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Cubs use small ball to tie Cardinals in NLDS

 
Chicago Cubs' Jorge Soler, right, celebrates with Dexter Fowler (24) after Soler hit a two-run home run during the second inning of Game 2 in baseball's National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)  MODC119
Chicago Cubs' Jorge Soler, right, celebrates with Dexter Fowler (24) after Soler hit a two-run home run during the second inning of Game 2 in baseball's National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) MODC119
Published Oct. 11, 2015

ST. LOUIS — For one inning, Jorge Soler and all those Cubs rookies looked like playoff-tested veterans and the Cardinals appeared shaken.

That's all it took.

Kyle Hendricks and Addison Russell had successful squeeze bunts and Soler capped a five-run second with a two-run homer off Jaime Garcia, and Chicago held off the St. Louis 6-3 on Saturday night to even their NL Division Series at one.

"Listen, I can't be more proud of our guys," manager Joe Maddon said. "When you win a wild-card game like we did, I promise you, you settle in. We didn't win (Friday) but we were not overwhelmed by anything."

The former Rays manager made all the right moves a night after the Cubs lost the opener 4-0. Now the teams shift to Wrigley Field for Game 3 Monday, the first playoff game at the friendly confines since 2008, where Chicago ace Jake Arrieta will face Michael Wacha.

"Getting back there 1-1 with our big dog on the mound, the atmosphere is going to be good," Anthony Rizzo said.

The usually steady NL Central champion Cardinals made two errors as the Cubs didn't hit the ball out of the infield in scoring their first three in the second.

"It is hard to watch a club that's played so well defensively, see a couple things happen that are kind of uncharacteristic for us," manager Mike Matheny said.

In his first postseason start, Soler connected off Garcia, who was lifted because of a stomach virus after the second. The Cubs have been working Soler back into the mix after he returned from a left oblique strain in mid September.

"He got a ball up where I could hit it hard," Soler said through a translator.

Garcia told the team he felt a bit ill about an hour before the game but thought he'd be fine.

"I was going to pitch, it was my game," Garcia said. "I worked so hard all year for this situation and unfortunately it didn't go my way, but no excuse."

With Chicago facing the left-handed Garcia, Maddon sat his left-handed-hitting outfielders, former East Lake High standout Chris Coghlan and impressive rookie Kyle Schwarber, and started right-handed Austin Jackson and Soler.

Asked if he had considered using Schwarber given his recent success, Maddon replied, simply: "No." He had more to say when asked if fans and players should worry after losing the opener.

"The fan should always worry," Maddon said. "It's always the prerogative of a fan to worry, I absolutely believe that. That's what barrooms are for. That's what little forums are for online in this 21st-century stuff. Go ahead and worry as much as you'd like.

"From our perspective, we have to just go out and play the game like we always do. I'm here to tell you, man, I just can't live that way. I don't vibrate at that frequency."