Rozner: Cubs find themselves just in time
Deep in slumber in San Francisco, the Cubs came out of hibernation.
Just when it was looking darkest in Los Angeles, they woke up and remembered they were the Cubs.
And Sunday night in Chicago, facing the end of the 2016 season, they found themselves.
Just in time.
With Jon Lester pitching lights-out again when they needed him most, and Aroldis Chapman recording an 8-out save, the Cubs finally came up with a little offense and held on to defeat Cleveland 3-2 in Game 5 of the World Series, the first victory at home for the Cubs in the Fall Classic since 1945.
“The story starts and ends with Jon for me,” said catcher David Ross. “Personally, not a better way to go out in my last start and catching Jon Lester, who won a World Series, for me and all the things he's done for me personally.
“To be on this stage and catching Jon Lester, what a way to go out.”
Lester was brilliant but trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Kris Bryant led off with his first home run in 12 games to tie it against Trevor Bauer, and Wrigley Field was alive and buzzing for the first time in three days.
Anthony Rizzo followed with a double into the vines in the right-field well and the Cubs were in business.
Ben Zobrist ripped a 3-0 fastball to right and when Addison Russell reached on a swinging bunt, Rizzo scored to give the Cubs the lead. After a Jason Heyward strikeout and a Javy Baez bunt basehit, Ross' sacrifice fly gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead.
“The (Bryant) home run was huge, getting the crowd back in it,” Ross said. “When we get the lead, we play a lot better.”
The Indians threatened again in the fifth with a leadoff double, but Lester was masterful in getting out of it and the Cubs held onto their 3-1 lead.
It was the biggest inning of the World Series for Lester and the Cubs.
“I was grinding quite a bit those last couple innings,” Lester said. “I knew I had to make perfect pitches in a game like this.”
The Indians got one back in the sixth largely due to Lester's inability to hold a runner on at first, but Ross minimized the damage when he threw out Francisco Lindor trying to steal to end the inning.
But Joe Maddon pulled Lester after 6 innings and only 90 pitches, and left it up to the bullpen, starting with Carl Edwards, who gave up a leadoff single to Mike Napoli in the seventh.
With one out and Napoli on second, Maddon went to his closer, who got out of the inning and the Cubs still led 3-2.
“With the way Jon was pitching, I didn't expect to come in that early,” Chapman said through his interpreter. “But (Maddon) told me early in the day that I might be pitching in the seventh.”
Chapman got the first out of the eighth and then Rizzo made a great diving stop of a Rajai Davis hit down the line, but Chapman never moved off the mound and it went for an infield hit.
After Davis easily stole second on Chapman, Jason Kipnis popped to left and Davis stole third. That left it up to Lindor, who took a called third strike and Chapman had survived the eighth.
At 30 pitches through 5 outs, Chapman entered the ninth needing 3 more outs to get the Cubs on a plane to Cleveland.
Napoli led off and grounded to short for the first out, Carlos Santana popped to right and Jose Ramirez - who homered in the second off Lester - struck out on Chapman's 42nd pitch and the Cubs had survived to fight another day.
That day will be Tuesday in Cleveland.
“(Chapman) threw really well tonight,” Ross said. “He really pitched tonight. He threw a changeup to Napoli. He threw sliders.
“It's the World Series and everybody has to do the best they can. Their (relievers) are over there pitching multiple innings. It's nice to see (Chapman) sort of match them.”
It wasn't easy, again, but the Cubs have a one-game winning streak and have forced a Game 6.
“There have been times in the postseason where we just kind of forgot who we were,'' said Cubs president Theo Epstein. “That happens when you're facing good teams, but we know what we have to do and we know how to get out of it and kind of find ourselves again.”
They did it just in time Sunday night.
Hear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.