Chicago ousts Braves to reach NLCS; Yanks advance; Red Sox force a Game 5.
By MARC TOPKIN
Published October 6, 2003
BOSTON - Who invited these guys?
The Chicago Cubs joined the Florida Marlins in a most unlikely National League Championship Series by eliminating the Atlanta Braves in five games with a 5-1 victory Sunday night.
The Cubs, who lost 95 games last season, open the best-of-seven NLCS on Tuesday at Wrigley Field against the surprising wild-card Marlins, who ousted the favored San Francisco Giants on Saturday.
The American League pairing won't be set until tonight.
The Red Sox forced a fifth and final game in Oakland with a second straight last at-bat victory Sunday, winning 5-4 at an electric Fenway Park.
Boston's Pedro Martinez and Oakland's Barry Zito start tonight in a matchup of top pitchers.
Among those watching will be the Yankees, who advanced to the AL Championship Series for the fifth time in seven years by eliminating the Twins Sunday 8-1 behind a strong outing from David Wells.
The AL Championship Series opens Wednesday in New York and whoever wins tonight will be tired when they get there after cross-country flights on back-to-back nights.
"I'd like to believe we have an advantage," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Either the Sox or A's will counter with confidence from winning what has been a wild series. Sunday, the Red Sox came from behind twice, taking the lead for good in the eighth when David Ortiz, who was hitless in the series, delivered a two-run double in the eighth. The Cubs, for so long baseball's loveable losers, will be trying to get to the World Series for the first time since 1945. They won their first postseason series since 1908, the year they last won a World Series.
Kerry Wood pitched eight dominant innnings as the Cubs sent the Braves home without a World Series championship for the 11th time in their 12-year run of NL East titles.
