Best Moments From Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series Run
- Jun 14
- 6 min read
Happy Birthday, Mom! In honor of your 54th birthday, let’s take a trip down memory lane to 2016. Back when the Cubs ruled the baseball world and you were the happiest Cubs fan in all of Chicago.
Javy's Basket Homer vs Giants:
The Cubs’ postseason began with a nail-biting 1–0 win over the Giants at Wrigley Field. In a scoreless game in the eighth inning, a young Javier Báez stepped in against veteran pitcher Johnny Cueto. Cueto attempted a quick pitch to throw Báez off balance, but Javy was ready. He launched a towering shot that, if not for the wind blowing in, might have landed on Waveland Avenue.
Fortunately for Báez and the Cubs, the iconic Chicago breeze kept the ball just inside the left-field bleachers, dropping it into the basket for the eventual game-winning home run.
Cubs Score Four In the 9th To Advance To NLDS:
Down 5–2 in the ninth, the Cubs turned to stars Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to spark a rally. Bryant led off with a single, followed by a walk from Rizzo, setting the stage for veteran Ben Zobrist. Facing a 3–1 count, Zobrist stayed patient and ripped a sinker from Sergio Romo into the right-field corner for an RBI double, trimming the deficit to two.
Next up was rookie catcher Willson Contreras. With a 1–1 count, Contreras jumped on a hanging curveball and laced it back up the middle, scoring Rizzo and Zobrist to tie the game at 5–5.
With no outs and a runner on first, the Cubs turned to Jason Heyward to lay down a bunt and move Contreras into scoring position. What looked like a routine sacrifice turned into a break for Chicago, as a throwing error by Brandon Crawford on the double play attempt sent Heyward to second with one out.
That brought up Game 1 hero Javier Báez. Down 0–2 in the count, Báez stayed locked in and hammered a 100 MPH fastball up the middle, scoring Heyward and giving the Cubs a 6–5 lead.
To close it out, the Cubs handed the ball to flamethrower Aroldis Chapman. Unfazed by the moment, Chapman overpowered the Giants, striking out the side with a barrage of 100+ MPH fastballs to secure the win and send the Cubs to their second consecutive NLCS.
Montero's Grand Slam Propels Cubs To Game 1 Win:
Game 1 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs was a tightly contested battle, as two powerhouse teams clashed under the lights at Wrigley Field. After a two-run eighth inning put the Dodgers ahead 3–1, the Cubs immediately responded, tying the game at 3–3 in the bottom half of the frame. But they weren’t finished yet.
With two outs, a double by Ben Zobrist and back-to-back intentional walks loaded the bases for veteran catcher Miguel Montero, who was pinch-hitting for Aroldis Chapman. On an 0–2 count, Joe Blanton hung a breaking ball and Montero didn’t miss. He crushed it 402 feet into the right-field seats for a grand slam, sending Wrigley Field into an absolute frenzy.
The Cubs would tack on one more for good measure, taking Game 1 with an emphatic 8–4 victory.
The Double Play Heard Around Chicago:
Game Six. The Cubs led the NLCS three games to two—just one win away from reaching the World Series for the first time since 1945.
Kyle Hendricks took the mound knowing exactly what was at stake, and he delivered one of the most dominant performances in Cubs history.
Over 7.1 masterful innings, Hendricks allowed no runs, no walks, and struck out six, etching his name into postseason lore.
With their ace dealing, the Cubs’ offense gave him support in the form of home runs from Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo, building a 5–0 lead heading into the ninth inning. With one out and a man on first, the goal was clear: turn two and punch a ticket to history.
On a 0–0 count, Aroldis Chapman fired his signature fastball to Yasiel Puig, who tapped a grounder to shortstop Addison Russell. Russell to Báez. Báez to Rizzo. 6-4-3. Double play.
Wrigley erupted. After 71 long years, the Chicago Cubs were headed back to the World Series.
