Best in the majors during the regular season, the
Chicago Cubs are one win from reaching the NL Championship Series
for the second straight year.
Travis Wood took over when starter Kyle Hendricks got hurt and
became the first relief pitcher since 1924 to hit a postseason home
run , helping the Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 Saturday
night for 2-0 NL Division Series lead.
Madison Bumgarner, coming off a four-hit shutout of the New York
Mets in the NL wild card game, tries to save the Giants' season
when the series resumes Monday in San Francisco.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon remains wary of the Giants, World Series
champions in 2010, '12 and '14.
''You watch how they react to different moments,'' Maddon said .
''They're never panicked. They're never concerned. ... I really
believe our guys will come ready to play knowing that they are
also. That's just a given.''
The Cubs, who start reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta,
are now one win from a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers or
Washington Nationals. Swept by the New York Mets in last year's
NLCS, Chicago led the big leagues with 103 wins during the regular
season and is hoping for its first World Series title since 1908.
Ben Zobrist hit a run-scoring single off former Cubs pitcher Jeff
Samardzija in the first, and Hendricks added a two-run, bloop
single in a three-run second.
The Cubs were leading 4-2 in the fourth when Hendricks left the
game after with a bruised right forearm after being hit by Angel
Pagan's line drive.
Wood struck out Conor Gillaspie to strand Pagan, then sent a
one-out offering from George Kontos halfway up the left-field
bleachers in the bottom half. The only other reliever to homer in
the postseason was the New York Giants' Rosy Ryan in Game 3 of the
1924 World Series.
Given a curtain call by a screaming crowd of 42,392, Wood joined
Rick Sutcliffe (1984) and Kerry Wood (2003) as the only Cubs
pitchers to go deep in the postseason. Travis Wood has nine
regular-season homers in his big league career.
Wood pitched a hitless fifth and was credited with the win. Four
more relievers completed Chicago's second straight six-hitter, with
Aroldis Chapman throwing 12 of 16 pitches at 100 mph and up for his
second consecutive save.
Hendricks, the major league ERA leader, gave up two runs and four
hits in 3 2/3 innings.
''We picked him up tonight, having his injury and stuff and that's
what we have done all year long,'' Wood said. ''We pull on each
other and end up backing each other up.''
Samardzija's first career playoff start was a short one. The
right-hander, who spent his first 61/2 seasons with the Cubs, was
pinch hit for in the third after allowing four runs and six hits.
Down 4-0, San Francisco scored two in the third when Gregor Blanco
doubled in a run and scored on Brandon Belt 's sacrifice fly.
''Just can't put your team in that much of a hole early in the
game, especially against a good staff like they have over there,''
Samardzija said. ''Like to have that one back, for sure, that one's
on me.''
HENDRICKS UPDATE
Hendricks said his arm ''feels pretty good right now'' and he hopes
to be ready in a few days after X-rays showed no structural damage.
He said he felt pain after a few warmup pitches and exited after a
discussion with Maddon.
''He told me if there's anything at all, he didn't want me in
there,'' Hendricks said.
SEENs
Actor and comedian Bill Murray was back cheering on the Cubs for
the second night in a row. But no, he wasn't wearing an ''I Ain't
Afraid of No Goat'' shirt as he did on Friday.
Former Cubs closer Lee Smith threw out the ceremonial first pitch ,
and Chicago native and former WWE star CM Punk delivered the "Play
Ball!" call before the game.
Actor Jeff Garlin sang ''Take Me Out To The Ball Game'' during the
seventh-inning stretch.
UP NEXT
Giants: Bumgarner has pitched 23 consecutive postseason innings and
is 8-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 13 postseason starts and 15 appearances.
Cubs: Arrieta won 18 games but had a 4.60 ERA in five starts last
month. He gave up seven runs in a loss to Pittsburgh on Sept. 28.
