Cubs (And Yankees) Win

The Chicago Cubs desperately needed a win, and they got one marked by desperation.

They stretched closer Wade Davis almost to the breaking point over the final two innings, lived off three solo homers and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Wednesday night to force a fifth game in their best-of-seven National League Championship Series. Game 5 is Thursday in Chicago at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, and the Dodgers lead 3-1 over the defending World Series champions.

“We finally got back on track,” said Javier Baez, whose first hit of the series was the second-inning homer that gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

Davis, who has been asked to go to extraordinary lengths in relief, threw 46 pitches over two innings, walking three and giving up a run before inducing a game-ending double play.

The New York Yankees, earlier in the day, continued their remarkable rally against the Houston Astros in the ALCS. Their pitchers again shut down the Astros in a 5-0 victory, giving them their third straight victory after they dropped the first two games of the series. Masahiro Tanaka went seven innings, allowing only three hits and one walk while striking out eight, and Tommy Kahnle pitched the final two scoreless innings.

The Yankees again struck early, scoring once in the second and once in the third. They won for the 19th time in their last 22 games at Yankee Stadium and take a 3-2 lead in the series to Houston, where play resumes on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

That should be a good one. Justin Verlander, 8-0 with the Astros since coming over in a trade Aug. 31 from the Detroit Tigers, will pitch against Luis Severino (14-6).

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman