Cubs’ postseason run hanging in the balance vs. Rockies
After missing out on winning the National League Central title despite possessing a five-game lead with four weeks left in the regular season, manager Joe Maddon knows the objective remains singular in the Cubs community.
“It’s always disappointing when you don’t reach your ultimate goal, which it should be on an annual basis, and that’s to play the last game of the season and win it,” Maddon said Tuesday night before their National League wild-card game against the Rockies. “Even the last two years — well, getting to the NL Championship Series three consecutive years, the two that we did not go to the World Series, we consider them disappointments.
So whenever you lose a game before you get to play that last game of the year and win it, you’re normally disappointed when you go home.”
But despite the continued struggles of their offense, the Cubs rallied to tie the Rockies 1-1 in the eighth inning when Anthony Rizzo singled with two outs and pinch-runner Terrance Gore stole second and scored on Javier Baez double to center. The winner will travel to Milwaukee on Thursday to meet the Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Division series.
The Cubs’ frustrations reached a low in the seventh when they loaded the bases on a catcher’s interference call on Drew Butera after it appeared pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella grounded out. But reliever Adam Ottavino, who hurled a wild pitch and walked Willson Contreras, struck out Jason Heyward on a 97 mph sinker to end the threat.
The Cubs, who scored one or zero runs in 39 games during the regular season, continued their feeble results against second-year left-hander Kyle Freeland, who showed no signs of fatigue while pitching on three days’ rest.
Ben Zobrist and Albert Almora Jr. led off the first two innings with singles but couldn’t advance thanks to Freeland’s craftiness.
Freeland received some help from center fielder Charlie Blackmon, who sprinted to the gap in right-center to rob Conteras of an extra-base hit that would have scored Almora.
After Almora’s hit, Freeland carved up the Cubs’ batters by jamming them with cut fastballs and altering the tempo of his windup on occasion.
Freeland jammed Kris Bryant on a soft pop to second to end the third, and he did the same with Anthony Rizzo on a grounder to short to open the fourth.
The Cubs fell behind early for the third straight game, and the damage could have been worse had it not been for the sharpness of Jon Lester’s curveball.
Lester didn’t appear happy with the perceived tiny strike zone of home plate umpire Chris Guccione that resulted in a leadoff walk to Blackmon, and Lester fell behind again before DJ LeMahieu ripped a drive to the gap in left-center.
The Cubs received a brief reprieve when the ball rolled inside the ivy for a ground rule double. But Nolan Arenado followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Rockies ahead.
Lester proceeded to lean more on his curve on the outside corner to strike out Trevor Story and Matt Holliday to end the first. Lester retired 17 of the next 19 batters after the double to LeMahieu until Trevor Story doubled to left center. But Lester rebounded quickly by striking out Holliday on his 86th and final pitch and responding with a yell and fist pump.
Lester lowered his postseason ERA to 2.51 in 154 innings, but the lack of offense caused Maddon to pull him for a pinch-hitter.
Ian Happ displayed one of his best at-bats of the season by laying off borderline pitches and fouling off an 88-mph cut fastball that resulted in the first walk Freeland allowed to start the sixth.
With one out, Bryant hit a towering fly that drifted toward the right field line. David Dahl sprinted but overran the ball for what was generously ruled a single that moved the tying run to second.
But Freeland showed no signs of weakness when he induced Rizzo to ground into an inning-ending double play that silenced a once-energetic crowd.
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