Take your sweep and shove it.
Whatever happens tomorrow and beyond, right now we know: there will be a Game Five.
Jake Arrieta stepped up with a fantastic performance when the Cubs needed it most, showing us something we haven’t seen since August. From there, Brian Duensing got a key match-up out, and Wade Davis came on for the final two innings. He gave up the obligatory homer to Justin Turner, but thankfully finished things off after 48 pitches.
A ridiculous moment in a very long 8th inning led to a little extra work for Davis and Joe Maddon getting ejected. Davis struck out Curtis Granderson – quite clearly – but then, after Granderson protested, the home plate umpire conferred with the rest of the crew to overturn the strikeout and call a foul ball. Which it was not. Clearly. More on that tomorrow.
Thankfully, that didn’t factor into the final outcome, but it was ugly.
Offensively, the Cubs got their runs – as they have all series – from homers, with a MONSTER shot from Willson Contreras, and two from Javy Baez, who finally broke out.
The Cubs live to fight another day, and there’ll be a lot more to say about this one … as we prepare for a Game Five.