MLB Playoffs: Extra, extra: Rock-tober resumes

The Colorado Rockies second catcher’s hit ends 13-inning marathon in Chicago to open the MLB playoffs

Third-string catcher Tony Wolters‘ single drove Trevor Story home with the decisive run in a 2-1 13-inning NL wild card victory over the Chicago Cubs Tuesday at Wrigley Field to open the MLB playoffs.

Wolters’ was the third successive two-out hit off Kyle Hendricks — normally a starter but working in relief because the Cubs had essentially exhausted their bullpen options. He got a 1-2 changeup and took it back up the middle past Hendricks. The game was the longest wild card game in major league history. The Cubs used 24 of their 25 eligible players; the Rockies used 20.

After Hendricks retired the first two batters in the 13th, Story singled solidly to center and Gerardo Parra followed with a base hit to right, bringing up Wolters.

In the bottom of the 13th, Scott Oberg struck out Terrance Gore, Javier Baez and Albert Almora Jr., to send the Rockies on to the National League division series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Their best-of-five series opens Thursday in Milwaukee.

It also resuscitates a late-season push — interrupted by their Monday playoff loss in Los Angeles — that had seen Colorado win 19 of 28 September games.  If regular season results mean anything — they don ‘t necessarily — the Milwaukee matchup will be a challenge for Colorado, which went just 2-5 against the Brewers.

Working on three days of rest, Rockies ace Kyle Freeland was exceptional through his six and two-thirds innings of work. He struck out six, walked just one, and gave up just four hits, one of them a freak single on a Kris Bryant pop fly that right fielder David Dahl misplayed.

He allowed leadoff singles in both the first and second innings, but the Cubs failed to move either of those runners. Then Freeland flash-froze the home team’s offense, retiring the Cubs in order through the third, fourth and fifth on 9, 9 and 8 pitches respectively.

Chicago’s first threat came after Freeland left the game with two out in the seventh and Almora at first. A wild pitch, a walk and a catcher’s interference loaded the bases before Adam Ottavino fanned pinch hitter Jason Heyward to end the inning.

Cubs pitcher John Lester was almost  as good…at least he was once he got warmed up. Charley Blackmon opened the game by working Lester for a walk, and D.J. LeMahieu followed by lacing a fastball literally into the ivy in left-center for a ground rule double.  Nolan Arenado‘s sacrifice fly to center sent Blackmon home with the game’s first run.

Lester retired the next two hitters, then completed five more innings on an allowance of just three hits and no walks. He struck out nine, four of them called.

The Cubs’ stifled offense finally showed a sign of life in the eighth. Rizzo singled, pinch runner Gore stole second, then Baez drove an 0-2 Adam Ottavino slider over second into center field, scoring Gore and reaching second himself on a hustle double.  That brought up Almora — Chicago’s best hitter to that point with two solid singles. But facing Rockies closer Wade Davis, he fanned.

The Cubs’ failure to produce much offense mimicked much of  their regular season. They played 56 games in which they scored two or fewer runs. Not  surprisingly, their record in those offensively-challenged games was 11-45. In games in which they scored more than two runs, they were 84-23.

The game’s closely contested nature should have been no surprise since the Cubs and Rockies split the season’s series 3-3, both teams scoring 33 runs, but it definitely added a great finish to the first MLB playoffs game of the postseason!