The Chicago Cubs reached the NLCS in 1989, the year the second "Back To The Future" movie came out. They also reached the NLCS in 2015, the year that "Back To The Future Part 2" takes place. Alas, despite it's prediction of the World Series win, the Cubs lost both series.
1989 saw the Cubs take on the San Francisco Giants. And the Giants were determined to go to the Fall Classic with a chance for an all-west coast World Series should the Oakland A's beat Toronto. Well, that happened. San Fran took game one 11-3 over Greg Maddux and the Cubs.
But in game two, it was the hometown Chicagoians with a rout of their own. That by the score of 9-5. Les Lancaster got the win in relief for the Cubbies. It was out west for Chicago, but amazingly, they did not return home.
The Giants won game three at Candlestick Park, 5-4, erasing a 4-3 Cubs lead in the bottom of the seventh. Lancaster, the winner of game two, took the loss here. Maddux tried to tie it up in game four, but all that happened was a 6-4 San Francisco win, as Greg was gone after just 3 1/3. The Cubs needed a win in game five to send it back east.
It was probably the best-pitched game by Chicago in the National League Championship Series that year. But it was also the best pitched game of the series by both teams. The Cubs got a great performance from Mike Bielecki, who limited the Giants to just three hits and three runs over 7 2/3 innings. Alas, Rick Reuschel allowed just one run himself over eight innings. A run by the Cubs off Steve Bedrosian made it 3-2, but that was it. San Fran was off to the World Series, 4-1 winners over Chicago. It didn't matter that Back To The Future was released on November 22nd of that year (And I took it in!), Chicago wasn't going to win that year or in 2015. Their cross-town rivals, the White Sox, did win the World Series in 2005.
But in 2015, it was the Cubs with an impressive win over the Cardinals in the NLDS. Then, it was off to New York to take on the Mets. But New York was too strong.
The games were all closer then they appeared, but after four games, it was the Mets on top. New York took game one at home, 4-2. Neither team scored more than once in each half inning. The Mets though, fed off that kind of confidence in their pitching the rest of the series.
Game two was 4-1, Mets. But really, most of the damage was done in the bottom of the first as David Wright hit a run-scoring double and Daniel Murphy followed with a two-run home run. That made it 3-0, Mets. From there, the game went to a pitcher's duel. Each team ended the day with only five hits, but it was New York with the win.
Back home, the Cubs looked to get back in it. They stayed right with the Mets through five. But in the top of the sixth, the 2-2 deadlock was broken as New York broke free from Chicago with a run. Two more the next inning sealed it. The Cubs again seemed handcuffed at the plate, getting just five hits, again, and two runs. The 5-2 win had New York looking for the sweep of poor Chicago.
New York ran away with it early in game four at Wrigley Field. Four times they touched home in the top of the first. Before Chicago could mount any offence, they touched home twice more in the top of the second to make it 6-0. The Cubs broke the shutout with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Daniel Murphy's two-run home run in the top of the eight made it 8-1, New York. Chicago got two runs via a two-run home run of their own off the bat of Kris Bryant. That however, was the last scoring play of the game, as Chicago picked up only six hits and lost 8-3. The Mets were going to the Fall Classic in 2015.
References
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. (23 Oct. 2015).
1989 saw the Cubs take on the San Francisco Giants. And the Giants were determined to go to the Fall Classic with a chance for an all-west coast World Series should the Oakland A's beat Toronto. Well, that happened. San Fran took game one 11-3 over Greg Maddux and the Cubs.
But in game two, it was the hometown Chicagoians with a rout of their own. That by the score of 9-5. Les Lancaster got the win in relief for the Cubbies. It was out west for Chicago, but amazingly, they did not return home.
The Giants won game three at Candlestick Park, 5-4, erasing a 4-3 Cubs lead in the bottom of the seventh. Lancaster, the winner of game two, took the loss here. Maddux tried to tie it up in game four, but all that happened was a 6-4 San Francisco win, as Greg was gone after just 3 1/3. The Cubs needed a win in game five to send it back east.
It was probably the best-pitched game by Chicago in the National League Championship Series that year. But it was also the best pitched game of the series by both teams. The Cubs got a great performance from Mike Bielecki, who limited the Giants to just three hits and three runs over 7 2/3 innings. Alas, Rick Reuschel allowed just one run himself over eight innings. A run by the Cubs off Steve Bedrosian made it 3-2, but that was it. San Fran was off to the World Series, 4-1 winners over Chicago. It didn't matter that Back To The Future was released on November 22nd of that year (And I took it in!), Chicago wasn't going to win that year or in 2015. Their cross-town rivals, the White Sox, did win the World Series in 2005.
But in 2015, it was the Cubs with an impressive win over the Cardinals in the NLDS. Then, it was off to New York to take on the Mets. But New York was too strong.
The games were all closer then they appeared, but after four games, it was the Mets on top. New York took game one at home, 4-2. Neither team scored more than once in each half inning. The Mets though, fed off that kind of confidence in their pitching the rest of the series.
Game two was 4-1, Mets. But really, most of the damage was done in the bottom of the first as David Wright hit a run-scoring double and Daniel Murphy followed with a two-run home run. That made it 3-0, Mets. From there, the game went to a pitcher's duel. Each team ended the day with only five hits, but it was New York with the win.
Back home, the Cubs looked to get back in it. They stayed right with the Mets through five. But in the top of the sixth, the 2-2 deadlock was broken as New York broke free from Chicago with a run. Two more the next inning sealed it. The Cubs again seemed handcuffed at the plate, getting just five hits, again, and two runs. The 5-2 win had New York looking for the sweep of poor Chicago.
New York ran away with it early in game four at Wrigley Field. Four times they touched home in the top of the first. Before Chicago could mount any offence, they touched home twice more in the top of the second to make it 6-0. The Cubs broke the shutout with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Daniel Murphy's two-run home run in the top of the eight made it 8-1, New York. Chicago got two runs via a two-run home run of their own off the bat of Kris Bryant. That however, was the last scoring play of the game, as Chicago picked up only six hits and lost 8-3. The Mets were going to the Fall Classic in 2015.
References
Neft,
David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia:
Baseball, 1992. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1992. Print.
Retrosheet. www.retrosheet.org. Web. (23 Oct. 2015).
Retrosheet. www.retrosheet.org. Web. (23 Oct. 2015).
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. (23 Oct. 2015).
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