Rain delays have played major roles for the Cubs in these last two years of  baseball playoffs.  Last year, a delay in the 9th inning sent the Cubs to the locker room where Jason Hayward made an impactful speech to rally the team. It allowed the Cubbies to compose themselves while destroying Cleveland’s momentum on the way to the 2016 World Series title.  This year there was a bit of revenge by Mother Nature, as the weather worked against the Cubs and rain delayed game 4 at Wrigley.  With an extra day of rest, Nats’ ace Stephen Strasburg was able to make the start despite feeling “under the weather.”  He pitched a brilliant game to at least delay elimination and give new hope for a series victory.  Then, gale-force winds that kept the ball in the park all night, seemed to suddenly pause as Michael A. Taylor hit a grand slam clincher into the right field basket.  His heroics were a painful follow up to the damage that Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman inflicted in Game 2.

Kyle Schwarber, who hit 30 home runs for the Cubs this season, was nearly the goat in Game 3.  His double error in left field allowed the Nationals to score their only run.  It might have been enough to win, but Anthony Rizzo wanted some “respect.”  He expected to be walked with a runner on second in the 8th.  Instead he hit a seeing-eye bloop single into left to put the Cubs ahead.  No one in the stadium was more relieved than Kyle Schwarber.  However, he may never get another chance to redeem himself, and will probably be traded to the American League to be used as a designated hitter.

The victory spelled redemption for Nats’ manager, Dusty Baker, who was the subject of criticism all week for pulling Max Scherzer in Game 3, and then allowing Anthony Rizzo to hit with an open base available.  It’s the same Dusty Baker who helplessly watched Cubs fan, Steve Bartman, supposedly interfere with a “catch-able” pop up in foul territory back in 2003.  His Cubs fell apart back then, but his Nationals now have a home-field advantage in tonight’s deciding game.  Even fourteen years later, the late innings have not been good to the Cubs.

Yesterday was like a Shakespearean tragedy.  A rare error by Addison Russell at shortstop, a couple of wild pitches by Carl Edwards, Jr. and a shocking home run pitch from steady Wade Davis helped the Nats cause.  Did Joe Madden pull Jon Lester too soon?  Will this turn out to be another Cubs collapse in the post season, or another disappointing season-ender for the Nationals?  The “Battle of the Blunders” continues tonight…..