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

Chicago Cubs: Just a rollercoaster of a game

That was certainly not what anyone was expecting when Lester and Ross came into the game but Ross quickly made up for his miscues. When the Cubs came to bat in the top of the sixth inning, the veteran backstop drilled a solo home run to center field off Andrew Miller.

Again it felt like fate was on the Cubs’ side that night. Lester retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth inning until Jose Ramirez reached first base on an infield single. Maddon didn’t waste any time and put in the heavily used Chapman to get the final four outs.

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Brandon Guyer greeted Chapman with an RBI double to right center that scored Ramirez all the way from first base. Rajai Davis followed that up with a game-tying line drive home run down the left field line. All of Chicago fell silent as they were suddenly reminded of goats and curses of the past.

Neither team produced any more runs and the game was set for extra innings. Then a 15-minute rain delay took place, seemingly working out in the Cubs favor.

After everything settled the Cubs scored two runs in the top of the tenth inning to take an 8-6 lead. Ben Zobrist delivered a clutch RBI double down the third base line that drove in Almora from second base and sent Rizzo to third base. After an intentional walk to Addison Russell, Miguel Montero drove in Rizzo with a single to left field.

The Indians, of course, made it interesting in the bottom half of the inning. Davis drove in another run with a single to center field. The Cubs kept the stress level all the way up even until the final out. On the last play, Bryant fielded a ground ball and almost looked as if he slipped as he made the throw to Rizzo at first to end the game.

This was just an epic game that went back and forth from start to finish. It was an affair that lasted four hours and 28 minutes, but it felt like it took years off my life. It was the most stressful and agonizing Cubs game I’ve ever watched, but let me tell you this. It was sure worth it.