‘Built to Be Great’ Cubs Finally Show What They Can Do in Series Equalizer

The Cubs should have lost this series on Wednesday night. They’d lost both games in Milwaukee by wide margins despite twice getting out in front with 1st-inning homers. Their inability to play add-on, combined with Milwaukee’s tremendous all-around play, made it look as though a quick series exit was but a formality. Even their Game 3 win was tenuous, with fans holding their breath until their faces were as blue as their Cubs gear.

Then there’s the notion that Matthew Boyd, who was as overcooked as the turkey in Christmas Vacation in the opener, was expected to keep Milwaukee at bay. He did just that on regular rest, and it appeared as though his strategy was to avoid the heart of the zone at all costs. Walks can hurt you, but not nearly as bad as a barrage of doubles and home runs, so Boyd made certain he would make the hitters beat him rather than making their jobs easy.

It helped that Wrigley was as energized as it’s ever been, providing a boost to the whole team.

“The crowd was incredible tonight,” Craig Counsell said following the series-tying win. “I’ve never seen a baseball game like that. That was just amazing what they did tonight.”

But it wasn’t just about how the nearly 42,000 in attendance lifted up the home team; the legions of fans standing as one weighed on Brewers starter Freddy Peralta and his teammates with the pressure of a small ocean. Hearing his name chanted in Milwaukee is one thing, but the derisive nature of the cheer coming from the Cubs faithful had him rattled.

Mind you, this is the same Brewers team that complimented its fans for making Game 1 feel like a home game. So when the sound of “Freddy! Freddy!” grew until exploding in a crescendo of delerium when Ian Happ hit a three-run homer to put his team ahead for good, it was clear which team had the upper hand.

“This crowd affected the game the last two games,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Game 4. “It affected the way we played for sure. We’ve got a really young team. I think everybody knows that. Maybe by far the youngest team in the postseason.

“That kind of stuff emotionally can affect guys. They can start to play a little too hard. This game is a game of precision, and the Cubs’ experience and what they’ve been through — they were better in this environment for sure.”

This game felt like the climactic fight in Rocky IV, or really any underdog sports movie. The Cubs had been battered and beaten before finally showing signs of life and drawing blood from their seemingly invincible opponent the other night. Game 4 saw them take the fight to the nemeses for the first time by following Happ’s haymaker with a series of body blows that kept the Brewers on the ropes.

Their three additional runs were more than they’d scored after the 1st inning in the first three games combined, and they had twice as many stolen bases on one play than they’d had across the previous six postseason games. They banged out 10 hits, three of which found the bleachers, and walked six times to ensure the visiting pitchers never got comfortable.

“The Cubs earned it,” Murphy admitted. “They had their backs against the wall and they played great these last two games. They pitched great, they played great defense, they hit in the clutch, they hit homers. They’re built to be great.”

Now the series returns to Milwaukee for a decisive Game 5 that will see both teams pulling out all the stops to earn a date with the waiting Dodgers, who walked off the Phillies on a wild play in extras. That means the strong potential for openers, quick hooks, and unlikely heroes out of the bullpen. Jacob Misiorowski is certain to be a factor after pitching three innings on Monday, but the extra day off means even Peralta isn’t out of the question if it comes to that.

For the Cubs, the 800-pound gorilla is whether Cade Horton will be activated. The righty said he was pain-free and would “absolutely” be active should the Cubs advance, so now it’s a matter of finding a spot for him. Though he’s eligible to come off the IL in time for Saturday’s game, not being on the NLDS roster means the Cubs would have to remove someone due to injury. That player would also be ineligible for the next round, so it’s not just a one-game thing.

Maybe Ben Brown will trip on a curb or feel a twinge in his shoulder while opening a door, thus facilitating Horton’s addition. Of course, we all know that won’t happen because the Cubs will take several days to get multiple additional opinions before confirming an injury. They could have a dude get run over by a train and they wouldn’t put him on the IL until having a third-party medical examiner perform an autopsy.

If it’s not Horton, Counsell needs to give serious consideration to having Colin Rea and/or Aaron Civale eat a bulk of the innings. They’ve combined for 7.2 scoreless frames, albeit in mop-up duty, and both just happen to be former Brewers. While that might seem like a meaningless wrinkle, even the tiniest fraction of knowledge or motivation can provide leverage in a situation like this. And should they opt for Shōta Imanaga, who has given up 23 homers in his last 14 games, Counsell had better stay on the top step of the dugout from the first pitch.

The Cubs looked overmatched a week ago, but now they hold all the momentum and have a chance to do something special with it. Fasten those seatbelts, because this will most definitely be a turning point.