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Wait of the World: Cubs win NL pennant!
- Updated: October 23, 2016
CHICAGO — For the first time since 1945, the Cubs are going to the World Series. You shouldn’t be surprised. That’s been their plan since Spring Training, when manager Joe Maddon told them to embrace the target. All they had to do to erase years of angst was have the pitcher with the best ERA in the Majors in 2016 beat the best pitcher on the planet, and Kyle Hendricks did just that.
Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras each belted solo home runs to back Hendricks — who outdueled Clayton Kershaw — and power the Cubs to a 5-0 victory over the Dodgers to take the National League Championship Series, four games to two, at a rocking Wrigley Field. Yes, the Cubs are going to the World Series.
• Get official gear: Go, Cubs, going to World Series!
Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo could never say that, but these young Cubs will, and now face the Indians on Tuesday night in Cleveland.
• World Series Game 1: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET air time/ 8 ET game time on FOX
Game Date Matchup Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 15 CHC 8, LAD 4 Gm 2 Oct. 16 LAD 1, CHC 0 Gm 3 Oct. 18 LAD 6, CHC 0 Gm 4 Oct. 19 CHC 10, LAD 2 Gm 5 Oct. 20 CHC 8, LAD 4 Gm 6 Oct. 22 CHC 5, LAD 0 • NLCS coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Dodgers
“The thing I preach from [the first] day in Spring Training is I want us to play the same game regardless of the date on the calendar,” said Maddon. “You should not change what you’re doing regardless of the time of the year. You want to come out in October and play the same game you’ve been playing all summer.”
Said Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein: “Unbelievable job by Joe ever since he got here. Changed the culture at the Major League level. We loved everything that was bubbling up in the organization from the Minor Leagues, but to finish it off in the big league level, Joe is the best in the business in getting guys to relax, be themselves, focus.
“We embraced the target this year, his leadership has been everything for a lot of our young guys to settle in and play as well as they did tonight.”
The Cubs faced Kershaw in Game 2, and he didn’t get much support but still won, 1-0. On …
