ARLINGTON, Texas — Ian Happ tied a career high with four hits, stole four runs on a game-tying bases-loaded walk from Jose Leclerc in the ninth inning, and the Chicago Cubs defeated the Texas Rangers 9-5 on Sunday to advance to the championship game. contributed to saving the. Their opening three games.
With the score tied 4-4, Leclerc (0-1) walked Michael Busch with one out, allowed a swinging bunt single to Nico Hoerner down the third base line, and walked Mike Tauchman.
Miles Mastrobuoni got a forceout at the plate, and Happ fell behind with a count of 1-2, but a full-count fastball walked and went wide, and Seiya Suzuki hit Jacob Lutz with a two-run homer. . Cody Bellinger singled on the final slide.
“After losing 2-1, we just had to keep living,” Happ said. “He's had a lot of success throughout his career, so I was trying to find something that I could handle. His eyes were good in that at-bat.”
Craig Counsell won 707 games over nine seasons with Milwaukee, earning his first win with the Cubs.
“It was definitely a great at-bat through the ninth inning,” Counsell said. “Guys are just being patient and taking what they're given initially. Ian got his count down and that walk was obviously big, and then he had some good at-bats and got some extra points. “I brought it to you.” Run. ”
Hector Neris (1-0) had one hit and eight pitches. Chicago's four relief pitchers shut out Texas in the final five innings with two singles and one walk, with seven strikeouts.
Rangers pitchers allowed 12 hits while giving up nine walks.
Chicago went 14-14 with runners in scoring position, leaving 13 runners on the field. Texas was 3-for-12 with nine RBI.
Christopher Morrell hit a three-run homer off Jon Gray in the first inning, and allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Marcus Semien hit a two-run single in the second against Jordan Wicks. Happ hit an RBI double in the fourth inning and scored another run when center fielder Leody Taveras misplayed the ball for a 5-2 lead.
Semien hit an RBI double in the fourth inning, and rookie Wyatt Langford scored on a game-tying two-run triple that soared over the 410-foot billboard in center field.
Langford, who was second in the batting order with Corey Seager given a day off, also made a sliding snow cone catch in his first major league game in the outfield.
“I put him in the second, third, fifth hole everywhere, and he didn't budge,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “So he had a good game.”
Wicks allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks in four innings. The Cubs' starting pitcher pitched 12 1/3 innings in this series.
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Cubs: LHP Shota Imanaga will start Monday's home opener against Colorado RHP Dakota Hudson.
Rangers: RHP Dan Dunning is scheduled to start Monday night's game at Tampa Bay, where last year's Rangers began an 11-0 postseason road run that culminated with a World Series title. Dunning will face RHP Ryan Peppiot, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the December trade for Tyler Glasnow.
