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A32    sports
             Diaranson 30 september 2020

                           Cubs, Marlins set to meet after bumpy paths to postseason


                                                                      Marlins. Game 1 is Wednes-   games  in  24  days.  The  ac-  stop Alex Gonzalez misplay-
                                                                      day at Wrigley Field, and Ross  quisition  of  center  fielder  ing a potential inning-ending
                                                                      can't wait.                  Starling Marte from Arizona  double  play,  in  an  8-3  loss.
                                                                                                   at the trade deadline and the  The Cubs were eliminated in
                                                                      “I was laying in bed last night,  emergence  of  rookie  right-  Game 7.
                                                                      feeling like today was the day  hander  Sixto  Sanchez  gave  “We talk about it a lot, obvi-
                                                                      the games were starting," he  them a big lift.            ously,”  said  Marlins  presi-
                                                                      said Tuesday. “Having to kind  “It has been a crazy year for  dent  of  baseball  operations
                                                                      of say over and over in your  us,” first baseman Jesus Agui-  Michael Hill, who joined the
                                                                      head,  'The  game's  not  to-  lar said. “And we still made it.  front office in 2002. “I don’t
                                                                      morrow,  it's  not  tomorrow.'  We’re here for something. So  think  the  ball  was  catchable
                                                                      You're anxious to get started.”  many people don’t believe in  myself.  I  think  the  bigger
                                                                      The Cubs won the NL Cen-     us, and we made it. and we’re  play  was  the  Alex  Gonza-
                                                                      tral at 34-26 in Ross' first sea-  just starting.”        lez error on the Miguel Ca-
                                                                      son, reaching the playoffs for  Here  are  some  things  to  brera  groundball.  That  was
                                                                      the fifth time in six years. It  know:                    the  huge  difference-maker.
                                                                      wasn't  exactly  an  easy  ride,                          ...  An  eight-run  eighth.  A
                                                                      though.                      For starters                 miraculous  comeback.  That
                                                                      Yu  Darvish  put  himself  in  The Cubs will go with Kyle  propelled us into one of the
                                                                      contention  for  the  NL  Cy  Hendricks in the opener and  most exciting Game 7s I can
                                                                      Young Award, but Kris Bry-   Darvish in Game 2, with Jon  ever remember watching.”
                                                                      ant,  Javier  Báez,  Anthony  Lester in Game 3 if necessary.
                                                                      Rizzo and Willson Contreras  Hendricks  was  third  in  the  Big swings
                                                                      each struggled as the offense  majors  in  innings  and  was  The  Cubs  ranked  among
                                                                      sputtered.  Despite  that,  the  particularly  sharp  down  the  the worst in the majors with
                                                                      club  led  the  division  almost  stretch,  with  a  1.45  ERA  in  a  .220  average  and  had  the
                                                                      wire to wire after missing the  five  outings  in  September.  fifth-highest strikeout total.
                                                                      postseason last year.        The  Cubs  could  have  gone  But  they  scored  25  runs  in
                                                                      “You get that excitement, that  with  Darvish  on  his  usual  taking  two  of  three  from
                                                                      butterfly feeling just like you  four  days'  rest.  But  Ross  the  playoff-bound  Chicago
                                                                      do  every  time  —  but  just  a  chose Hendricks, who hasn't  White  Sox  at  Guaranteed
                                                                      little bit more because we're  pitched since Wednesday.   Rate Field to finish the regu-
                                                                      back, we missed it last year,"  “It's a huge honor for me to  lar  season,  with  Bryant  hit-
                                                                      Kyle Schwarber said.         get  the  nod  from  Rossy  for  ting homers in the final two
                                                                                                   Game 1, but at the end of the  games. And they hope its car-
                                                                      It's been a much longer wait  day,  we  all  know  what  Yu's  ries into the playoffs.
                                                                      for the Marlins, in the play-  done  this  year,”  Hendricks
                                                                      offs  for  the  first  time  since  said. “He's our ace. He's the  Longshot
                                                                      winning the 2003 World Se-   guy.  He's  been  dominant  all  At  33-1,  no  team  is  facing
                                                                      ries.  They  knocked  off  the  year long. If this was a one-  longer odds to win the World
                                                                      Cubs in a memorable NLCS  game-playoff  kind  of  thing,  Series than the Marlins. They
                                                                      that  year  before  taking  out  he  would  be  the  guy,  obvi-  were outscored by 41 runs.
                                                                      the New York Yankees. They  ously.”                       But  with  their  young  pitch-
                                                                      won the World Series in their                             ers,  strong  farm  system  and
                                                                      only  other  trip  to  the  play-  Flashback              manageable  payroll,  they
                                                                      offs,  beating  Cleveland  for  The  series  is  sure  to  stir  think they are built to last.
                                                                      the  title  in  1997,  and  have  memories of the 2003 NLCS.
                                                                      never  dropped  a  postseason  The  lasting  image  happened  Calling on kimbrel
                                                                      series.                      in  Game  6  at  Wrigley  Field,  Though  he  struggled  early
                                                                      After  losing  105  games  last  with  the  Cubs  leading  3-0  and  lost  the  closer  job  to
                                                                      year,  the  Marlins  finished  in  the  eighth.  Just  five  outs  Jeremy  Jeffress,  Craig  Kim-
                                                                      second in the NL East at 31-  from their first pennant since  brel could be called on in big
                                                                      29 — their first winning re-  1945, fan Steve Bartman de-  spots after a strong Septem-
                                                                      cord since 2009. They over-  flected  Luis  Castillo's  foul  ber. The seven-time All-Star
                                                                      came a coronavirus outbreak  ball as Cubs left fielder Moi-  did not allow a run in eight
                                                                      at the start of the season that  ses Alou tried to make a leap-  appearances  and  struck  out
            (AP) — Cubs manager David  was still two days away from  sidelined more than half the  ing catch.                   13 without a walk in 7 1/3 in-
            Ross  had  to  remind  himself  opening a best-of-three wild-  team,  and  navigated  a  clos-  Chicago  gave  up  eight  runs  nings.
            Monday  night  that  Chicago  card series against the Miami  ing  stretch  that  included  28  in the inning, hurt by short-


            Chisox ace Giolito loses bid for

            perfect game in 7th vs A's



            (AP)  —  Chicago  White  Sox  against  Pittsburgh  on  Aug.  playoffs  —  the  only  person
            ace  Lucas  Giolito  allowed  a  25.  This  start  at  the  Colise-  to have a regular-season and
            clean single up the middle to  um was his postseason debut.  postseason  no-hitter  in  the
            start the seventh inning, end-  The  White  Sox  lead  3-0  in  same year.
            ing his bid for a perfect game  Game 1 of the best-of-three
            against the Oakland Athletics  series.                    Halladay  and  Don  Larsen,
            in their playoff opener.                                  who  pitched  a  perfect  game
                                         The  late  Roy  Halladay  of  for  the  Yankees  in  the  1956
            Tommy La Stella hit a single  the  Phillies  in  2010  threw  a  World  Series  against  Brook-
            to  become  the  first  runner  perfect  game  in  the  regular  lyn, have the only two post-
            for the A's on Tuesday.      season and then tossed a no-  season no-hitters.
            Giolito  pitched  a  no-hitter  hitter against the Reds in the
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