How Cubs fans celebrated the Cubs wildcard win Wednesday night, the first playoff win in 12 years for the Cubs.
Jake Arrieta delivered as expected in the Chicago Cubs wildcard game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, with a few bailouts from the infield, and shut out the Pirates as Cubs’ batters put up four runs. Now the Cubs head to the division series to face the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
Back home in Chicago, revelers packed the Wrigleyville bars and began pouring into the streets to celebrate after the final out.
Arrieta pitched a complete game. His 11 strikeouts were the most for a Cubs pitcher making his postseason debut. The last time the Cubs shut out an opponent in postseason play was during the 1945 World Series. The last time the Cubs won a playoff game? Twelve years ago. They were swept in three games in both 2007 and 2008.
DENNIS ROBAUGH (Patch National)
Wednesday night’s win ensures that playoff baseball will return to 101-year-old Wrigley Field for the first time since 2008. But first, Game 1 of the National League Division Series is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 9, 5:45 p.m. Central time at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The game will be broadcast on TBS. Saturday’s Game 2 will be at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets for Busch Stadium can be had for $99, but Wrigley Field, where Games 3 and 4 (if the Cubs take it that far) are selling for upwards of $300, reports DNAinfo Chicago.
The rival Cardinals won 100 games this season. Few expected the Cubs to put up one of the best records in the National League with 97 regular-season wins. But along the way, manager Joe Maddon and the players repeatedly promised fans this was a different team. And they followed through on those promises. As the wins mounted, fans began to look for signs — ”Back to the Future” references, among them — that all curses would be foiled. So far, so good.
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