CHICAGO (CBS) — The Chicago Cubs clinched the National League pennant Saturday (Oct. 22) in a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, their first trip to the World Series since 1945.
The team has the chance to beat the longest World Series drought in history: The last Cubs’ World Series victory was in 1908, when a base-running error by New York Giant Fred Merkle gave the Cubs their victory.
The Cubs will be facing American League champions the Cleveland Indians, who have the second-longest World Series drought, with nary a win since 1948.
They left no doubt in doing so, as MLB ERA champion Kyle Hendricks thoroughly out-pitched ace Clayton Kershaw in a game that won’t be forgotten, CBS Chicago reports.
Authoring the finest outing of his career, Hendricks fired 7 1/3 shutout innings of two-hit ball, walking none and striking out six. And his offense provided him with all he’d need before Kershaw even recorded an out.
Dexter Fowler led off the game with a double and scored on Kris Bryant’s RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
Two batters later, the Cubs added another run for on a Ben Zobrist sacrifice fly after Dodgers left fielder Andrew Toles had dropped a fly ball for an error.
Chicago tallied runs in four of the five innings Kershaw pitched and an extra-base hit in each of those frames.
A Fowler RBI single in the second inning gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead, then a solo homers from Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, sent the Wrigley Field faithful into pandemonium.
Kershaw took the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, in five innings on seven hits while walking none and striking out four.
The World Series starts Tuesday, with the Indians hosting the Cubs.
First pitch at is 7:08 p.m. The Cubs are seeking their first championship since 1908.
