWSLETTER
I am driving to Chicago right now, so I had to pull off to do this box score. I showed surprising confidence in the Cubs by exiting the highway before the 9th inning was over – never had a doubt in you, Wade Davis.
The Cubs came back from an early 2-0 deficit today to end – FINALLY – a six-game losing streak, and against the best possible team to do it.
Although he allowed those two early runs (including a leadoff homer to Dexter Fowler, who’d just received his World Series ring), John Lackey was very good today on a tough day to pitch. Hopefully he gets plenty of credit.
Kris Bryant homered and Jason Heyward doubled to get the Cubs back into the game by the time the 6th inning rolled around. But it looked like the Cubs had missed a golden opportunity to pull ahead with the bases loaded and one out after they’d tied things up. After some managerial maneuvering, Joe Maddon sent up Jon Jay to get some contact. He did, but it was of the double play variety.
Things took a terrifying turn in the 8th inning when Carl Edwards Jr. couldn’t find the strike zone, and Maddon elected to turn to Pedro Strop with the bases loaded to face Yadier Molina. If there was ever a perfect storm of “bad narrative,” that was it … but Strop got Molina swinging, and the Cubs were out of the jam.
They took the lead in the bottom of the 8th thanks primarily to baserunning from Anthony Rizzo, who hustled for a double, took third on the throw after a grounder to third base, and then scored on a Jason Heyward sac fly.
