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Cubs News

Run for the Ring: 2016 Cubs postseason

4 years agoTony Andracki

Marquee Sports Network will air the 14 best games from the epic fall of 2016 in another go-round of the ‘Run for the Ring’ series, beginning April 1 and running through the 14th. The NLDS and NLCS wins and every World Series game will air each day leading up to the unforgettable Game 7 classic that clinched the Cubs’ first World Series championship in more than a century.

Here’s the entire schedule that will air on Marquee Sports Network starting Wednesday, April 1 at 3:30 p.m. with Game 1 of the NLDS and concluding Tuesday, April 14 with Game 7 of the Fall Classic:

Wednesday, April 1 at 4 p.m.  –  NLDS Game 1 (Cubs 1, Giants 0)

Javy Báez provided the only offense in this thrilling pitcher’s duel that featured Johnny Cueto and Jon Lester going toe-to-toe at Wrigley Field. Cueto was outstanding, but Báez’s late-game heroics led to a deafening roar at Wrigley Field and earned him one heck of a curtain call.

Thursday, April 2 at 3:30 p.m.  –  NLDS Game 2 (Cubs 5, Giants 2)

Kyle Hendricks started for the Cubs, but had to leave the game early when he was struck on the right forearm by a line drive. But before he departed, he knocked in a pair of Cubs runs with a bloop single and then gave way to Travis Wood’s big game (homer, 1.1 perfect innings in relief).

Fun fact: The Cubs scored 17 runs in the NLDS and 6 of those were knocked in by pitchers – Hendricks (2), Wood (1) and then Jake Arrieta hit a 3-run homer off Madison Bumgarner in the Game 3 loss.

Friday, April 3 at 3:30 p.m.  –  NLDS Game 4 (Cubs 6, Giants 5)

After a tough defeat the previous night, the Cubs trailed the entire time in Game 4 until an unreal 9th inning rally. Staring down the proposition of once again facing Cueto at Wrigley Field in a stressful winner-take-all Game 5, the Cubs instead put together a relentless offensive attack, plating 4 runs off five Giants pitchers to set up a date with the powerhouse Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m.  –  NLCS Game 1 (Cubs 8, Dodgers 4)

This win might be better known as ‘The Miguel Montero Game’. After jumping out to an early lead, the Dodgers came back to tie the game in the 8th inning before Montero crushed a pinch-hit grand slam off Joe Blanton, nearly bringing Wrigley Field to the ground with the delirious crowd going nuts.

Sunday, April 5 at 7 p.m.  –  NLCS Game 4 (Cubs 10, Dodgers 2)

After 21 straight scoreless innings (including back-to-back shutout losses in Games 2 and 3), Ben Zobrist stepped to the plate in the 4th inning with the ‘Bunt Heard Round the World’. The veteran led off the frame with a bunt basehit down the third-base line, Javy Baez followed with a single and the next batter (Willson Contreras) knocked in Zobrist with an RBI hit. That broke the Cubs offense out of its mid-autumn slumber, as Jason Heyward later had an RBI, Addison Russell followed with a 2-run homer and the rout was on.

Monday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m.  –  NLCS Game 5 (Cubs 8, Dodgers 4)

Russell and the Cubs offense did not slow down on the following night, as the shortstop clubbed another 2-run shot and the rest of the lineup roughed up the L.A. pitching staff for 13 hits. Lester went 7 strong innings as he put the finishing touches on his case for co-NLCS MVP honors (alongside Baez).

Tuesday, April 7 at 3:30 p.m.  –  NLCS Game 6 (Cubs 5, Dodgers 0)

Clayton Kershaw shut the Cubs out in Game 2 at Wrigley Field, but the offense was unstoppable by the time Game 6 rolled along. Contreras and Anthony Rizzo homered and Hendricks tossed a gem, going 7.1 innings allowing only 2 hits to send the Cubs to the franchise’s first World Series since 1945.

Báez hit .318 and played phenomenal defense at second base while Lester posted a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings as they shared the MVP award.

Wednesday, April 8 at 3 p.m. –  World Series Game 1 (Indians 6, Cubs 0)

Even Kyle Schwarber’s miraculous return from a devastating knee injury couldn’t spark the Cubs offense in their first Fall Classic game in more than 70 years. Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen pitched a combined shutout and the Cubs managed only 7 hits (3 of which came off the bat of Zobrist). Lester was tagged for 3 runs in 5.2 innings despite 7 strikeouts.

Thursday, April 9 at 2:30 p.m.  –  World Series Game 2 (Cubs 5, Indians 1)

The Cubs rebounded on the next night behind Zobrist (2 hits, run, RBI), Schwarber (2 hits, 2 RBI, run) and a gutsy outing from Arrieta (5.2 IP, 6 K). Rizzo and Co. drew 8 walks in the contest while Mike Montgomery and Aroldis Chapman shut the door in the final few innings.

Friday, April 10 at 3 p.m.  –  World Series Game 3 (Indians 1, Cubs 0)

A tense pitcher’s duel ended saw the only run cross home plate on a Coco Crisp RBI single off Carl Edwards Jr. with two outs in the 7th inning. Hendricks was fantastic once again, but the Cubs managed only 5 hits, with Jorge Soler’s triple the only extra-base knock.

Saturday, April 11 at 7 p.m.  –  World Series Game 4 (Indians 7, Cubs 2)

Kluber continued his dominance as the Cubs dropped another game to fall down 3-1 in the series and set the stage for the most epic comeback any Cubs fan has ever witnessed.

Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m. –  World Series Game 5 (Cubs 3, Indians 2)

The March to Glory began with a leadoff homer from Kris Bryant in the 4th inning. That sparked the Cubs offense to once again rise from their offensive slumber, as Russell followed later in the inning with an RBI single and David Ross knocked in another run with a sacrifice fly. Lester and Chapman combined to shut the door on the Indians offense, as the Wrigley faithful nervously chomped on their nails on the edge of their seats on a frigid night at Clark and Addison.

Monday, April 13  –  World Series Game 6 (Cubs 9, Indians 3)

A huge start to the game propelled the Cubs to set up the most high-stakes game in the history of baseball. A Bryant dinger and some shoddy Cleveland outfield play gifted the Cubs a trio of runs in the 1st inning before Russell smacked a grand slam in the 3rd inning. Arrieta picked up another road World Series “W” as the Cubs and Indians got set for a winner-take-all Game 7 between the two franchises with the longest World Series drought in baseball.

Tuesday, April 14  –  World Series Game 7 (Cubs 8, Indians 7)

What could I possibly tell you about this game that you don’t already know? The most memorable contest from 144 years of Cubs baseball was 4 hours, 28 minutes of pressure-packed joy and anxiety, with a 17-minute rain delay mixed in.

The end result was the most triumphant moment in the history of American sports, ending a 108-year drought in the most thrilling possible way.

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