Cubs knock out Cardinals, advance to NLCS with Wrigley party

Bob Nightengale | USA TODAY Sports

CHICAGO - The championship-starved fans danced in the aisles Tuesday at Wrigley Field, screamed until their lungs ached, clapped until their hands were raw and shook the joint with unadulterated joy.

The Chicago Cubs, those lovable losers of the past, are now the powerful winners of the present, knocking off their rival St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 and moving on to the National League Championship Series.

It was the first time in the 139-year history of the franchise that the Cubs clinched a playoff series at home, turning Wrigley into a lovefest.

The sellout crowd of 42,411, many standing for most of the game, refused to leave Wrigley for more than an hour after the game ended, trying to fully grasp what had just happened.

So the Cubs, who retreated momentarily to the clubhouse to celebrate, decided to take the party to them.

The entire team, wearing T-shirts that read, “Chicago Wants It More,’’ went back onto the field, spraying champagne on fans. Rookie sensation Kris Bryant jumped into Anthony Rizzo’s arms and skipped along the infield. Rizzo dancing on top of the dugout shaking fans’ hands. An owner Tom Ricketts standing in front of the fans waving a white “W’’ flag.

“I think we’re getting better at these celebrations,” Bryant said. “We’re learning in a hurry.”

It had been 12 years since the Cubs had even won a playoff game, and now they’re in the NLCS for the first time since 2003.

“This is the kind of game people remember for their whole lives,” Ricketts said. “Nobody who was here today will forget today. That’s pretty amazing.

“The fans hung with us a long time, and now look at this. It’s fabulous. I don’t know what’s more special than this. Well, maybe the next round, and the round after that. We’re going to go all of the way.”

The Cubs, who will play the winner of the New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers NL Division Series, are four victories away from winning the pennant for the first time in 70 years, keeping the dream alive of winning their first World Series title since 1908.

This is a team that believed in itself since spring training and never stopped, winning 97 games. The Cubs might have finished third in the NL Central but certainly proved they’re the best in the division, knocking off the Pittsburgh Pirates in the wild-card game and now the Cardinals.

It was almost a symbolic passing of the torch, rookie shortstop Addison Russell said.

“They’re the standard bearer,’’ manager Joe Maddon said, “so for us to be able to beat them really is important to us as a franchise, organization. They’ve done it for so many years.

“It’s kind of special to be able to beat a team of that magnitude.’’

The Cubs, with their loaded farm system and young talent, knew there’d be a day they would be kings of the division.

They just had no idea it would happen this quickly.

“To play the Cardinals for the first time in the playoffs and win three in a row is incredible,” Cubs President Theo Epstein said. “We beat the Cardinals. They’re our big brother who’s been kicking sand in our face.”

While the Cardinals clubhouse was quiet, streets outside Wrigley were packed with fans partying in the bars, falling back in love with a team that won 24 more games than a year ago, playing with four rookies in the starting lineup.

“I had to pinch myself, I was watching guys in Instructional League last year hit balls over the scoreboard,’’ Epstein said. “They weren’t worried about history. They were worried about getting their laundry done.’’

Yes, he was referring to the moon shot hit by rookie Kyle Schwarber in the seventh inning that landed atop the right-field scoreboard. The Cubs announced Wednesday that the ball shall remain there, a testament to Schwarber's clout.

All this was supposed to happen next year. These Cubs didn’t wait.

“Obviously, times weren’t easy the last few years,’’ said Rizzo, who hit the go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, “but with all the talent we had, and all the talent we were building, everyone knew that the Cubs were coming.

“We’re here. Hopefully, we can keep this thing going.’’

GALLERY: WRIGLEY FIELD CELEBRATES CUBS' WIN