Home Sports Baseball Next Stop For Cubs: Pittsburgh, Cardinals Blanked By Braves

Next Stop For Cubs: Pittsburgh, Cardinals Blanked By Braves

Published on October 5 2015 6:45 am
Last Updated on October 5 2015 6:45 am

The Chicago Cubs gathered around televisions in the Miller Park clubhouse to catch the end of the Reds-Pirates game after beating Milwaukee for their eighth straight win.

Next stop for the Cubs: Pittsburgh.

"We're going to the `Burgh," manager Joe Maddon proclaimed following his team's 3-1 win Sunday over the Brewers in the regular season finale.

Entering their first postseason since 2008, the Cubs are brimming with confidence even if they must still head to PNC Park for the NL wild card game on Wednesday.

Chicago ended the regular season with a three-game sweep in Milwaukee. Maddon set a franchise record for most wins in his first year with the Cubs with 97.

Starter Dan Haren (11-9) allowed three hits and a walk in six innings. Anthony Rizzo had a two-run single with the bases loaded in the first to reach a career-high 101 RBI on the season.

Braves 6, Cardinals 0

Shelby Miller's drought-breaking win made the fourth-place Braves feel like celebrating.

Miller ended his 24-start winless streak, holding his former Cardinals teammates to three hits through eight scoreless innings and leading the Atlanta Braves over St. Louis 6-0 in Sunday's doubleheader opener.

"As a team, we haven't been this excited in a long time," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Miller's drought was the longest in the majors since Chris Volstad's 24-game streak from July 17, 2011 to Aug. 19, 2012. It was the longest streak by a Braves starting pitcher since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966.

Miller lost 16 consecutive decisions during the streak before finishing with one of the best starts of his season.

Tigers 6, White Sox 0

The Detroit Tigers didn't have much to say about their 6-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. They are looking to forget about this season as quickly as possible.

The Tigers finished a first-to-worst tumble, ending the year in last place in the AL Central after winning the division for four straight years. Most of the talk in the Tigers' clubhouse was about next year.

"There were some things that didn't go the way we hoped, but that's all in the rearview mirror now," manager Brad Ausmus said. "I'm honestly looking forward to start to put together ... some names and possibilities for 2016."

The Tigers (74-87) were hurt by injuries and shaky pitching in falling to last place for the first time in seven years.

Sunday was different, with the strong pitching of Daniel Norris (3-2) possibly showing a bit of the future. Norris pitched one-hit ball over five innings and Tyler Collins broke open the game with a bases-clearing triple.

Sunday, October 5 Scoreboard

Atlanta 6, St. Louis 0

Texas 9, Los Angeles Angels 2

Baltimore 9, New York Yankees 4

Philadelphia 7, Miami 2

Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 0

Colorado 7, San Fransciso 3

Detroit 6, Chicago White Sox 0

Cleveland 3, Boston 1

Chicago Cubs 3, Milwaukee 1

Kansas City 6, Minnesota 1

Seattle 3, Oakland 2

Los Angeles Dodgers 6, San Diego 3

New York Mets 1, Wasington 0