CHICAGO — Miguel Montero snapped an eighth-inning tie with the third pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-4, in their National League Championship Series opener Saturday night at Wrigley Field.
Pinch-hitter Chris Coghlan was intentionally walked with two outs in the eighth, loading the bases and bringing up closer Aroldis Chapman’s spot in the batting order.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon sent up Montero, who drove an 0-2 slider from Joe Blanton into the right-field bleachers for his first hit of the playoffs.
The crowd of 42,376 at Wrigley Field roared as Montero rounded the bases and kept cheering until the veteran catcher popped out of the dugout for a curtain call.