Chicago Cubs have plenty of experience in torturous, extra-inning baseball

Chicago Cubs: The biggest game in franchise history

Saving the best and most memorable game for last, it’s, of course, the Cubs’ triumph over the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. It was a game that featured everything from unbelievable highs to tremendous lows.

The Cubs started off the game on the biggest high imaginable when Fowler led off with a solo home run that barely got over the wall in center field. As he rounded the bases he backpedaled around first, staring into the Cubs dugout to fire up his team. Fowler became the first player in Game 7 history to lead off with a home run.

After the Indians tied the game at 1-1, the Cubs scored four straight runs to take a 5-1 lead. With the offense producing and Hendricks pitching lights-out on the mound, the Cubs almost looked like they could cruise to the finish line with a comfortable lead.

But following a two-out walk allowed by Hendricks, Maddon lifted him from the game for Jon Lester and his personal catcher, David Ross. The move was certainly questionable as Hendricks was in quite a groove and had only thrown 63 pitches through 4 2/3 innings.

Jason Kipnis greeted Lester with a seemingly harmful infield single but Ross overthrew first base. Carlos Santana advanced to third while Kipnis moved up to second base on the error. Then on an 0-1 count, Lester threw a pitch in the dirt that bounced and hit Ross in the facemask. That allowed both Santana and Kipnis to score, narrowing the Cubs lead to 5-3.