CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs had every reason to mail it in Friday. But that's just not a trait this possibly historic team seems to possess.
Down two runs entering the ninth, the Cubs tied the score when pinch hitter Addison Russell beat out a single, diving into the first-base bag and driving in Chris Coghlan. Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the top of the 10th, thrilling the sellout crowd by touching 103 on the radar gun.
Then came the moment that set off the spree: Veteran catcher Miguel Montero lofted a homer into the left-field bleachers. The crowd exploded. His teammates stormed the field and mobbed him at home plate. The celebration was on.
"It's awesome," Russell said. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I think we drew it up perfectly. The stars aligned."
The party lasted over an hour, at least the part at the ballpark. It started on the field, with the mob around Montero at the plate, spilled into the Cubs' new clubhouse -- carefully sealed in plastic to minimize the damage -- and was accompanied by streams of beer and champagne, loud music, laughter and lots of hugs.
"The camaraderie, the chemistry, even hanging out outside the field, it's really a close bunch of guys," pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. "It's a special group of guys. We have veteran leaders, and a lot of great young players who just put the work in. Humble guys, all they want to do is come to the ballpark and win."
Then the partiers headed back to the field to share the revelry with several hundred fans who stuck around behind the Cubs' dugout, and the families of the players and staff members. Everyone took part, yet they knew this was just an early step on what they hope will be a long journey.
"I think our mindset is good," Russell said. "We know we've got to keep pushing. This is only the beginning."
The Cubs clinched their first NL Central title since 2008 around midnight Thursday when the archrival St. Louis Cardinals lost in San Francisco. By then, the players, coaches and manager Joe Maddon had exited the ballpark and gone their separate ways. They would celebrate with their fans after Friday's game, win or lose.
With the division crown in hand, Maddon played a bench-heavy lineup behind starter John Lackey against the Brewers. Their state-of-the-art infield got the day off, replaced by Coghlan, Munenori Kawasaki, Javier Baez and Tommy La Stella. No Rizzo. No Bryant. And so on.
"It's been amazing," said catcher David Ross, nearing the end of his final regular season. "I pinch hit today and got a standing ovation. I had to compose myself in the box."
When the Brewers grabbed the lead on three homers, helped along by a signature stout wind blowing out at Wrigley, no one would have been too upset if the game had ended that way. This was a day about fun. Heck, members of the team's front office, including president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, took the day off and sat in the bleachers. Epstein wore a gaudy black mustache as a kind of who-do-you-think-you're-fooling disguise before pictures of him began to circulate on social media. He just wanted to experience the "real Wrigley Field."
"It's really a privilege to be here," Maddon said. "It's different. Everybody should get this opportunity at some point in their big league career."
With the booze on ice and ready to go, the Cubs still grinded out at-bats in the ninth, loading the bases and tying the score. With this team, winning always comes before partying, and the Cubs were gunning for their 52nd win of the season at the Friendly Confines. And when it was done, with the hero being Montero, a beloved clubhouse presence who has struggled at the plate for most of the season, it only added to the jubilation.
"This team is marked by a very selfless, team-first attitude," Epstein said. "It was fitting to have lots of guys contribute. Not just the stars, but everyone contributed today in the comeback. Then the consummate team player, Miguel Montero, who has handled his up-and-down year so, so well, to walk us off and prompt the celebration, it was very apropos."
The Cubs still have work to do during the regular season. They need to clinch the NL's top seed. They need to get healthy -- outfielder Jorge Soler left Friday's game because of a "tight right side" that wasn't believed to be anything serious. They need to get their rotation lined up. And they need to maintain their edge as they approach a postseason that will have an entire city on tenterhooks, when the Cubs try to end the most famous drought in sports.
But that will unfold over the next six weeks. Friday was about celebration and achievement, fun, camaraderie, fans and family. Tomorrow will come soon enough.
"We celebrate at the end of the day," Russell said. "The next day comes, you know it's back to business."