Cubs Win at Wrigley To Force Game Six:
Down 3–1 in the World Series, it was do-or-die for the Chicago Cubs. With their season hanging in the balance, manager Joe Maddon handed the ball to veteran ace Jon Lester in hopes of keeping the dream alive.
Lester delivered. Mixing pitches with precision and leaning on stellar defense behind him, he held Cleveland to just two earned runs over six strong innings, striking out five in a gritty performance the Cubs desperately needed.
In the bottom of the fourth, trailing by one, Kris Bryant, who had struggled throughout the series, broke out in a big way. He launched a solo home run off Trevor Bauer to tie the game 1–1 and ignite the Wrigley Field crowd.
But the Cubs weren’t done. Addison Russell followed with an RBI single, and David Ross added a sacrifice fly, giving Chicago a 3–1 lead by the end of the inning.
With the season on the line, Maddon made a bold move in turning to closer Aroldis Chapman in the seventh inning for a rare 2.2-inning save. Chapman responded with sheer dominance, striking out four and slamming the door to secure the win.
The Cubs stayed alive and sent the series back to Cleveland for Game 6.
Fowler Starts Game Seven Off With A Bang:
A blowout 9-3 victory for the Cubs in game six meant that this series would have to be decided by a 7th game. No team had come back from a 3-1 World Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.
The Cubs were facing one of the best pitchers in the game, Corey Kluber. Heading into game seven, Kluber had a 4-1 record and a 0.89 ERA in the 2016 Postseason. He seemed untouchable, but not to Dexter Fowler.
Fowler, the Cubs leadoff hitter, saw a fastball in a 2-1 count and decided to swing for the fences. The ball jumped off his bat and just barely got over the center field wall to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead just four pitches into game seven.
Grandpa Ross Goes Yard In His Last Game:
Heading into Game 7, David Ross made it clear to the media: this would be the final game of his career. The baseball gods must have been listening.
In the sixth inning, facing the dominant left-hander Andrew Miller, Ross stepped to the plate for what could have been his last at-bat. Down 1–2 in the count, Miller fired a fastball over the heart of the plate—and Ross didn’t miss.
At 39 years old, he crushed a 402-foot home run, becoming the oldest player in MLB history to homer in a Game 7. A storybook swing, in a storybook moment, on baseball’s biggest stage.
Zobrist, Montero, Give Cubs The Lead In The 10th:
After a tense 20-minute rain delay in Game 7, the Cubs were forced to regroup, having just seen their lead slip away. But in the quiet of the weight room beneath Progressive Field, Jason Heyward delivered a passionate pep talk—a moment that would go down in Cubs lore. The magic was back.
In the top of the 10th, with runners on first and second and one out, Ben Zobrist came through in the clutch. He laced an RBI double down the line off Bryan Shaw, putting the Cubs back in front, 7–6.
Moments later, Miguel Montero—pinch-hitting once again—added insurance with a sharp RBI single that brought home Anthony Rizzo, extending the lead to 8–6. The Cubs dugout erupted, as did the faithful in blue scattered through the Cleveland crowd. But they all knew one thing: it wasn’t over yet.
108 Years No More:
Bottom of the 10th. Three outs away from history. The Cubs stood on the doorstep of breaking their 108-year championship curse.
Carl Edwards Jr. took the mound in relief of Aroldis Chapman and quickly retired the first two batters. But after issuing a walk and surrendering an RBI single to Rajai Davis, the tension rose again. With the tying run at the plate, manager Joe Maddon turned to left-hander Mike Montgomery to get the final out.
On an 0–1 count, Montgomery delivered a curveball low and away to Michael Martinez. Martinez swung and tapped a slow roller toward third.
Kris Bryant charged, gloved it cleanly, and with a smile already breaking across his face, he fired a perfect strike to Anthony Rizzo at first. "Out! Out! The Cubs have finally won it all!"
Everything had come down to this moment. A championship 108 years in the making—sealed by two of the team’s cornerstones. At long last, the Chicago Cubs were World Series champions.
Happy Birthday Mom! Hopefully, you won't have to wait another 108 years for the next championship. Love you always!
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