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A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 10 OcTOber 2017
Cubs rally past Scherzer, Nationals 2-1, lead NLDS 2-1

By JAY COHEN lead. The All-Star slugger
AP Sports Writer also had one of the big
CHICAGO (AP) — Anthony blows in Game 2, hitting a
Rizzo looped a tiebreak- tiebreaking three-run hom-
ing single with two outs in er in the Nationals’ 6-3 vic-
the eighth inning and the tory.
Chicago Cubs overcame Schwarber’s costly play
Max Scherzer’s brilliant was part of a strange day
performance to beat the in the field for the Cubs.
Washington Nationals 2-1 Quintana and Zobrist also
on Monday for a 2-1 lead committed an error, but
in their NL Division Series. Russell made a spectacu-
Scherzer was dominant in lar diving stop on Taylor’s
his return from a right ham- grounder to shortstop in
string injury, carrying a no- the seventh and Zobrist
hitter into the seventh. But robbed Trea Turner of a hit
just like in Game 1, when with a solid play at second
Chicago was held hitless in the eighth.
into the sixth by Stephen FUNNY GUYS
Strasburg, the World Series Actors and brothers Bill and
champion Cubs showed Joel Murray led the crowd
off their resilience on the in the singing of “Take Me
way to a stirring victory. Out To The Ball Game”
Game 4 of the best-of-five Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo hits an RBI single during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the National during the seventh-inning
series is Tuesday. Jake Ar- League Division Series baseball game against the Washington Nationals Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in stretch. Bill Murray fired up
rieta returns from his own Chicago. the crowd of 42,445 by
hamstring injury for the Associated Press pumping his right arm as
Cubs, while Tanner Roark stumbled after he took a lar season, and Cubs man- the inning. they finished off the song.
gets the ball for the Nation- big turn around first and ager Joe Maddon coun- While Scherzer mowed UP NEXT
als.Chicago committed was tagged out to end the tered by sending Almora down the Cubs, Quintana Roark is from Wilmington, Il-
four errors, including two by inning, but he didn’t seem to hit for the lefty-batting worked on his own gem in linois, about 60 miles south
left fielder Kyle Schwarber to care too much, yelling Schwarber. his first career playoff ap- of Chicago, and grew up
on one ugly play, and and screaming as the Cubs Mark this one down for pearance. Helped by ter- rooting for the Cubs. The
Rizzo and Jason Heyward came out of the dugout for Maddon, who drew some rific running grabs by Hey- 31-year-old right-hander is
each made uncharacter- the ninth. criticism after he allowed ward in right and Jon Jay 3-1 with a 3.24 ERA in five
istic baserunning mistakes. All-Star Wade Davis then Carl Edwards Jr. to pitch to in center, the veteran left- career games at Wrigley
But the Cubs got a huge retired three in a row for his Bryce Harper in the eighth hander carried a two-hit Field. “It’s pretty surreal to
pinch-hit RBI single from Al- second save of the series. in Game 2 and the slugger shutout into the sixth. pitch in Wrigley, and just
bert Almora Jr. and a solid Jayson Werth popped out responded with a two-run With two outs in the inning, the history that they have
pitching performance from to Rizzo to end the game. homer.Almora lined a 3-2 Daniel Murphy lofted a fly here and everything,”
Jose Quintana in the return Scherzer struck out seven pitch into left-center for his ball to left that Schwarber he said. “It’s very excit-
of postseason baseball and walked three before first career postseason hit in dropped and then flubbed ing and I’m anxious to get
to Wrigley Field after last he was pulled after Ben Zo- 15 at-bats. Almora yelled again when he tried to out there.”Arrieta hasn’t
year’s World Series ended brist doubled to left-center and pounded his chest af- pick it up. The two errors pitched in a game since
in Cleveland. on his 98th pitch for Chica- ter rounding first and the put Murphy on third, and he lasted just three innings
With pinch-runner Leonys go’s first hit with one out in crowd of 42,445 cheered Maddon was booed as he in a loss at St. Louis on Sept.
Martin on second in the the seventh. With Washing- wildly.Heyward followed went to the mound to pull 26. But he said he is 100
eighth, Rizzo hit a blooper ton clinging to a 1-0 lead, with another base hit, but Quintana in favor of Pedro percent for his eighth ca-
to left off Oliver Perez that Nationals manager Dusty was inexplicably doubled Strop.Ryan Zimmerman fol- reer playoff start. “From this
found a patch of out- Baker opted for left-hander off first on Addison Russell’s lowed with an RBI double point on, it seems like it’s
field grass between three Sammy Solis, who had a fly ball to a hustling Michael into the gap in right-cen- going to be a non-issue for
Washington fielders. Rizzo 5.88 ERA during the regu- A. Taylor in center, ending ter, giving Washington the us now,” he said.q

Paul Molitor Pohlad made keeping Mo- duct their own search to
bring in their own manag-
litor through the final year
of his contract a prerequi- er.
site for accepting the posi- In a season that saw Bux-
Continued from Page 19 tion, a set of circumstances ton break out after look-
They lost more games than that had skeptics believing ing overwhelmed early in
any Twins team that came Molitor’s time in Minnesota his career, Joe Mauer’s
before them and ushered was nearing an end. return to be a .300 hitter
respected general man- Over the last two months and the team’s return to
ager Terry Ryan out the of the season as the Twins the postseason for the first
door. surged back into playoff time since 2010, the list of
Owner Jim Pohlad hired contention, Falvey and successes grew too long to
Falvey from the Cleve- Levine remained noncom- ignore.
land Indians and Levine mittal when asked about The decision to bring him
from the Texas Rangers to Molitor’s status. back no doubt comes as a
oversee the rebuild, a pair There remained a possibil- Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor watches as his team welcome one for Pohlad,
of uncharacteristic moves ity that Falvey and Levine takes batting practice for the American League wild-card whose family has em-
for an owner who has long would still decide to part baseball game against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, Oct. ployed just three manag-
been known for promoting ways with Molitor and con- 3, 2017, in New York. ers since 1986.q
from within. Associated Press