Tense right down to the final moment. It’s September all right.
… er, I mean, NEVER HAD A DOUBT, BABY.
The Cubs got a taste of life without their closer (who was filling in for their other closer) in this one, with Jaime Garcia and Jorge De La Rosa – wow – pitching the final two innings to hold the Cubs’ one-run lead. This month is gonna be something.
That lead came in the 7th inning, courtesy of a three-run Ian Happ homer, the Cubs’ only runs of the game. They missed a whole lot of opportunities earlier in the game, and still look like a group of guys who need a break for lots of reasons. But a win is a win. And, hey, no one got hurt!
Cole Hamels pitched well again, with the only blip a fourth inning that saw him give up back-to-back solo homers, and then get into some serious trouble. His defense helped him get into that trouble, but then helped him get out of it unscathed. Obviously that wound up being huge.