MLB Tournament of Champions: NLDS Series 2

The postseason of the MLB Tournament of Champions continues onward as we continue a look at the League Division Series!

As I mentioned in prior series posts, I'm devoting one post to each series to go through the storylines of each game and give every series the time and attention it deserves. And this one absolutely deserves every bit of attention it is getting, when we consider the storyline.

1975 Cincinnati Reds were a powerhouse in their day, and that power translated to the regular season where they won 52 games and challenged for, though never actually led, the NL Central. Instead, they settled for home field advantage in the Wild Card Series, though they needed the full three games to dispatch the 1998 San Diego Padres. Nonetheless, they are here and ready to continue their run.

Their obstacle is the all but unquestioned best team for the entirety of the Tournament of Champions in the 2016 Chicago Cubs. Chicago ran roughshod over pretty much every team in the tournament and had the best record virtually wire to wire. While they ran into a couple rough spots here and there, their 59 wins were the most in the tournament, and they were the first National League team to lock up a postseason berth. They defeated 108 years of negative history, and now they sit 11 wins away from being crowned the greatest team of all time.

The Cubs and Reds will play a best of five series, with the Cubs getting home field advantage in a 2-2-1 format thanks to having the aforementioned most wins in the tournament. However, it should be noted that these teams split their eight games in the regular season, which means this is anyone's series. I am keeping stats for this series, which you can view by series and in aggregate here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's play some baseball!

Monday, July 24th

Game 1
@ '16 CHC 6, '75 CIN 5
W: Edwards, Jr. (1-0) | L: Eastwick (0-1)

We were treated to a thriller to open the series at Wrigley. The Cubs drew first blood in the bottom of the second as Jason Heyward singled and scored on a Willson Contreras RBI double. Contreras came in on a Jake Arrieta sac fly, and after a Dexter Fowler single, Kris Bryant doubled him home to make it 3-0. Starter Jake Arrieta cruised through seven innings, allowing just an RBI double in the seventh to Cesar Geronimo before turning it over to the bullpen. The Reds took advantage as Hector Rondon gave up a two run shot to Johnny Bench to tie the game. The Cubs regrabbed the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Contreras doubled home Addison Russell. The Cubs brought Aroldis Chapman in for the ninth, he struck out Ken Griffey, Sr. before walking Dave Concepcion (at which point WhatIfSports pulled him, something that is as inexplicable as it was when I first noticed this trend back in April). After Justin Grimm punched out Geronimo, Concepcion stole second and scored on a pinch hit single by Terry Crowley to tie the game. Grimm then walked Pete Rose, Carl Edwards, Jr. came in and walked both Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench, which brought home the go-ahead run, before retiring George Foster. The Cubs had a flair for the dramatic in the bottom of the ninth though, as after pinch hitter Jorge Soler flied out and Fowler was ejected arguing a called strike three, Bryant went the other way for a single to set up an Anthony Rizzo walkoff home run that just made the basket in right-center.

Arrieta threw seven innings of one run ball, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out four. Bryant went 3-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI, Contreras went 2-4 with two doubles and two knocked in, and Rizzo finished the day 1-5 with the one being that walkoff home run for Chicago. Pat Darcy threw six innings for the Reds, allowing three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out three. Bench went 1-4, but drove in three of the Reds' runs including two on a home run. Geronimo had two hits, including an RBI double.

Tuesday, July 25th

Game 2
'75 CIN 8, @ '16 CHC 3
W: Gullett (2-0) | L: Lester (0-1)

The Reds were not going to let a blown Game 1 get to them. They got to work right away in the first, but left the bases loaded, while the Cubs got on the board right away on a Dexter Fowler home run. The good feelings didn't last, as Dave Concepcion hit a solo home run leading off the second to tie the game, then with two outs, the rally started as the Big Red Machine got two run singles from George Foster and Ken Griffey, Sr. to make it 5-1. Addison Russell answered with a solo home run in the bottom half, but that was all the Cubs could muster against Don Gullett. A Kris Bryant throwing error with two outs in the fourth made it 6-2, followed by a bases loaded walk to make it 7-2. Johnny Bench capped Cincinnati's scoring efforts with an RBI double in the fifth off reliever Mike Montgomery, and the Cubs' final tally came on a Bryant RBI double in the seventh.

Gullett didn't strike out a batter in seven innings, but only allowed three runs in that span to pick up his second win of the postseason. Pete Rose reached base four times for the Reds, scoring twice, while Foster and Griffey each went 1-5 with a two run single. Jon Lester took lumps for the Cubs, allowing five earned runs and seven total in just four innings, walking six and striking out four. Fowler had the leadoff home run as part of a 3-5 day with two runs scored, and Bryant went 2-4 with an RBI double.

