Photo courtesy ESPN
After defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series Saturday, Kyle Hendricks led the Chicago Cubs to their first championship season since 1945.
The fans at Wrigley Field were electric after watching a 71-year losing streak come to a close. Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw 73 pitches and took his team through seven and one-third innings. Hendricks gave up only two hits and didn’t walk a single batter all night.
The game began as Dodger Andrew Toles hit a single to right field on the first pitch of the night. After that, the Cubs dominated the game.
Kris Bryant hit an RBI single off Clayton Kershaw in the bottom of the first to put the Cubs ahead 1-0. That was quickly followed by a Ben Zobrist sacrifice fly ball and Bryant came in to score. The Cubs led 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
Addison Russell hits a double in the bottom of the second inning and scores off a Dexter Fowler Single. A solo leadoff home run from Wilson Contreras in the bottom of the fourth inning takes the Cubs to a four to zero lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Anthony Rizzo hit a solo home run and the Cubs led 5-0.
The Dodgers changed pitchers and brought in Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Some believe a curse has plagued baseball’s loveable losers for decades. Generations of fans have come and gone, never knowing if their beloved Cubs would ever escape the wrath of the Billy Goat.
When baseball was young, the Cubs were one of America’s finest teams. On October 14, 1908, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Detroit Tigers, becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles.
In the 51 seasons, from 1876 to 1945, the Cubs had an astonishing .559 record. During that time, the franchise had 16 first-place titles and subsequent World Series appearances.
In 1945 the Cubs entered Game 4 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers.
William “Billy Goat” Sianis owned a local tavern named after his moniker, the Billy Goat. Sianis purchased two tickets to Wrigley Field to watch Game 4 of the Series. Sianis was stopped at the entrance and told the goat was not allowed in the park. Sianis appealed all the way to the top to owner P. K. Wrigley, who told Sianis the goat was not allowed because it stunk.
In his ire, Sianis is credited with saying, “The Cubs ain’t gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field.”
The Cubs lost Game 4 of the 1945 World Series and have not appeared in another World Series since.
The drought has ended and Chicago is four wins away from breaking the curse. The Cubs are set to play the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the 2016 World Series. Coverage is being handled by Fox and the game is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016.
Sianis Died Oct. 22, 1970, 46 years ago to the day.
That game felt more like an exorcism!
All the way this year Cubs!