You knew the Cubs had more of this in them.
Despite being shut out in two straight games by left-handed starting pitchers, the bats came alive in a huge way in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series on Wednesday.
A 10-run outburst over a three-inning stretch lifted the Cubs to a 10-2 win and a 2-2 series tie, allowing Chicago fans to breathe a bit easier knowing the series will return to Wrigley Field for at least one game.
Now it’s essentially a three-game series; Game 5 is Thursday in Los Angeles.
3 UP
#AddisonMuscle
Cubs shortstop Addison Russell had been terrible at the plate this postseason, to the tune of 1-for-24 entering Wednesday. He cranked out arguably the Cubs’ most important hit of the night, a two-run home run in the fourth to give them a 4-0 lead. Russell’s blast opened the floodgates for the team’s offensive explosion, which included a homer and three RBIs from the also-struggling Anthony Rizzo. Russell finished with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Nice.
Let’s play tag
David Ross isn’t the only Cubs catcher whom opposing base runners should fear. In the first inning, Willson Contreras caught the Dodgers’ Justin Turner straying too far off second base with a laser of a pickoff throw. (Kudos to Russell on his acrobatic tag, too.) In the next inning, Adrian Gonzalez tried to score on a single to right field. Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward made a below average throw, but Contreras gathered the ball on one hop before lunging to tag out Gonzalez to keep the game scoreless. Most impressive. Now, if he could only stop committing catcher’s interference; Wednesday saw his second offense this postseason.
Speaking of hashtags …
#PitchersWhoRake is back! Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery singled in the sixth inning, only the second hit of his major league career. He also picked up the win on the mound, becoming the third relief pitcher to pull off that double. The first to do it was the legendary Nolan Ryan in 1969, who had two hits for the Mets in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Braves. That’s good company, even if Montgomery goes hitless for the rest of his career.
3 DOWN
Accept it, dude
Gonzalez did not take getting thrown out that the plate all that well. He gave Cubs catcher Willson Contreras the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag after he was called out at home. Not cool, man. Yes, it was a close call and he might have been called safe had the umpire made that call in the first place, but that’s not gonna bode well for your pitchers from here on out. Hopefully umpiring crew chief Gary Cederstrom put Gonzalez in his place during their discussion between innings.
Maybe go old school, Joe?
Joe Maddon couldn’t get his stylus to work on his iPad to work on Wednesday. This can be a big problem for the Cubs manager, seeing as that’s what he uses to make out his lineup every day—sometimes there are several drafts. According to Fox Sports 1 announcer Joe Buck, Maddon was on with tech support for an hour and a half. You know what never needs tech support? Pen and paper.
Feel better, Carl
Perhaps the lone dark cloud hanging over the Cubs’ rousing victory was the fact that relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. had to leave the game in the seventh inning because his left hamstring tightened up. Tough break for the 25-year-old, who has not given up a run this postseason. Hopefully he heals quickly.
NLCS: CUBS VS. DODGERS
Series tied 2-2 (all games on Fox Sports 1)
Game 1: Cubs 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Dodgers 1, Cubs 0
Game 3: Dodgers 6, Cubs 0
Game 4: Cubs 10, Dodgers 2
Game 5: at Los Angeles, 7:08 p.m. Thursday
Game 6: at Chicago, 7:08 p.m. Saturday
Game 7*: at Chicago, 7:08 p.m. Sunday
*If necessary
@redeyesportschi | chsosa@redeyechicago.com
