Cubs' youth knocks out Cards to advance to NLCS
The Chicago Cubs are heading to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2003.
Powered by home runs from Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Kyle Schwarber, the Cubs eliminated the 100-win St. Louis Cardinals from the postseason Tuesday with a 6-4 win in Game 4 of the NLDS.
The victory at Wrigley Field marks the first time the Cubs have clinched a postseason series at home in their 139-year existence, and just the fourth time they've won a postseason series.
Top Performer: Starting in place of the injured Addison Russell, Javier Baez wasted no time bringing Wrigley to its feet. The 22-year-old blasted a three-run homer in the second inning and finished the night 2-for-3.
Starting Pitchers: Both managers kept their starters on short leashes, as neither John Lackey or Jason Hammel pitched past the third inning. After tossing 7 1/2 shutout innings in Game 1, Lackey was tagged for four runs and allowed a postseason homer for the first time in 74 2/3 innings.
Hammel allowed a two-run home run in the first inning, but helped his cause by collecting an RBI single in the Cubs' four-run second. Manager Joe Maddon used seven different relievers to close out the win. After striking out 13 in Game 3, Chicago's pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts in Game 4.
| Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lackey | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Hammel | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Turning Point: St. Louis scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4 and would have plated the go-ahead run if not for the arm of Jorge Soler. With two outs and a pair of runners in scoring position, Cardinals pinch hitter Brandon Moss drove in the tying run with a single to right field. Soler picked the ball up and fired a laser to home to nail Cardinals catcher Tony Cruz at the plate. The Cubs immediately answered back, with Schwarber belting the eventual winning run.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)
Up Next: The Cardinals' season is over while the Cubs await the winner of the New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers series. The NLCS gets underway Saturday, with left-hander Jon Lester the probable starter for Chicago.