Cubs Kids Bash Way To Brink Of NL Championship Series

The young sluggers of the Chicago Cubs are making themselves at home in the playoffs. On a rare off night for Jake Arrieta, the Windy City kids bashed their way to the brink of the NL Championship Series -- and a spot in the record book.

Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber connected as the Cubs set a postseason mark with six home runs and beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 on Monday for a 2-1 lead in the NL Division Series. Arrieta struck out nine before departing in the sixth inning, and the bullpen finished the job in the first playoff game at Wrigley Field in seven years.

"To see the ball fly out of the yard as many times as it did was incredible," Arrieta said.

Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Dexter Fowler also went deep for Chicago, which held a share of the previous postseason record with five homers in Game 1 of the 1984 NLCS against San Diego.

"Pretty impressive," manager Joe Maddon said. "You know, I know the wind was blowing out -- we'll concede that -- but most of them were properly struck. We are definitely capable of that."

A third straight win for the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon, and the once woebegone franchise will advance to the NLCS for the first time in 12 years. The Cardinals, who led the majors with 100 wins this season, have won at least one playoff series in each of the past four years.

Mets 13, Dodgers 7

With big hits rather than beanballs, the New York Mets wiped out the Los Angeles Dodgers and took control of their testy NL Division Series.

Curtis Granderson drove in five runs with two doubles off the wall, Travis d'Arnaud and Yoenis Cespedes homered, and New York's dangerous bats busted loose for a 13-7 victory Monday night that gave the Mets a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five NL playoff.

Before a bloodthirsty crowd of 44,276 in the first postseason game at Citi Field, the Mets broke their postseason scoring record as New York public enemy No. 1 Chase Utley watched from the Los Angeles bench. New York quickly erased an early three-run deficit and made a winner of a mediocre Matt Harvey in his playoff debut.

Back in the postseason for the first time in nine years, New York can reach the NL Championship Series with another win at home Tuesday behind rookie pitcher Steven Matz.

Royals 9, Astros 6

Almost out of time and out of the playoffs, the Kansas City Royals realized they needed more than a big home run. They needed a lot of hits -- and maybe a little help too.

The defending American League champions saved their season Monday. They took advantage when Astros shortstop Carlos Correa couldn't handle a deflected grounder that might have been a double-play ball, and they rallied for five runs in the eighth inning to beat Houston 9-6 and force their playoff series to a decisive Game 5.

Correa homered twice, doubled, singled and drove in four runs in Game 4 of the AL Division Series. Houston took a 6-2 lead into the eighth, but a tough error charged to the 21-year-old rookie keyed the Royals' comeback to even the matchup at two games apiece.

Blue Jays 8, Rangers 4

Sure, R.A. Dickey was disappointed when he saw Blue Jays manager John Gibbons walking toward the mound. The 40-year-old knuckleballer had a six-run lead and was one out shy of qualifying for a win in his first postseason start.

Dickey also knew he was handing the ball off to a fellow Cy Young winner, and Toronto went on to beat the Texas Rangers 8-4 on Monday to force a deciding Game 5 at home in the AL Division Series.

Toronto led 3-0 even before Dickey threw his first pitch, with Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello homering in the first inning.

Tuesday, October 13 Schedule (All Times Central)

St. Louis at Chicago, 3:37 p.m.
NLDS - GAME 4

Los Angeles at New York, 7:07 p.m.
NLDS - GAME 4