Mike Montgomery's save in game seven of the 2016 World Series brought the championship to the Chicago Cubs, right? It was also his first save at the MLB level! Wow!
Mike started out as a starter. Although only 4-6 in 2015 with Seattle, he recorded two shutouts. That was good enough to tie four other starters for first place. His 4.60 ERA was not a good sign, however.
2016 was a little better with the W-L record. He was 3-4, but lowered his ERA to just 2.34, starting just 7 of 49 games for Seattle. Traded to the Chicago Cubs, he went 1-1 with a 2.82 ERA. Of the 17 games Montgomery pitched for Chicago, only 5 were starts.
Then came the postseason. The NLDS saw Mike collect a hold and a loss, but record a great ERA (1.69). The NLCS was not as good. Montgomery won a game, but posted an ERA of 6.23 in 4 games.
How about the Fall Classic against Cleveland?
Mike fanned four batters in just two innings in the second contest, won by Chicago, 5-1. Montgomery pitched the next two games, but could help little. The Cubs lost 'em both, going down 3-1 to the Indians.
A win at home in game five sent it back to Cleveland for games six and seven. In the sixth contest, it was Chicago with a 9-3 win. The Indians hit the ball hard against him, but they couldn't score a run despite getting a hit and a walk. Aroldis Chapman, the closer, pitched 1 1/3 of an inning and Cleveland did score on him. He'd gone 2 2/3 innings in game five, getting the save to keep Chicago alive. He'd be needed again in game seven.
And in that game, it was Chicago up 6-3 as Chapman came in with one on and two out in the bottom of the eighth. Four more outs. However, a three-run home run by Raja Davis tied the game. Chapman, still on the hill, got 'em 1-2-3 in the ninth, keeping it tied at six, and sending it to extras.
Chicago seized the moment. They scored twice in the top of the 10th to make it 8-6, and seemed to have it wrapped up. Carl Edwards, with two saves in the regular season, was the man the Chicago Cubs sent out to bring 'em home a winner!
It seemed like the right move. The first two batters were retired, bringing the Cubs to within one out of a World Championship. But then Brandon Guyer coaxed a walk from Edwards. Then, he took second base on the first pitch to Davis. On the second pitch, it was Raja continuing to keep his team in the game. Smacking a single to centre, it was 8-7. Mike Montgomery was the new pitcher and Michael Martinez was the batter.
Mike got a strike on Michael, who then sent a grounder to third. Kris Bryant picked the ball up, tossed it to first and Chicago had the game, 8-7! Montgomery, lost in all this hoopla, got his first save at the Big-League level! Could it have come at a better time? I don't think so! Anytime you get a save in game seven of a World Series, it's memorable!
Mike started out as a starter. Although only 4-6 in 2015 with Seattle, he recorded two shutouts. That was good enough to tie four other starters for first place. His 4.60 ERA was not a good sign, however.
2016 was a little better with the W-L record. He was 3-4, but lowered his ERA to just 2.34, starting just 7 of 49 games for Seattle. Traded to the Chicago Cubs, he went 1-1 with a 2.82 ERA. Of the 17 games Montgomery pitched for Chicago, only 5 were starts.
Then came the postseason. The NLDS saw Mike collect a hold and a loss, but record a great ERA (1.69). The NLCS was not as good. Montgomery won a game, but posted an ERA of 6.23 in 4 games.
How about the Fall Classic against Cleveland?
Mike fanned four batters in just two innings in the second contest, won by Chicago, 5-1. Montgomery pitched the next two games, but could help little. The Cubs lost 'em both, going down 3-1 to the Indians.
A win at home in game five sent it back to Cleveland for games six and seven. In the sixth contest, it was Chicago with a 9-3 win. The Indians hit the ball hard against him, but they couldn't score a run despite getting a hit and a walk. Aroldis Chapman, the closer, pitched 1 1/3 of an inning and Cleveland did score on him. He'd gone 2 2/3 innings in game five, getting the save to keep Chicago alive. He'd be needed again in game seven.
And in that game, it was Chicago up 6-3 as Chapman came in with one on and two out in the bottom of the eighth. Four more outs. However, a three-run home run by Raja Davis tied the game. Chapman, still on the hill, got 'em 1-2-3 in the ninth, keeping it tied at six, and sending it to extras.
Chicago seized the moment. They scored twice in the top of the 10th to make it 8-6, and seemed to have it wrapped up. Carl Edwards, with two saves in the regular season, was the man the Chicago Cubs sent out to bring 'em home a winner!
It seemed like the right move. The first two batters were retired, bringing the Cubs to within one out of a World Championship. But then Brandon Guyer coaxed a walk from Edwards. Then, he took second base on the first pitch to Davis. On the second pitch, it was Raja continuing to keep his team in the game. Smacking a single to centre, it was 8-7. Mike Montgomery was the new pitcher and Michael Martinez was the batter.
Mike got a strike on Michael, who then sent a grounder to third. Kris Bryant picked the ball up, tossed it to first and Chicago had the game, 8-7! Montgomery, lost in all this hoopla, got his first save at the Big-League level! Could it have come at a better time? I don't think so! Anytime you get a save in game seven of a World Series, it's memorable!
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