Inside The Cubs

On This Day in Cubs History: Chicago Experiences a Mixed Bag in the NLCS

We take a look at today's date in Chicago Cubs history as the Cubs compete in the NLCS during the mid-2010s.

Kade Kistner

On This Day in Cubs History: Chicago Experiences a Mixed Bag in the NLCS
On This Day in Cubs History: Chicago Experiences a Mixed Bag in the NLCS /
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Welcome to another edition of "On This Day in Cubs History" as we take a look on what happened on October 18.

Considering the date, almost all of the noteworthy events happened during the National League Championship Series. 

Over the last decade, the Cubs have had a mixed bag when it comes to success in the NLCS, with the obvious crown jewel coming in 2016 when they won the World Series.

In 2015, Chicago experienced a loss in Game 2 of the NLCS against the New York Mets. Cubs starter Jake Arrieta pitched five innings of four-run ball while striking out eight. He ran into trouble almost immediately as he gave up three of the four runs in the first inning alone.

The Mets would go on to win the game 4-1 with Noah Syndergaard earning the win for New York. 

In 2016, Chicago lost again in the NLCS, this time against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 6-0 fashion. The shutout was a tough loss to swallow, but the Cubs showed resiliency in that series as they would (spoiler alert) end up winning the series and moving on to the World Series. 

Arrieta was also the starter for that game and once again pitched five innings and gave up four earned runs.

Finally, in 2017, Chicago finally pulled off an NLCS victory on Oct. 18, as they defeated the Dodgers 3-2. The win delayed their elimination for another game, and Arrieta finally picked up the NLCS win he had been searching for for three years.

Like we said: Mixed bag.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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