2015 National League Wild Card Game

2015 National League Wild Card Game
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Chicago Cubs 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 7 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
Team Manager Season
Pittsburgh Pirates Clint Hurdle 98–64, .605, 2 GB
Chicago Cubs Joe Maddon 97–65, .599, 3 GB
Date: October 7, 2015
Venue: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 40,889
Television: TBS
TV announcers: Ernie Johnson, Jr., Ron Darling, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Matt Winer
Radio: ESPN
Radio announcers: Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton
Umpires: John Hirshbeck (crew chief), Cory Blaser, Mike Estabrook, Jeff Nelson, Jim Reynolds, Hunter Wendelstedt, Dan Iassogna (replay), Mark Wegner (replay)
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The 2015 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 postseason played between the National League's (NL) two wild card teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In MLB, the two teams with the best record in each league who do not win a division play against each other in the Wild Card Game.[1]

The game was held at Pittsburgh's PNC Park on October 7, 2015. This was the third consecutive year that the NL Wild Card Game was played in Pittsburgh.[2] This was the third consecutive postseason appearance for the Pirates, all of which came as a wild card qualifier, while the Cubs made the postseason for the first time since 2008.[3] This was the first postseason meeting between the Cubs and the Pirates.

The Pirates and Cubs had finished with the second and third-best records in all of baseball during the 2015 season, with 98 and 97 wins respectively. However, since they were in the same division as the 100-win St. Louis Cardinals, they were slotted into the wild card game.

Box score & recap

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Chicago Cubs 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 7 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
WP: Jake Arrieta (1–0)   LP: Gerrit Cole (0–1)
Home runs:
CHC: Kyle Schwarber (1), Dexter Fowler (1)
PIT: None

Chicago's Jake Arrieta pitched a complete game, striking out eleven batters while allowing only five hits. The Cubs were paced offensively by Dexter Fowler and Kyle Schwarber, both combining for five hits in seven at bats, each with a home run. Pittsburgh starter Gerrit Cole gave up two home runs in a game for the first time this season. Cole lasted five innings, striking out four.[4] For the first time in 12 years, the Chicago Cubs won a postseason game and went on to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ Muskat, Carrie (September 30, 2015). "Cubs to meet Pirates in NL Wild Card Game". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ Newman, Mark (September 24, 2015). "2015 Postseason Schedule". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  3. ↑ Ortiz, Jorge (October 7, 2015). "NL wild card capsule: Cubs vs. Pirates". USA Today (Pittsburgh: Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc.). Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  4. ↑ Muskat, Carrie; Singer, Tom (October 8, 2015). "Deja adieu: Cubs' ace bounces Bucs". mlb.com. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Jake Arrieta blanks Pirates as Cubs claim NL wild-card game". ESPN News Services (Pittsburgh: ESPN Internet Ventures). Associated Press. October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ Neveau, James (October 7, 2015). "Cubs Win Wild Card Game 4-0 Over Pirates". WMAQ-TV (Pittsburgh: NBCUniversal Media, LLC.). NBC. Retrieved October 8, 2015.

External links

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