Rizzo Delivers Again As Cubs Rally To Top Nats 2-1 In NLDS Game 3

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 10, 2017 12:00AM

The Chicago Cubs are just one win away from returning to the National League Championship Series after the defending World Series champs topped the Washington Nationals 2-1 in a tense and at-times-bizarre Game Three of the Division Series on Monday evening. The Cubs now lead the best-of-five series two games to one.

It was a classic starting pitchers’ duel for much of the day. Cubs starter Jose Quintana surrendered just two hits and one walk while striking out seven batters through five-and-two-thirds. The Nationals’ only run in fact was set up by a brutal two-error misplay by Kyle Schwarber in left field. Daniel Murphy got to third on the gaffe, and Ryan Zimmerman knocked him home with an RBI double.

On the other side, Nationals ace—and likely repeat NL Cy Young Award winner— Max Scherzer no-hit the Cubs through 6-and-one-third innings. But that first surrendered hit, a double by Ben Zobrist, was enough to get him the hook from Nationals manager Dusty Baker. (Scherzer has been grappling with hamstring issues.) With the ace done, Albert Almora Jr. capitalized at the plate, tying it up, 1-1, with a line-drive single to left.

The Cubs then tallied the go-ahead run in the eighth, when Leonys Martin scored on a harmless-looking, no-man’s-land blooper into left centerfield off the bat of Certified Playoff Hero Anthony Rizzo—who maybe the Nats might be thinking about pitching around more often.

Closer Wade Davis delivered a lights-out ninth to get the save. Game Four is Tuesday, October 10, at 4:30 p.m., at Wrigley Field. Tanner Roark will square off against Jake Arrieta.