national league wild card tie breaker game national_league wild card tie breaker game game extension major_league_baseball mlb regular season played chicago_cubs san_francisco_giants determine winner national_league wild card game took place field chicago september cubs won game holding giants scoreless majority game giants threatened heavily ninth inning scored runs result game cubs qualified postseason giants game necessary teams finished season identical win loss records cubs won coin flip late season rule time awarded home field game victory advanced cubs division series swept ending cubs season popular chicago ending career threw game ceremonial pitch baseball statistics tie breaker counted regular season game teams events game added regular season statistics background chicago_cubs finished previous season central division record giants won west defeated eventual world series champion giants barry bonds drew criticism postseason performance recurring criticism dating time pittsburgh_pirates cubs offseason acquisitions following season including trading second baseman signing free agents notable event season race home run title single season record home runs cubs cardinals ultimately won setting new record closed season bonds totals home runs setting current record totals remain second highest figures mlb history additionally teams finished season game race national_league wild card cubs giants new_york_mets late season race included dramatic cubs loss brewers september cubs led outs bases loaded brewers ninth inning dropped fly ball allowing runs score error losing cubs game loss gained notoriety announcer ron santo final play final runs scored tied cubs giants wild card race late season september lost remaining games finished season game cubs giants ended tied record best non division winning record tie breaker necessary determine wild card winner coin flip september gave cubs home field advantage setting field location game event way tie cubs presented choice host home games receive bye play winner game road best combined record giants cubs general manager decided second option choice fell race cubs giants slated start tie breaker september game summary box score monday september field chicago game remained scoreless early innings apiece team innings giants loaded bases outs 4th inning struck end inning runs game came 5th singled lead inning scored home run cubs lead cubs threatened inning singles relieved loaded bases walk allowed single scored runs extended cubs lead relieved rodriguez closed inning scoring getting 7th allowed single walk pinch hitters respectively cubs double switched bringing relieve orlando play left field induced loading bases single entered relief got barry bonds ground base end inning cubs extended lead 8th inning got strike open inning giants double switched bring pitch base allowed single double advanced following ground threw wild pitch facing scored game giants responded 9th scoring runs game allowed successive singles open inning relieved singled score walked load bases bonds came bat bases loaded second time game lined deep right field scoring sacrifice fly advanced base entered got successive outs scored end game cubs aftermath chicago win clinched team 15th postseason berth franchise history years losing national league championship series cubs presence postseason playing spot world series led reference curse difficulties cubs faced story suggests cursed cubs goat asked leave game world series playoff berth matched cubs cubs swept games cubs world series won title baseball statistics tie breakers count regular season games events added regular season statistics example chicago_sun-times noted added notable home run total game add league leading total 4th inning added league leading total games played earned 51st save season finished 2nd tied 9th highest single season save total mlb history cubs giants won awards regular season performances including rookie year honors silver award gold glove award won valuable player award earning place votes taking remaining barry bonds drew criticism game poor performance including twice making bases loaded suggesting bonds played poorly big games bonds performance rbi earned win probability added lowest figure player game takes game situation account player altered team chances winning bonds figure translates decreasing giants chances success book game shadows details bonds suggested use performance enhancing drugs argues bonds grew jealous attention given record chase result according game shadows bonds turned weight training began providing following season
1998 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game