What you need to know: The game was basically decided by the time the Cubs took the field in the bottom of the first inning. The four-run top of the first, including a bases-clearing double by Addison Russell, who then came in to score on a subsequent Jason Heyward double, pretty much set the tone of the game. They would go on to add another six runs the rest of the way. Pitching and defense held the Cards to just two runs thanks to a solid, one-run effort over six innings by Jon Lester.
With the loss, the Cardinals’ hope for the NL Central division title is no more, and the Cubs magic number stands at one.
Next Level: Basically, none of the things happened on the field beyond the first inning mattered, but you play nine innings regardless because sometimes stuff like this happens. A Cardinals fan named Andrew Gudermuth was sitting in the first low down the left field line with full of nachos in his hands when Russell, who was chasing a foul pop, crashed full-speed into his girlfriend next to him. Russell came up empty, and so did the poor Cardinals fan.
Later, Gudermuth, now better known as “The Nacho Man”, got his nachos back, courtesy of the St. Louis ballclub and Russell.
@cardinals thanks for the loaded nachos @cubs thanks for the plain nachos. Thank you cubs and cards. Unforgettable. #nachoman pic.twitter.com/OGvnyfRN7t
— nacho man (@guder82) September 26, 2017
You won’t spend a better night at the ballpark.
Top Play (WPA): The aforementioned bases-clearing two-bagger by Russell (+.238), and it wasn’t even his best play of the night.
Bottom Play (WPA): Willson Contreras flew out to left with one out in the first (-.044). Told ya, the game was decided in the first 20 minutes.
Lead photo courtesy Jeff Curry—USA Today Sports