In going for their seventh straight win, Friday night's game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals was a typical tightly-contested duel between the two historic rivals, making the dramatic ending only fitting.
After the Cubs clawed back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead, the North Siders squandered great opportunities to add insurance runs in the eighth and ninth inning.
It looked like the failure to add on would doom the Cubs, as Adbert Alzolay allowed the first two men to reach to start the bottom of the ninth inning.
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In a back-and-forth duel with Cardinals pinch-hitter Brendan Donovan, Alzolay finally induced a ground ball, converted into a double play thanks to two stellar throws from Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson respectively.
Then, lefty pinch-hitter Alec Burleson came to the plate with a runner on third and two outs, when a fly ball to deep center field appeared to doom the Cubs' season-high winning streak.
Enter, Mike Tauchman.
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The heroic catch mirrors Seiya Suzuki's grand slam-saving catch vs. the White Sox, giving the Cubs a 3-2 win and their seventh straight win.
The victory pushes the Cubs above .500 for the first time since May 6, when they held a 17-16 record.
The Cubs will go for their eighth straight win tomorrow night with Jameson Taillon set to face Adam Wainwright.