U.S. Sports Desk, Oct 14 (EFE; odds by IDS).- Outfielder Kyle Schwarber, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Puerto Rican shortstop Javier Baez each hit home runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a series-clinching 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals and a berth in the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2003.

Tuesday evening’s win also marked the first time the Chicago franchise had clinched a playoff series at Wrigley Field, the iconic stadium built in 1914 and known for its ivy-covered brick outfield wall.

The Cubs, who defeated the Cardinals three games to one, have not won a World Series since 1908 and have been “lovable losers” for much of their history.

Baez delivered the first big blow for the Cubs’ offense in Game 4 of the best-of-five NL division series, driving in Schwarber and starting pitcher Jason Hammel with a home run over the right-field wall that gave the home club a 4-2 lead.

The Cardinals fought back tenaciously, tying the game in the top of the sixth on a run-scoring double by Tony Cruz and a single by Brandon Moss that brought home Jhonny Peralta.

On that latter play, however, Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler threw out Cruz at home to end the inning and keep the score knotted at 4-4.

That was the last run allowed by the Cubs, who used seven relievers after Hammel walked three and gave up two runs in just three innings of work.

The Cubs, meanwhile, wasted no time in reclaiming the lead, moving ahead 5-4 on a home run by first baseman Anthony Rizzo in the bottom of the sixth and getting an insurance run an inning later when Schwarber blasted a mammoth shot to deep right.

Dominican reliever Pedro Strop, who pitched the eighth inning, and Venezuelan closer Hector Rondon, who worked the ninth and was credited with the save, were key cogs in the Cubs’ victory, striking out four batters between them and giving up just one hit – a two-out single by third baseman Matt Carpenter in the ninth.

The game ended – and the party in Chicago began – when Stephen Piscotty struck out with Carpenter on second base.

The Cardinals, participants in the NLCS the past four seasons, got only three innings from starter John Lackey, who struck out five but gave up four runs and four hits.

Piscotty had given the Cardinals’ fans hope that a deciding Game 5 might be played at Busch Stadium when he hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning.

But Chicago’s impressive collection of young talent had the answer once again and has the Windy City – and Cubs faithful around the country – excited about the possibility of a first World Series berth for the franchise in 70 years and a first championship in more than a century.

In one other game Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers evened up their best-of-five NL division series against the New York Mets, getting seven strong innings from ace Clayton Kershaw in a 3-2 victory that sets up a decisive Game 5 in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

The winner of that game will take on the Cubs in a best-of-seven series that will begin on Saturday in either New York or Los Angeles. EFE

In wagering circles, the Cubs are also making history. According to Pay-Per-Head provider IDS from Costa Rica, local sportsbooks are closely following the series as well as the action in Las Vegas. A respected oddsmaker in Sin City shocked the wagering world by calling the Cubs 5 to 2 favorites to win the World Series.

In the past, the odds of the Cubs winning the World Series have been as high as 300 to 1, which would have meant a major payday for players betting on the underdogs if their beloved Chicago team ever won. This has been the case for more than a century; this season, however, many oddsmakers failed to recognize the talent of the young Cubs team.