Cubs 6 Giants 5. Let somebody else have a broken heart for a change.

Excuse the profanity, but I'm just gonna talk.

8th inning.
I know you felt the same thing.
Son of a BITCH, can we EVER be set free?
Matt Moore?
Really?
I was already envisioning the vultures... it's just like the people who do the weather.
You can see them puff up when the hurricane is coming, just dying to talk about the destruction.
That's what would have happened today had the 9th not happened last night.
Read this little article by ESPN's Brad Doolittle.
He's so disappointed.
"...but there did seem to be a mash-up of some bad autumn memories in place."
Can't help but talk about 2003 or Daniel Murphy last year - it would have been so cool for him to write that whole thing out.
He couldn't WAIT for the Cubs to lose.
Hey buddy, go eat some shit and let San Francisco cry for a change.

I'm not trying to be cocky or jinxy or any of that - honestly for a Cub Fan that's almost a joke any more.
But the Cubs just completed one of the great comebacks in a playoff game I've ever seen.
Bryant got a single.
Bochy changes pitcher.
Rizzo got a walk.
Bochy changes pitcher.
Big.
Bochy changes pitcher.
Zobrist double, knocks in Bryant.
Huge. Still miles to go.
Maddon zigs.
Brings in lefty Coghlan.
Bochy zags.
Brings in righty Smith.
Maddon brings in righty Willson Contreras.
Contreras knocks in Rizzo and Zobrist.
Tied.
Impossible.

Willson Contreras has been a Big Leaguer for 117 days.
That was just his 75th hit.
If I were actually in the same room as Contreras and tried to explain to him what this hit means, it would involve my tears and a loss of words.

And lastly, you and me - I think we thought we knew Javier Baez.
But I don't think we do at all yet.
What we're seeing sort of defies physical logic as we have come to understand physical logic, and he's just getting started.

I can't imagine what the rest of the country is thinking.

Alright.
The National League Championship Series begins on Saturday at Wrigley Field.
That's because the Cubs are the National League Division Champs.
The National League Division Champs.
The other Division Champs will be either Los Angeles or Washington.
I told you back then that I wish the Cubs would play the Mets because I wanted the Cubs to beat the Mets.
And I will tell you now that I would like the Cubs to beat the Dodgers, and I do not care about deep matchups.
Lastly, I'm going to Arizona to watch the Saturday and Sunday games at my dad's.
Made the reservations for this weekend over a month ago.
Cannot wait.

Go National League Division Champion Cubs.

Comments

[Kevin Johnson]

I was just reading that our series win probability hit its peak at 96% after the Arrieta homer in Game 3. After Moore struck out Dex in the top of the 8th last night, our win probability was down to 55%. Since 1906, we’ve lost every playoff series where our win probability plummeted so dramatically. So, by the time KB stepped up to the plate in the top of the 9th, history and logic were significantly stacked against us.

In other words, all of those moments in that 9th inning were individually and collectively the biggest and most unlikely we’ve ever seen in our lifetimes. KB’s single was the most unlikely single we’ve ever seen, Rizzo’s walk was the most unlikely walk we’ve ever seen, Zo’s double was the most unlikely double we’ve ever seen, and… you get the idea. And I’ve gotta say, it was poetic justice that the two biggest hits came from our two stars who were drafted by… Jim Hendry.

Hendry is no Epstein, but we can’t ever forget that he brought us within five outs of the World Series, and that besides his two biggest mistakes (Soriano and Bradley), he was just plain unlucky in many ways; if Wood and Prior had been healthy in '04, we would've won, and if Maddon had been on the market, he would've gotten him just like Theo did. It’d like to think he was watching last night when Epstein gave him full credit for drafting those two guys.

And about those two guys… WOW. I mean, we instantaneously knew that Contreras was special, but Baez was someone that everyone wanted to see as trade bait for a good pitcher last year. And I think he would’ve been gone, had it not been for Maddon and the endless faith he’s had in that kid from day 1. No Cub has ever proved me more wrong in my lifetime.

