Giants defeat Chicago Cubs 6-5 in 13 innings
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon used the word "exhilarated" more than once, and his team lost.
And they lost in a tough way.
In a game that started Monday night and went into Tuesday morning in the Central time zone, the Cubs lost a heartbreaking 6-5, 13-inning decision to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park to force a Game 4.
Back-back-doubles by Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik to begin the final inning against reliever Mike Montgomery gave the Giants the victory and some hope in the National League division series.
The Cubs led this one 3-0 in the second inning on a 3-run homer by starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, and it looked like they were on their way to celebrating a clincher.
But the lead slipped away, as the Cubs stopped hitting in the middle and latter parts of the game. The Giants scored single runs in the third and fifth innings against Arrieta, who gutted out 6 innings and outlasted Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who labored through 5.
In the eighth, the Giants went ahead as Maddon brought closer Aroldis Chapman in to pitch with two men on and nobody out. A triple off the bat of Conor Gillaspie put the Giants up 4-3. Crawford then singled to center, giving the Giants what looked to be some insurance.
The Cubs haven't quit all year, and in the ninth, Dexter Fowler walked to lead off against Sergio Romo. Kris Bryant then showed why he's the MVP front-runner as he homered to left to tie the game.
Montgomery came on in the ninth, so he was into his fifth inning of relief when the game ended.
As Maddon walked to the interview room, he said of this game: "Beautiful."
When asked in the interview room about his team taking a punch in the gut, he responded as only he can.
"Good baseball game," he said. "That's my take-away. I think that both sides should be somewhat exhilarated. Obviously, they win, so they're going to feel a bit better about it, but there's nothing on our side to be ashamed of. I was really proud of our kids, man. How about Montgomery in the eighth there."
Bryant echoed that.
"I thought it was a great effort from everybody," he said. "You can't win them all. We'll learn from it. A lot to take from it. We're all pretty exhausted. I'm sure they're exhausted, too. A lot of thinking involved, but that's playoff baseball. It's great for the game a game like that. I think it's more motivation to come out tomorrow."
The game might have ended in the ninth if not for spectacular catch by rookie Albert Almora in right field.
With one out, Brandon Belt walked. Buster Posey hit a drive toward the line in right. Almora dived, make a spectacular catch and threw to first for a double play.
"With all the adrenaline and stuff, I knew the situation of the game, and I just wanted to help my team," he said. "It was at all costs, and I came up with it."
Of course Maddon was asked about the decision to bring in Chapman for a potential six-out save. Travis Wood gave up a single to Belt to start the inning. Maddon then brought in Hector Rondon, who walked Posey. He then went to Chapman.
"I was hoping not," Maddon said of a six-out save. "Woody pitched against Belt. I liked that. He gets a basehit, and then Ronny on Posey was a better matchup based on what's been going on lately with Chapman versus Posey. So I liked that, too.
"Now had he gotten Posey out, I would have let him pitch to (Hunter) Pence right there, but there's a threat for a bunt. There's all kind of things they could have done there. And I know it's hard to bunt a 100-miles-an-hour (fastball).
"So let's just bring (Chapman) in right there, give him a little wiggle room. He gets a strikeout (of Pence), and then you feel OK about things. Give Gillaspie credit, man … So I did not want to have to do that, but I felt we had to do it under the circumstances."
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