Next year is finally here. The Chicago Cubs are World Series champions for the first time since 1908 after securing a thrilling 8-7 win in 10 innings over the Cleveland Indians in a historic and memorable Game 7.
We expected a wild Game 7. We got that then some from these resilient ballclubs and even Mother Nature, who made her presence felt with a 17-minute rain delay before the tenth. When the skies cleared, the Cubs came away with the biggest victory in franchise history thanks largely to Ben Zobrist’s go-ahead double.
That’s how it ended. As for how we got there, we must begin at the beginning.
The Cubs put immediate pressure on Cleveland, scoring first on Dexter Fowler’s historic leadoff home run. Teams had been 15-2 when scoring first from the beginning of the LCS until now, so the importance of getting that first tally had been well established. But even when Chicago ran its lead to 5-1, there was never a feeling the Indians were finished or even rattled. They continued putting together quality at-bats, and with the assistance of shaky Cubs defense, moved into striking distance.
Strike they did in the eighth, as Rajai Davis unloaded an unlikely game-tying two-run home run against Aroldis Chapman. That reset the game and setup a dramatic finish, which culminated in the Cubs making history.
There were so many moments though. Too many to honestly count. We’ve narrowed it down to five that stood out as potential game changers in an instant baseball classic.
DEXTER FOWLER’S LEADOFF HOMER
Every player dreams of hitting a home run in the World Series. Dexter Fowler took that dream to another level, becoming the first player to lead off a World Series Game 7 with a home run.
Dexter Fowler smacked the fourth pitch of the night from Indians ace Corey Kluber for a towering blast to center field, which helped the Cubs offense to another fast start. Though not necessarily a home run hitter — he hit 13 during the regular season — Fowler has the Cubs offensive igniter all season. It’s fitting that trend continued in Game 7.
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