ATLANTA — The Cubs strode off the field slowly as the Braves converged in shallow left field to celebrate their walk-off win, fireworks bursting overhead.
The Cubs lost 6-5 in 10 innings Wednesday, one night after a heartbreaking 7-6 loss in which they blew a six-run lead. The Cubs (82-76) handed the third National League wild-card spot to the Marlins (82-76), who split a doubleheader against the Mets. The Marlins hold the tiebreaker over the Cubs.
An extra-inning game that stayed relatively low-scoring through regulation was surprising as the Cubs took on the best power-hitting team in MLB. But that’s how it played out.
“Whenever I see a great team like this, I actually look at it as inspirational,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said before the game. “It’s like, OK, that’s the standard. That’s the best team in baseball right now. And to get where you want to go, that’s where you have to get.’ There’s no point in not realizing that. Right now, they are the best team. I don’t think anyone would argue with that. And to beat them over the long haul, you’ve got to be better than that, and that’s a good standard to have.”
The Cubs took a 3-1 lead in the third. By the time Cubs starter Jameson Taillon jogged out to the mound in the seventh to face the heart of the Braves’ order, he’d only allowed one run, back in the first inning on Ozzie Albies’ homer. Taillon walked Austin Riley to open the seventh, then induced Matt Olson to hit a grounder, but it found a hole in the left side of the infield.
Marcell Ozuna, who’s listed at 6-1 but seems to be much taller than that, stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third. With a 3-2 count, Taillon located a cutter in the corner of the strike zone, low and outside. Ozuna hit it on the ground to second baseman Nico Hoerner, who fielded it cleanly. But then Hoerner skied his flip to second base over shortstop Dansby Swanson. Riley scored, and Olson and Ozuna were safe at second and first.
Left-hander Drew Smyly took over for Taillon, retiring the next three batters in order.
The Braves tied the game the next inning, with high-leverage reliever Julian Merryweather on the mound, with a couple of grounders that again found holes.
After Ronald Acuña Jr. reached first on a sharp grounder just out of Hoerner’s reach, he stole second. The MLB steals leader likely would have been safe either way, but catcher Yan Gomes yanked the throw in between second and third.
Then Albies hit a single through the right side of the infield. Right fielder Suzuki made a perfect two-hop throw home, but Acuna beat it.
The Cubs re-took the lead in the ninth. With runners on first and second, Gomes dropped a bloop single into shallow right field, scoring Swanson and moving pinch runner Pete-Crow Armstrong to third.
Cubs reliever Mark Leiter Jr. came in for the save in his first appearance in a week. He got Olson to pop out to second, but Ozuna hit a towering home run to left field to tie it. Then Michael Harris II dropped a short fly ball in front of a diving Crow-Armstrong in center field for a double.
Side-armer Jose Cuas replaced Leiter with one out. Two groundouts later, the teams were heading to extra innings.
In the 10th, Hoerner moved Mike Tauchman, the automatic runner, to third on a line out to right field. Then Ian Happ hit a sacrifice fly into the right-center gap — almost causing a collision between Harris, the center fielder, and Acuna, the right fielder — to seize a one-run lead.
Cubs rookie Daniel Palencia took the mound in the 10th. Acuna hit an RBI single and then swiped his 70th bag of the season. He pulled the base out of the ground as a congratulatory video played. Then Albies drove him in for the walk-off victory.