2011 D-backs oust historic '16 Cubs in Bracket
The 2011 D-backs rode the arms of their starting rotation and the bats of Justin Upton and Gerardo Parra to beat the 2016 Cubs in six games in the first round of the MLB Dream Bracket 2: Dream Seasons tournament.
They advance to the round of 32, where they will face the 2019 Nationals in a best-of-seven series.
• Box scores and game summaries
The simulated competition, featuring many of the greatest teams in baseball history, is being produced by Out of the Park Baseball 21, MLB‘s most realistic strategy game (PC and Mac).
The 2001 version of the D-backs did not fare as well, as they lost their first-round matchup against the 1957 Braves in six games.
D-backs ace Ian Kennedy was outstanding in two starts against the Cubs, tossing 13 1/3 scoreless innings while picking up wins in Games 1 and 5. He outdueled Jon Lester in both games.
The top three of the Arizona rotation -- Kennedy, Daniel Hudson and Josh Collmenter -- combined to allow just two runs over 32 1/3 innings in the series.
Parra, meanwhile, was the offensive catalyst -- slashing .348/.444/.652 -- and he delivered a walk-off triple in the decisive Game 6. Upton also had a nice series at the plate, smashing a pair of home runs.
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Game 1: D-backs 4, Cubs 0
Kennedy pitched a gem, going 7 1/3 innings while allowing just three hits before turning it over to relievers Brad Ziegler, David Hernandez and J.J. Putz to finish up the shutout. An error by Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant in the third, helped open the door for the D-backs. Bryant’s error on Kennedy’s one-out grounder meant that Parra's subsequent strikeout was the second, not third, out of the inning. Aaron Hill worked Lester for a single, and Upton then blasted a three-run homer.
Game 2: Cubs 3, D-backs 2
The Cubs managed a split of the two games at Chase Field behind the pitching of Jake Arrieta, who worked eight scoreless innings. Chicago took an early lead when Dexter Fowler opened the game with a homer. Hudson settled in after that for the D-backs, but Hernandez allowed two runs in the eighth to give the Cubs a cushion. Those runs would prove crucial as the D-backs rallied in the ninth off Aroldis Chapman for two runs. Both of the runs were unearned as they came when Fowler misplayed Chris Young’s two-out, bases-loaded fly ball to center.
Game 3: D-backs 8, Cubs 2
Miguel Montero, the 2011 D-backs version not the 2016 Cubs model, collected a pair of doubles and three RBIs as Arizona sent the sellout crowd at Wrigley Field home disappointed. The game was closer than the score indicated, with the D-backs carrying a 3-0 lead into the ninth before another crucial error by Bryant opened the door to five unearned runs. Collmenter earned the win by allowing just two hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Game 4: Cubs 9, D-backs 8
The two teams staged a home run derby of sorts, combining for six long balls -- four by the Cubs -- in a game the D-backs led for most of the way. Arizona led, 6-3, heading into the bottom of the fifth, 7-4 going into the bottom of the seventh and 8-6 after the top of the eighth. Rough outings by relievers Esmerling Vasquez and Micah Owings would prove to be their downfall. The Cubs scored two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to knot the series at two games apiece.
Game 5: D-backs 4, Cubs 0
Kennedy once again outdueled Lester, tossing six brilliant innings as the D-backs headed home to Chase Field just one win away from clinching the series. Hill and Young each had RBI singles in the sixth to give Arizona a 2-0 lead, and Upton continued his big series with a two-run homer in the eighth to give the D-backs some insurance runs.
Game 6: D-backs 3, Cubs 2 (10 innings)
The D-backs clinched the series in walk-off fashion when Parra smoked a triple to right-center with one out in the 10th to score pinch-hitter Henry Blanco from first base. Parra’s series-clincher came off lefty Mike Montgomery -- who came on to face him after Chapman, who had pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowed the hit to Blanco. Again, a fielding error by Bryant hurt the Cubs, as Arizona was able to push across an unearned run in the first.