NLDS Game 2: Cubs take advantage of critical Cardinals errors to even series
We have a series. The Chicago Cubs evened things up with the St. Louis Cardinals, winning Game 2 of the NL division series by a 6-3 score.
The Cubs broke through for five runs in the second inning thanks to two Cardinals errors, a safety squeeze, an infield single, and a two-run home run from Jorge Soler. Between Starlin Castro’s leadoff single and Soler’s home run, the Cubs did not get a ball out of the infield, but still pieced together what could be a season-saving rally.
Speaking of piecing things together, the Cubs got a decent outing from Kyle Hendricks. He allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings, but left after allowing back-to-back home runs to Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk in the fifth. Joe Maddon used three relievers to record the final 13 outs.
There’s no other way to say it, this was a huge win for the Cubs. They’ll head home now with the series even and Jake Arrieta waiting to take the ball on Monday.
• Jorge Soler rewarded manager Joe Maddon’s decision to start him in Game 2. Maddon elected go with Soler and Austin Jackson against left-handed starter Jaime Garcia, which meant Kyle Schwarber and Chris Coghlan were relagated to bench duties. Soler ended up setting the offensive tone for Chicago, going 2-for-2 with a first-inning double, a second-inning two-run homer and two walks.
• Travis Wood was the bridge from Hendricks to Chicago’s late-inning relievers. The veteran left-hander retired seven of the eight batters he faced in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Trevor Cahill pitched a perfect eighth and Hector Rondon recorded the save.
• Adam Wainwright did similarly strong relief work, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings for St. Louis. He struck out the side in the eighth.
• Kolten Wong continued to be a postseason marvel for St. Louis, at least offensively, smacking a home run. His last nine postseason hits have all gone for extra bases.
Defensively, it was a mixed bag for Wong. There was a throwing error and a bobble, both of which cost the Cardinals a double play. He made two sensational plays later in the game though that helped keep it close.
• Though Jaime Garcia was not charged with an earned run, but he did himself no favors in the second inning. It was his throwing error on Kyle Hendricks’ squeeze bunt that opened the floodgates, and it was his inability to stop the bleeding that allowed the game to get away. In total, he allowed five runs over just two innings of work. The Cardinals reported later that Garcia was dealing with the flu, but they may have a difficult time trusting him again in this series.
• Kris Bryant is still searching for his first postseason hit after going 0-for-4 on Saturday. He’s 0-for-11 in the postseason and just 3-for-33 dating back until Sept. 28.
Jaime Garcia’s second-inning throwing error was the spark that ignited the Cubs offense, but that spark wouldn’t have been possible without Kolten Wong’s throwing error. Wong lost the handle attempting to complete a 6-4-3 double play that would left the Cubs with two outs and nobody on. Instead, Austin Jackson was on second and the wheels started turning.
Reminder that coming into the playoffs hot doesn’t always translate to playoff success.
• Joe Maddon pushed the right buttons with his lineup despite some pushback about sitting Kyle Schwarber. Maddon’s expertise is always a hot topic, but his decision-making here deserves some praise.
• We know the Cardinals are the Cardinals. They defy logic sometimes in October. But how in the world are they going to beat Jake Arrieta on Monday?
The series continues with a pivotal Game 3 on Monday at Wrigley Field. Coming off his wild-card shutout in Pittsburgh, Arrieta (22-6, 1.77) will look to continue his roll in another pressure packed atmosphere. He’ll go up against Cardinals postseason hero Michael Wacha (17-7, 3.38) in what should be a highly intense battle. The game time has not yet been announced.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813