The Chicago Cubs’ 11-10 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 15, 2015, at Wrigley Field was a wild, unforgettable affair that encapsulated the rollercoaster ride of that season. Coming off a four-game sweep of the Mets, the Cubs, led by new manager Joe Maddon and bolstered by free-agent signing Jon Lester and rookie sensation Kris Bryant, were 19-15 and five games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. The game started with promise, as Bryant smashed a three-run homer in the third, his fourth of the year and third on the homestand. The Cubs built a 10-5 lead by the eighth, but the Pirates fought back, scoring four times, including a three-run homer by Andrew McCutchen off Pedro Strop, and tied it in the ninth off Hector Rondon.
The game stretched into extra innings, with neither team scoring in the 10th despite the Cubs loading the bases with one out, only for Matt Szczur to hit into a double play. The 11th was scoreless, and then came the 12th, where Edwin Jackson, of all people, relieved for the Cubs. The Pirates threatened with runners on second and third, but Vance Worley, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, flied out. In the bottom of the 12th, Starlin Castro walked, Miguel Montero singled, and Jorge Soler was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Szczur. The moment was electric, and Szczur delivered, driving in the winning run with a single, securing an 11-10 victory.
This win was part of a six-game winning streak, but the Cubs would hover around .500 until late July, when they embarked on a 45-18 run that propelled them to 97 wins and a wild-card berth. They’d face the Pirates again in the wild-card game, defeating them 4-0 to advance to the division series. That May 15 game, 10 years ago today, was a microcosm of the Cubs’ resilience and the promise of that 2015 season, a season that would see them return to relevance under Maddon’s leadership and with Bryant’s emergence. It’s a moment that Cubs fans remember fondly, a testament to the unpredictable nature of baseball and the magic of Wrigley Field. Stay tuned, because this story’s got legs, and for the Cubs, it was just the beginning of a memorable journey.