Thursday, July 27th

Game 3
'16 CHC 7, @ '75 CIN 2
W: Hendricks (1-0) | L: Kirby (0-2)

We had a pitchers' duel through two innings in Game 3 when the Cubs finally broke through in the top of the third. With two outs, Dexter Fowler doubled and came home on an RBI single by Kris Bryant. Kyle Hendricks escaped a little jam in the bottom half of the inning, and the Cubs' offense roared to life in the fourth, putting up a six spot as the first five men all reached base and scored, chasing Clay Kirby from the game. Cincinnati got on the board in the fifth with a Joe Morgan home run for the only damage Hendricks allowed all day, and the Reds added another run in the seventh on a George Foster sac fly.

Hendricks only lasted five innings, but struck out eight and allowed just four hits and three walks. Javier Baez broke out of his slump with a three hit game, driving in two, while five other Cubs had two hits apiece. Cesar Geronimo went 3-4 for the Reds, Pete Rose had two hits, Joe Morgan homered, and the Reds bullpen threw six innings of one-run ball.

Friday, July 28th

Game 4
@ '75 CIN 9, '16 CHC 6
W: Norman (2-0) | L: Lackey (0-1) | SV: Eastwick (1)

The Reds put up a four spot in the first off of starter John Lackey, who walked two of the first three men he faced before coughing up back to back jacks by George Foster and Tony Perez. They added three more in the third as Foster homered again, and a pair of fielder's choices made it 7-0 Reds. The Cubs couldn't get any major offense going until the fifth when Javy Baez got the Cubs on the board with a fielder's choice. After a Lackey walk, Dexter Fowler tripled them both home, and a Kris Bryant sac fly made it 7-4. The Cubs left two men on in the sixth, but had a chance in the seventh, with Anthony Rizzo singling home a run before a Ben Zobrist single loaded the bases with only one out. But the Cubs only managed a sac fly and left the bases loaded still down one. The Reds immediately answered as Perez launched his second home run of the night, a two run shot that served as the dagger. Rawly Eastwick redeemed himself after his Game 1 collapse and the Reds forced a winner-take-all Game 5 back in Chicago.

Foster drove in four with his pair of home runs, Perez drove in three with his, and Fred Norman picked up his second win of the tournament despite allowing a couple Cubs rallies to make it close as he finished his day with six runs allowed in six and a third innings, though he struck out seven in the victory. Fowler led the Cubs with his two run triple while scoring two runs and walking twice to add to his 1-3 day, and Rizzo had a two hit game for Chicago.

Sunday, July 30th

Game 5
@ '16 CHC 2, '75 CIN 1
W: Grimm (1-0) | L: McEnaney (0-1)

Game 5 lived up to its billing and served as the perfect finale to this series. The pitchers engaged in a strong duel, with neither side mounting a major rally until the top of the third, when the Reds loaded the bases despite Pat Darcy, who had reached on an error, getting thrown out at third base. George Foster drew a bases loaded walk and put the Reds on top and in control. Jake Arrieta got a strikeout to escape without any further damage, and settled into a groove. Darcy, meanwhile, did a great job limiting the Cubs' offense until the sixth inning. After Dexter Fowler drew a leadoff walk, he induced a Kris Bryant double play, but he made a costly mistake to Anthony Rizzo who tattooed a baseball into the bushes in center field to tie the game. Other than getting two on with two out in the top of the seventh, the Reds wouldn't threaten again. The Cubs had a chance in the eighth that they couldn't convert, but they got redemption in the bottom of the ninth when Ben Zobrist launched a one out solo home run to send the Cubs on to the NLCS.

Arrieta was brilliant once again, going seven innings allowing just one run on five hits, walking three and striking out 11. Hector Rondon and Justin Grimm retired all six Reds they faced, and Rizzo and Zobrist provided all the offense the Cubs needed. Darcy was excellent as well, going six innings allowing five hits and walking two while striking out three, making just the one mistake to Rizzo. Clay Carroll threw two scoreless innings in relief, finishing off an excellent NLDS, while Pete Rose had two hits for the Reds.

To see the updated bracket, click here.

I was really nervous while simulating this series. They needed a pair of walkoff home runs to do it, but congratulations to the 2016 Chicago Cubs, who advance to the National League Championship Series! They will take on the 1995 Atlanta Braves beginning on Tuesday.

This concludes the Division Series round of the MLB Tournament of Champions! Thank you for following along to date, and check back again in a week or so to see if the ride will continue!