2018 Chicago Cubs season
The 2018 Chicago Cubs season was the 147th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 143rd in the National League and the Cubs' 103rd season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon, in his fourth year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central Division. The Cubs began the season March 29 at the Miami Marlins and finished the season on September 30 against the St. Louis Cardinals. On September 26, the Cubs clinched a trip to the postseason for  the fourth year in a row, marking the longest streak in franchise history. The Cubs finished the 162-game schedule 95–67, earning a tie with the Milwaukee Brewers for the division. They lost to the Brewers in a 163rd game to determine the Central Division champions, failing in their quest to win the division for a third consecutive year. Instead, they hosted the Wild Card Game against the Colorado Rockies, but the Cubs lost 2–1 in 13 innings. Previous season. The Cubs finished the 2017 season 92–70 in first place in the Central Division, winning the division title for the  second consecutive year. The Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series three games to two to advance to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the League Championship Series in a rematch of the previous year's series. In the best of seven NLCS, the Cubs lost to the Dodgers four games to one. Television broadcasts. The 2018 season was the second of the last for team broadcasts on long time FTA broadcaster WGN-TV, the 2018-19 offseason was when it was announced that effective Opening Day 2020, the Cubs will be moving to a brand  new regional cable TV channel, making them the 4th team overall to have their own cable station, officially ending a 7-decade long presence there. WLS-TV, the team's secondary over the air broadcaster, will soon take over the free to air broadcasts of Cubs games from that year on. Offseason. Wrigley Field renovations. The fourth phase of the "1060 Project" off-season improvements began after the end of the 2017 season. Construction was started under the seats behind home plate on the first of four premier luxury clubs to be located around the park. The players dugouts have  been relocated further down the left and right field foul lines to accommodate two of the four new clubs. The final club, located in the upper level, is planned for the 2019 season. The Hotel Zachary, just across Clark Street, celebrated its opening along with the Cubs' home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 9, 2018. Transactions. October 2017. Source November 2017. Source December 2017. Source March 2018. Source Regular season. Opening Day starters. Thursday, March 29, 2018, at Miami Marlins Roster. "(Contains all players who played in a game for the Cubs during the 2018 season.)" Postseason. Wild  Card game. Following their loss to the Brewers the previous day, the Cubs faced the Rockies who were forced to travel from Los Angeles following their tiebreaker loss to the Dodgers to face the Cubs in Chicago on October 2. The Rockies scored in the first on two hits and a sacrifice fly giving the Rockies a 1–0 lead. Jon Lester, despite giving up the first inning run, pitched six innings and allowed only the one run. Rockies' pitcher Kyle Freeland pitched well, limiting the Cubs to four hits in 6.2 innings of work. Freeland left in the seventh with  a runner on. The Cubs eventually loaded the bases on walk and a Tommy La Stella reach on catcher's interference. However, Jason Heyward struck out as a pinch hitter to end the threat. Following a two-out single by Anthony Rizzo in the eighth, Rizzo was lifted for pinch-runner Terrance Gore who immediately stole second. Javier Baez then doubled in Gore to tie the game. However, Albert Almora Jr struck out to end the threat. Following a quiet ninth inning, the game proceeded to extra innings. Cole Hamels entered the game for the Cubs and allowed a single  in the 10th and a single and walk in the 11th, but did not give up a run. The Cubs put runners on first in second with one out in the 11th, but could not push across a run. Kyle Hendricks entered the game in the 12th and, in the 13th with two outs, gave up three straight singles to give the Rockies the 2–1 lead. The Cubs went quietly in the 13th as they lost the game 2–1. Statistics. Regular season. Batting. "(Final regular season stats)" "Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H  = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BB = Walks; K = Strikeouts; Avg. = Batting average; OBP = On Base Percentage; SLG = Slugging Percentage;" Pitching. "Players in bold are on the active roster." "Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts" Farm system. Source 2018