Whatever other signs there have been, this had to be the ultimate sign. Stop the season; let everyone else off. This one belongs to the Chicago Cubs.
Call off the World Series. Don’t waste everyone else’s time. Don’t tease any other teams by letting them play in the playoffs. They belong to the Cubs.
You think it’s not enough that the Cubs have already clinched a winning won-lost record for the season, that they’re so far ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central that the magic number is a meaningless number, that the rules say they still have to play the games in October?
These are the 2016 Chicago Cubs we’re talking about, the apparently invincible Cubs, the end-the-curse Cubs. Not since 1908 – that’s more than a century ago – has Chicago’s National League team won the World Series, and every streak, good or bad, has to end. This is the Cubs’ year to end their franchise’s endless streak.
I know that many observes before me have made that declaration, but they were premature. It was just this past Monday that the Cubs provided the significant sign saying this season is ours; would-be usurpers are not welcome and shouldn’t waste their time thinking otherwise.
I know a fellow who is tired of the fuss being made over the Cubs. What’s the big deal, he asked? The Cubs clinched a winning season record (82-45) in their 127th game. The St Louis Cardinals did the exact same thing last year, and where did it get them? They lost to the Cubs in the division series of the playoffs.
Only five years ago the Philadelphia Phillies clinched a winning record in their 126th game (82-44), and they lost to the Cardinals in the division series.
I agreed with my doubting fellow before Monday night. Fans and even writers have a habit of going overboard prematurely. But sometimes you have to accept reality. Monday brought reality home to me.
What happened Monday? What was so special about Monday? The Cubs played the Pittsburgh Pirates that night. The Pirates are not a great team, but they are a decent team contending for a wild-card spot in the post-season. They went into Monday’s game with a four-game winning streak and were only one game behind St. Louis for the N.L.’s second wild card.
As the game progressed, the Pirates had even more reason to be pleased. They were beating the Cubs, 6-3, after 7 ½ innings, and the Cardinals were having trouble in Milwaukee.
And then the magical Cubs showed up.
With Neftali Feliz pitching for Pittsburgh, Jason Heyward began the inning with a double and Willson Contreras followed by whacking a home run. Javier Baez then doubled for the Cubs’ third consecutive extra-base hit. Feliz, however, preserved the Pirates’ 6-5 lead. He struck out Matt Szczur and Dexter Fowler, threw a wild pitch, walked Kris Bryant, then struck out Anthony Rizzo.
Although the Cubs squandered that opportunity to tie the game or take the lead, it took them only two batters into the ninth to make up for their failure. Jorge Soler hit a one-out home run against Tony Watson, and now the game was tied, 6-6.
The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the 10th, but Rizzo grounded into a double play. Baez tripled with one out in the 12th, but he was out trying to score on Addison Russell’s fly to left.
The Cubs’ failure to take advantage of their opportunities threatened to cost them when the Pirates scored a run in the 13th inning. David Freese and Francisco Cervelli singled, Jody Mercer walked and Josh Harrison hit a sacrifice fly.
Would that run finish the Cubs? Not this season.
With Jeff Locke in his fourth inning of relief, Fowler, Bryant and Rizzo singled, and the game was tied. With runners at first and third and no one out, Locke walked Ben Zobrist intentionally. Miguel Montero went to the plate as a pinch-hitter and singled to short left field, driving in Bryant with the winning run.
COACH WHO CREATES WINNERS
In a 17-year professional career Ray Searage pitched for four major league teams and innumerable minor league outposts. In his undistinguished major league career he had an 11-13 record in 254 games. He started none of them.
Despite or because of his mediocre record, Searage has become a brilliant pitching coach. In his sixth season in that role with Pittsburgh, the 61-year-old Searage has developed a magic touch. Ivan Nova, whom the Pirates acquired from the New York Yankees just before the July 31 trading deadline, has been the object of Searage’s magic.
Nova, a 29-year-old right-hander, had a 7-6 record and 4.90 earned run average in 15 starts for the Yankees. In 5 starts with the Pirates. Nova has a 4-0 record and a 2.85 e.r.a.
Nova’s electric transformation is similar to the experience J.A. Happ has had. Happ was traded from Seattle to Pittsburgh on trade deadline day last year. With the Mariners, Happ had a 4-6 record and 4.64 e.r.a. in 20 starts. With the Pirates, Happ had a 7-2 record and 1.85 e.r.a. in 11 starts.
As a free agent last winter, Happ signed a 3-year, $36 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, for whom he has a 17-4 record and 3.23 e.r.a. in 26 starts. Nova can be a free agent after the season.