It’s nothing short of a miracle the Chicago Cubs find themselves in the postseason hunt given their offensive inconsistencies and shortcomings this year – namely out of the leadoff spot where, entering Thursday’s finale in San Diego, the team carried a .202/.283/.368 line.
Joe Maddon turned to the world’s greatest leadoff hitter, though, and he immediately reached in the first and scored an early run – setting the tone for starter Yu Darvish. The right-hander twirled an absolute masterpiece, striking out 14 over six innings of work and the Cubs came away with a 4-1 win to salvage a series split.