Brewers crash Cubs party with 5-4 win at Wrigley Field

Chicago – The Milwaukee Brewers lost a tough game to the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon but that’s not why the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field was a somber place afterward. Jorge Soler smacked a two-run shot for Chicago.

Now that the Chicago Cubs have “backed in” to the Major League Baseball playoffs, who are the other teams to get in as the race for October heats up?

It wasn’t pretty, and there wasn’t any champagne, but the Chicago Cubs managed to secure a post-season birth Thursday night.

Wrigley Field was empty when Matt Adams made the final out on the West Coast, yet a loud cheer went up in the neighborhood around the iconic ballpark and several people honked their vehicle horns.

The Chicago Cubs tried to throw a party.

Johnny Cueto pitched a five-hitter and helped his own cause with a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game series. “This is just the first step”. “We have much larger baseball fish to fry in our skillet”. Brew Crew starter Chase Anderson allowed two runs over six frames before Carlos Torres gave up two in the 9th to blow a 4-2 lead with Blaine Boyer served up a walk off homer in the 9th to absorb the loss. He should be back in full-go for spring training, ready to produce once again on a regular basis for the Cubs.

They held a double-digit lead over the division for the majority of the season, including a 17-game lead going into Thursday night’s action. Led by MVP candidates Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo and a ridiculously deep pitching staff, the Cubs began the day with the best record in baseball at 93-53. It’s their first NL Central crown since 2008. But in the meantime, they weren’t taking the NL Central title for granted.

It is 108 years since Chicago last won the World Series in 1908, a drought the Cubs hope to end this year. “We’ll have a lot more celebrating going on after the game today”.

“We made a deal with the guys that we’d go out there the day after we won the division”, a grinning Epstein said, “and then in case something went really wrong in the game I thought it might be good to be disguised out there”. “That’s the part that I have kind of been downpaying – but it’s har to wrap my mind around it that you get it done that soon”.

While Epstein wouldn’t comment on the specifics of the Cubs’ postseason roster, it’s unlikely that anything outside the realm of player health will affect those decisions.

Tampa Bay has won three straight, including the last two of a three-game series in Toronto.

The Cubs are your 2016 National League Central Division champions, finally ending the Cardinals’ reign. “So I’m definitely going to enjoy it as much as I can and take it all in”, said Cubs catcher David Ross, who is retiring this year.

BOSTON – Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to finish off a five-run rally as Boston came back to beat NY and open a two-game lead in the AL East.

Justin Grimm (1-1) replaced Montgomery in the seventh and the Brewers put runners on first and third with one out. After a Coghlan single to lead off the fifth, Almora launched a 3-2 fastball into the first few rows of the left-field bleachers.

“If you have a good enough regular season, it’s time to play for what really matters”.

Thornburg also worked the ninth for his 10th save in 15 chances.

“It’s just how well he executes a game plan”, Lester said. “Obviously with where they’re at, there was great energy in the park tonight”. Counsell would like to get Blazek into some games before the end of the season, but said there’s no rush. “Regardless, we have to come back [Friday] and win the ballgame”. His manager Joe Maddon sounds like he’s a believer. “It’s not far off”.