Cubs win NL Division Series, beat Cardinals 6-4 in Game 4

After an exchange of leads and short starts, the Cubs and Cardinals were tied at 4 midway through the sixth.

Another Chicago Cubs win, another huge performance from a rookie.

“This is all just baseball fantasy, right?” a drenched chairman Tom Ricketts said.

“We gave it our all, they gave it their all”.

Schwarber then began the seventh with his third homer of the series, and the Cubs were well on their way to clinching a postseason series at Wrigley for the first time.

The Cubs celebrated in late September after clinching a wild-card berth.

“I tried everything”, Molina said. In fact, Piscotty hit his third home run of the postseason in the first inning Tuesday.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon applauded the gritty display of his relievers after they shut down the Cardinals over the final three innings.

As the music blared and the strobe lights flashed in the clubhouse, Cubs players and coaches soaked each other.

“We’re a bazooka arm in right field away from taking the lead right there”, said Adam Wainwright, who made an impressive return from an Achilles injury to pitch out of the bullpen in the playoffs.

Next up is the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Cubs on the road for Game 1 on Saturday.

Chicago took an early 4-2 lead and Cardinals’ right-hander John Lackey was removed after the third inning. Chicago C Miguel Montero credits the presence of retired big-leaguer Manny Ramirez with aiding the Cubs young Latin players. It’s going to be one long winter for Yadier Molina and the team that led the majors with 100 wins.

“They had two lefties that made us pay, and that really is the difference in the game”, Matheny said.

The banged-up Cardinals had reached the NLCS in the last four years. “There was considerable weakness in his thumb”, manager Mike Matheny said.

Rizzo’s solo drive to right off losing pitcher Kevin Siegrist in the sixth put Chicago back on top 5-4 after St. Louis scored two in the top half.

Siegrist (0-1) allowed two runs on two hits – solo homers to Rizzo and left fielder Kyle Schwarber – in 1 2/3 innings. The ball landed on top of the right-field videoboard and wound up nestled against a railing on the front edge.

The Cubs then took control with a four-run second inning.

Again, the Cubs’ offense responded.

Hector Rondon closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth inning, striking out three and allowing just a two-out single to Matt Carpenter. He exited after giving up a leadoff walk to Jhonny Peralta in the fourth. He surrendered two earned on three hits and three walks.

Lackey gave up four runs and four hits over three innings after outpitching former teammate Lester in a dominant series opener.

“I definitely think the ballpark had something to do with this”.

“So with that being said, we have all the faith in the world that Tony Cruz can get the job done, and tonight necessarily wasn’t on him, of course, and we don’t say that things would have been different had we had someone else in there”.

Cruz’s clutch double got St. Louis within one in the sixth, but he was cut down at home by outfielder Jorge Soler when he tried to score on Brandon Moss’ tying RBI single.

“I will be shocked if they’re not in the World Series or winning it”, Piscotty said. “But you’ve got to know the Cardinals never quit… and they’re going to fight until the last out”.

The Cubs are headed to their fourth NLCS…. Cruz started in his place. Cubs SS Addison Russell, who left Monday’s game due to left hamstring tightness, did not play Tuesday. “I haven’t gotten any finalized conclusions from anybody yet”, Maddon said. Baez took Russell’s spot.