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They did it! They really did it!
For the first time since 1908, the Chicago Cubs are World Series champions.
In a Game 7 for the ages on Wednesday night, the Cubs survived a furious comeback and an extra-inning rain delay to knock off the Indians in 10 innings, 8-6 . The Cubs' World Series victory ends one of the most famous title droughts in all of sports: one that included the infamous Billy Goat in 1945, Steve Bartman in 2003, and decades upon decades (108 years, to be exact) of suffering from north-sider fans.
And boy what a Game 7 it was.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Cubs appeared to have the World Series in the bag. They led 6-3, Aroldis Chapman was on the mound, and he needed just four outs to seal the championship. But then the Indians bats came to life, scoring three runs - including a 2-run home run by Rajai Davis - to tie the game at 6-6. The Cleveland crowd, which included LeBron James and a shirtless JR Smith, went bonkers.
After both teams failed to score in the 9th, the game headed to extra innings. But first the tarp came over the infield, as rain had started to fall in Cleveland.
A 17-minute delay transpired before play resumed. Chapman was seen crying in the dugout.
But when the tarp came off and the players took the field, it was as if the Cubs had forgotten about their 8th inning collapse.
Kyle Schwarber led off with a single and was replaced by Albert Almora to pinch run. One batter later, Kris Bryant nearly hit a home run but moved Almora over. An intentional walk followed, and then Ben Zobrist doubled home Almora in what became the game-winning run. The Cubs added another one more, and Karl Edwards Jr. and Mike Montgomery losed it out in the bottom half of the 10th.
Talk about a memorable way to end a title drought.
This season, the Cubs won 103 games and entered the playoffs as heavy favorites to win the World Series. After beating the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, the Cubs reached their first World Series since 1945.
In the World Series, Cleveland raced out to a 3-1 series lead behind stellar pitching. But the Cubs won Game 5, and then Game 6, and now Game 7.
Just five years ago, in 2011, the Chicago Cubs finished below .500. That offseason, they brought in Theo Epstein from the Boston Red Sox. Epstein famously built the roster that won the Red Sox the World Series in 2004, and yet again Epstein has ended a curse.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon, meanwhile, collects the first World Series ring of his career in his first season with the Cubs.
Congratulations to the Cubs, and to their fans. This World Series has been a longtime coming, to say the least, and nobody deserves it more. Especially after that Game 7, which assuredly took years off the lives of every single Cubs fan.