by Boutros Boutros Ghali

The wind was whipping out in Wrigley Field on Monday night making for a tough situation for any pitcher. But the Cubs did not have just "any" pitcher on the bump. The Cubs had Jake Arrieta and they were looking to Fly The W. 

Even Arrieta's superhuman abilities were unable to handle the elements on this night. Of course, he did handle them better than Wacha who got the "L" for this game because the Handsome Youngsters were hammering homers all over the place. 

Arrieta handled the wind and the Cardinals in the first inning with Carpenter being the only one who made any real contact on a fly ball out. Soler had himself a night and started it off with a walk in the first inning. 

Kris Bryant finally got off the schneid with single in the first to put two runners on base for Rizzo. Unfortunately, Rizzo lined out to Illiterate Jhonny at short stop who was then able to double up Soler who was off of second base. 

Jason Heyward has been a Cubs killer and he started the second inning with a shot to left field that looked like it might actually kill a Cub. Kyle Schwarber was running back hard on the ball, but could not quite get to it. His momentum carried him hard into the bricks and ivy, but he recovered quickly and got the ball in to hold Heyward at second base. 

Schwarber was fine, but the Ricketts called down to ask him politely to stop putting dents in the outfield wall that they just rebuilt in the offseason. Arrieta worked ground outs from Illiterate Jhonny, P-Ham, and Neck Tattoo to leave Heyward stranded at third base and the score still tied at 0-0. 

Starlin started the second with a ground out to Wacha, but the Cubs home run derby was about to begin. The wind was blowing relentlessly out to right field with the left handed Schwarber coming to the plate. 

Despite the whipping wind into right field, the Schwarbhammer needed to make amends to the left field wall for smashing into it so he went opposite field, cross wind, into the basket for the first run of the game. The Left Field wall was pleased. Kyle Schwarber may just mess around and get himself a series MVP for the amazing work he's been doing at the plate in the playoffs. Cubs 1-Cardinals 0. 

Arrieta went 3 up and 3 down in the 3rd to keep the lead, but could not help himself at the plate. The Cubs were unable to get much going on offense in the third, but all of a sudden, people started noticing that Soler seems to be un-out-able at the plate as he drew another walk. 

I'm pretty positive that Jake was being as pretty as he could possibly be around the plate due to the ridiculous wind in Wrigley. Trying to dance around the plate keeps guys from getting good contact, but it can also lead to some walks and in the fourth inning he gave up two to the first two batters. 

Heyward was frightening to see with two runners on, but Jake rung him up with a K. The Wrigley Field faithful were on their feet to cheer Arrieta on to the first out of the fourth inning. The Cardinals were able to score later, but the crowd had no downtick in support or excitement. 

Unfortunately, Illiterate Jhonny can't read so he did not realize the script called for an Arrieta shutout at home. He bounced one off the left field wall and drove in Spaghetti Steve from second base. Schwarber played the bounce beautifully and got the ball back in quickly. The game was now tied 1-1. 

Tommy P-Ham followed with a groundout that allowed everyone's least favorite Holliday to score from third base. The Cards had taken the lead 2-1. Luckily, Prison Tattoo has a bad thumb and can't hit so Arrieta closed out the inning with a Yadi groundout. 

It was time for the Cubs to respond, but Rizzo could not get it out of the infield. Starlin Castro knows where he is and what it means to be there after some horrible seasons. The Original Youngster has been waiting for these games his entire career and he was not about to let it get away. Castro hit a monster shot into center field to tie the game up again.  Cubs 2-Cardinals 2.

The good and the bad showed up in one at bat with Russell later in the inning. Addison Hustle ripped a triple off of Wacha with two outs to put the crowd on their feet again, but then he had to leave the game due to a strained hamstring. On a lot of teams, losing your starting short stop might be a concern, but pretty much everyone on the Cubs is a short stop and they just trotted Javy Baez out there without batting an eye. 

Baez got stranded at third though because Wacha intentionally walked Miggy to get to Arrieta. Arrieta could not make contact and the Cubs went to the fifth in a tie ball game. 

Arrieta was dominant again striking out Wong, Wacha, and Spaghetti Steve. Carpenter had a base hit but was left on base. Then it was time for the home run derby to continue. 

Kris Bryant has been stuck on 99 RBI for a couple of weeks now. He just could not seem to break through that barrier. Until the fifth inning of this game. Jorge Soler continued his amazing streak of never getting out with a single and then Bryant went uptown with a shot deep into the left field bleachers. The RoY finally blew through the hundred barrier with RBI 100 and 101 (Unofficially. Postseason RBI do not count on season totals.) and ran Wacha from the game with 4.1 innings under his belt. 

It was the third home run of the night for the Cubs and put them on top 5-1. Everybody jacking homers was going across the wind towards the left side of the park for some really tough homers. Anthony Rizzo had been struggling, but he used the wind to his advantage against Siegrist and let one fly into right field for another Cubs home run. 

Rizzo was finally on track and the Cubs had opened up a three run lead with three runs in the fifth inning. From that point on, the Cubs never lost control of the game. Cubs 5-Cardinals 2.

That doesn't mean the show was over. The Cardinals finally put up a home run with a 2-run blast by Heyward in the 6th inning. Arrieta recovered to ring up two more Ks, but Captain Hook popped out with two outs in the inninng (as he loves to do) and pulled Jake after he hit Moss with a pitch. 

Clayton Richard came on for the Cubs and two pitches later it was the Cubs turn to bat. Wong hit a grounder backed to Richard and was thrown out at first base. Cubs 5-Cardinals 4. 

Maddon called for the small ball in the sixth after Coghlan got on with a single. Fowler laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Big Boss Cogg into scoring position with Soler due up. 

YOU CANNOT STOP SOLER, YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO CONTAIN HIM!

Adam Wainwright was on the mound trying to finally sit Soler down, but it was time for Hip Hip Jorge! What do you do if you have gone to the plate 8 times in the postseason and already destroyed the post season record for plate appearances without an out? Jorge Soler hits another home run. 

The two run shot put the Cubs up 7-4 and would turn out to be the winning runs of the game. Soler has registered 5 walks, 2 home runs, a single, and a double to make yet another first in baseball history for this 2015 team. 

Cahill mounted the bump for the Cubs in the seventh and would have been off in four batters but Baez made an error at short stop to keep the inning alive for Cub-Killer Jason Heyward. Maddon made the call to the pen and brought in the Wood to drive the nail in the 7th inning. Heyward struck out and the Cubs came to the plate. 

Castro singled in the seventh. Then after a strikeout by Schwarber, another baseball rarity happened. Castro got hit by Baez's single and was called out because the runner can not touch a hit baseball. Miggy struck out and the inning was over. 

To Cubs fans horror, Pedro Strop entered the game in the 8th inning. To Cubs fans delight, he struck out Illiterate Jhonny, got a groundout from Greg Garcia, and another strikeout on Tony Cruz for a perfect inning. 

The Cubs came to bat in the 8th innning with the numbers 2,3,4,5 & 6 hitters all having homered. Only Fowler was missing from the top six hitters. He remedied that with a long ball over the right field wall off of Broxton. Cubs lead 8-4. 

The Cubs had a four run lead and no save opportunity, but Maddon brought in Rondon to end this one anyway. Rondon did end it, but not before Spaghetti Steve put a two out home run into the right field bleachers. I am happy to say that despite it being an NLDS playoff ball, the bleachers called for it to be returned to the field and it was with a nice toss halfway to the dirt. 

That's the Reckless Recap. Cubs can (and will) clinch today in Wrigley Field and I can't wait to write that recap. Go Cubs!