North Chicago baseball fans can rejoice: the Cubs are back in the World Series for the first time since 1945.
Led by National League Cy Young hopeful Kyle Hendricks' near-flawless performance, the Cubs beat the Dodgers 5-0 in Game 6 of the NLDS Saturday at Wrigley Field with the Dodgers sending the minimum batters to the plate.
An electric crowd left the iconic Wrigley Field seats vibrating all night as the Cubs pounced on the Dodgers early and never looked back. Now they're heading to the World Series to face the Cleveland Indians and have a chance at winning baseball's biggest series for the first time since 1908.
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Here are our three takeaways:
1. Cubs' young bats perked up at the right time. Cubs fans were beginning to wonder who was wearing Anthony Rizzo's uniform this postseason before he collected three hits, a home run and three RBIs in Game 4 of the NLCS. He added two more hits in Game 5, then sent another ball out of the park Saturday night, reassuring everyone he's going to be a tough out in the World Series.
Kris Bryant, who has been steady all throughout the postseason, drove in the game's first run when he singled home Dexter Fowler. In addition to Chicago's top two stars, second baseman Javier Baez and catcher Willson Contreras have grown up on baseball's biggest stage, proving they can be trusted in key situations. If the Cubs keep hitting like they did the last three games of the NLCS, the World Series could be void of drama.
2. Clayton Kershaw is just not the same pitcher in the postseason. Many thought this series was destined for a Game 7 with Kershaw, a six-time All-Star and three-time NL Cy Young winner on the mound. But he he struggled with his command early and often Saturday night, leaving his fastball and off-speed pitches up in the zone where Cubs hitters could take advantage.
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Kershaw entered Game 6 with a 4-6 record and a disappointing 4.39 ERA throughout his career in the postseason. He gave up four more runs (three earned) off of seven hits in five innings in Saturday's loss, which means he's now lost at least once every postseason in which he's started a game.
3. Dexter Fowler and Kyle Hendricks solidify status as underrated stars. Announcers said before the start of the game that Hendricks knew he wasn't going to pitch seven innings Saturday. Well, they were right, he pitched 7 1/3. Hendricks was brilliant after giving up a leadoff single to Andrew Toles in the first inning, ultimately finishing with six strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed. Hendricks was the team's most consistent pitcher during the regular season, leading MLB in ERA, and looked calm and comfortable in this all-important situation.
Fowler helped ease the pressure on Hendricks by leading off with a double to right field, ultimately coming around to score. He then knocked in a run himself in the bottom of the second inning with a single to left field. Fowler's status with the team was in flux during the offseason, but the Cubs are certainly happy to have him back now.
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Highlight:
Contreras smashes his first career postseason home run:
What's next:
World Series Game 1: Cubs (0-0) at Indians (0-0) Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET — It's official, the Cubs are back in the World Series. Now, a juicy matchup between Joe Maddon and Terry Francona will act as a chess match in this best-of-seven series. The American League has home-field advantage after winning the All-Star game, but Cleveland has to get back in the competitive spirit after enjoying a long stint off.