Lastly, I feel better going into this year’s NLCS than last year’s. With the Mets, we were brimming with confidence (bordering on cockiness) because we had just destroyed the Cardinals and we had gone 7-0 against New York during the season. This year, we had to grind to get every win in this series against a formidable opponent, and four of our big bats (Dex, Rizz, Zo, and Addy) were mostly absent. We know it won’t be easy to face either the Nationals or the Dodgers and we won't take anything for granted, but more importantly, we know we can play better than we did the last four games.

I don’t really care who we play, but I’m kind of hoping for the Nationals. Since we couldn’t get revenge on the Mets, we might as well get revenge on Murphy.

So it’s Lester on Saturday at Wrigley in mid-October. Let that sink in for a second.

We’re two weeks into the Greatest Autumn Ever.

[Dave Moresi]

Tim. Stop!! You're killin' me!! You made me laugh. Hard. Thanks.

[Cire Ddot Nekliw]

Watching the 9th inning, again. Poise and patience at the plate, complete chaos on the mound, plus shoddy fielding on Heywards bunt. One walk, one double, one bunt, three singles, four runs equals the largest ninth inning comeback in MLB postseason history. Oh, and three strikeouts for the Giants in their half of the ninth. It's so much easier when you just believe. The Greatest Summer Ever powers on to the NLCS, Game One at Wrigley Saturday night.

[Donna]

I am so glad to hear you are going to watch the next two games with your dad. Talk about creating memories. My friends ask me if I am mad that my dad didn't live long enough to see all of this. Yes, he would have been absolutely thrilled with this season, and I really miss talking baseball with him every day, but there are hundreds of thousands of fans who could say the same thing about their dads and moms and grandmas and grandpas. Dad wouldn't want us sitting around moping. Nothing but joy!

[Rich Beckman]

I have to admit, I was resigned to this going five games. Then the ninth happened. I'm sure glad I was awake and paying attention since that all happened seemingly in an instant, and that was with all those pitching changes!!

I feel like I've watched Baez grow up over the past season and a half. I look forward to watching him and Contreras (I'd forgotten he's only been around since mid June!) for many years (I still find myself saying "au contraire" every time Willson throws someone out)

Looking forward to Saturday!

As usual, I love the art! That was Willson's 75th MLB hit.

[Bud]

There's very little I can add to this post and the comments that followed.

But there's plenty to be added to this post-season. My wish, my hope, my EXPECTATION is that there will be several more "best game I ever saw" experiences this year.

And for several years to come...

And that'll be because of "the kids" with so many great years ahead of them. And in years to come, long after their careers are over and I'm long gone, they'll still be known as the kids who brought a championship to the Cubs.

(With a little help from Grandpa and the graybeards!)

[Du-secondaire]

My boyfriend fell asleep in the 8th inning because he had to teach an 8AM class the following morning. I'm more of a night owl, but I was curled up behind him because it wouldn't be October without me getting some gadawful respiratory virus.

When Chappie's last pitch soared across the plate, I cried. I just sat there sobbing uncontrollably for a whole ten minutes because I couldn't believe what I had just seen.

The next morning, 6:30 AM.

Me: Man, you really passed out hard last night.
Him: Yeah, I was just exhausted.
Me: You know the Cubs won.
Him: HOLY WHAT THE @#!*&@#! HOW?!

My dad's been a Cubs fan his whole life. He's also a pretty staunch atheist. I got this text from him.

"I think there is a God."

GO CUBS.

[Tim@Cubby Blue]

Kevin, Dave (WELCOME!), ERIC!, Donna, Rich, Bud, and Du:
It's a long day of travel coming out to AZ - a plane ride, then a wait, then an Arizona Shuttle ride up to Prescott.
Everybody's asleep now and I just turned on my computer.
Thank you all so much for leaving such cool stuff.
Tomorrow is going to be so fab.
Go Cubs.