World Series Bound!  Cubs win NL pennant for first time since 1945
Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

World Series Bound! Cubs win NL pennant for first time since 1945


by - Senior Editor -

CHICAGO -- 42,386 fans crammed Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs win 5-0 over the Dodgers to make their first World Series berth since 1945 which was the longest drought by any team in all four professional sports to make a championship appearance.

The Dodgers had won the last two games that ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw had pitched in playoff elimination games and the Cubs were 0-6 lifetime when they had a chance to clinch a World Series berth in the NLCS era. But those streaks are over, and the Cubs hope to start a new streak as the Cub will face the Indians for the title on Tuesday night. The last World Series game played at Wrigley Field was October 10, 1945.

In the first inning, Kris Bryant had a RBI single to right field that scored Dexter Fowler to put the Cubs up 1-0. Zobrist followed up with a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 2-0. Kershaw threw 30 pitches in the first inning which was his most since 2011.

Addison Russell had a double in the second inning which gave him an extra-base hit in three consecutive games. He had only one extra-base hit in his previous 11 games before that. Fowler ended up driving him in on a RBI single to put the Cubs up 3-0. He ended up overrunning the base and getting tagged out to end the inning.

Kershaw threw 62 pitches through three innings but only seven curveballs as the Cubs batters have two singles, three doubles, and a sacrifice fly.

Willson Contreras hit a rocket solo blast to left field in the fourth inning to put the Cubs up 4-0. Contreras became the tenth different Cubs player to homer this season. The Cubs are the first team to have three different catchers hit a homer in the same postseason.

Kyle Hendricks faced the minimum of batters through seven innings with only giving up a single during the first at-bat of the game.

Anthony Rizzo launched a solo home run to centerfield against Kershaw in the sixth inning to put the Cubs up comfortable 5-0. The homer brought Kershaw to his knees in disbelief as the Cubs fans went crazy in the stands.

Kershaw finished going five innings giving up seven hits and five runs.

Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen sang the seventh inning stretch for the Cubs faithful in attendance.

Hendricks gave up a one-out single in the eighth inning and was taken out by Joe Maddon as Cubs fans cheered on the outstanding performance giving him a standing ovation. Hendrick only gave up two singles with six strikeouts on the evening.

Alrodis Chapman replaced Hendricks and got a ground ball for a double play to end the eighth inning. Chapman was throwing 100+ MPH as he got the final three outs as the faithful fans saw their team clinch the pennant for the first time in nearly 71 years.

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