2016 NLCS Game 7 vs Dodgers
The 2016 Chicago Cubs ended the longest World Series championship drought in history.
The 2016 Chicago Cubs season was the 145th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 141st season in the National League and the Cubs' 101st season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon in his second season as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central. They began the season on April 4, 2016 at the Los Angeles Angels and finished the regular season on October 2, 2016 at the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs finished with the best record in Major League Baseball at 103–58 (and 1 tie), and won their first National League Central title since the 2008 season, winning by 17½ games. The team also reached the 100-win mark for the first time since 1935 and won 103 total games, the most wins for the franchise since 1910. The Cubs defeated the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS and returned to the NLCS for the second year in a row, where they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games in the World Series, their first appearance since the 1945 World Series and first win since the 1908 World Series.
- Opponent
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Series Result
- Cubs win 4-2 in NLCS
- Venue
- Wrigley Field, Chicago
- Key Pitcher
- Jon Lester (Win)
- Key Batter
- Ben Zobrist (MVP of Series)
Lore & Background
In the 2016 NLCS, the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
In Their Own Story
The wind had died at Wrigley Field, a rare stillness that felt unnatural over the ivy-covered brick. Usually, a Lake Michigan gust would snatch a foul ball or a broken bat into the bleachers, but tonight the air hung heavy and silent. Jon Lester stood on the mound, cap pulled low, watching the Dodgers' lineup shuffle in with nowhere to hide. The scoreboard read 5-1, but no one was counting runs anymore; they were counting years. Every pitch felt like a step away from 1945. When the final out was recorded—a pop-up caught by Kris Bryant near second base—the stadium didn't just cheer; it erupted with a sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the North Side. In the stands, a man in a faded 1908 jersey wept openly as his grandson hugged him, the long winter finally over.
Reader's Guide
The 2016 Cubs won the World Series by defeating the Cleveland Indians in seven games, coming back from a three-games-to-one deficit. The last time a team came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the World Series was the Kansas City Royals in 1985. The Cubs were also the first team to win Games 6 and 7 on the road in a World Series since the Pittsburgh Pirates did it against the Baltimore Orioles in 1979.
Did You Know?
- The Cubs won their first National League Central title since the 2008 season.
- The Cubs reached the 100-win mark for the first time since 1935.
- The Cubs' 103 wins were the most for the franchise since 1910.
- The Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games in the NLCS.
- The Cubs came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the World Series.
More in Iconic Matches & Moments
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