Caitlin Clark‘s hopes of seeing her favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, reach the National League Championship Series ended in heartbreak Saturday night as Chicago was eliminated from the postseason on October 11.
The Indiana Fever guard, a life-long fan of the MLB side, had publicly shared her excitement leading up to the decisive matchup and even posted her support for Chicago before the series finale.
Expressing optimism that her team could return to the NLCS for the first time since 2017, the 23-year-old was watching on – but it all turned into a nightmare for the basketballer as the team suffered a 3-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 5.
The Brewers proved too strong at their American Family Field home, ending the Cubs‘ postseason run as they were dumped out of the National League Division Series and missed out on a chance to duel the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
Cubs starter Drew Pomeranz surrendered an early home run to Brewers catcher William Contreras, putting Chicago behind 1-0 in the opening inning. Although Seiya Suzuki briefly lifted the Cubs‘ spirits with a solo shot in the second inning to tie the game, the rally soon stalled.
Andrew Vaughn restored Milwaukee‘s lead in the fourth with a 383-foot homer off Daniel Palencia, and Brice Turang sealed the victory in the seventh inning.
His 416-foot blast to center field was his first career postseason home run and booked the Brewers‘ passage to the NLCS to face the defending MLB champions, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts.
Frustrations boil over for Cubs fans
Clark‘s affection for the Cubs runs deep. The former Iowa Hawkeye standout has long been connected with the organization, having thrown out ceremonial first pitches for both the Chicago Cubs and their Triple-A affiliate, the Iowa Cubs.
In 2023, she was even honored by the minor league team with a personalized bobblehead – a gesture recognizing her impact on Iowa sports and her connection to the baseball community.
But Chicago couldn’t repay her passion on the night as the lineup managed just four hits in the loss, going 4-for-31 at the plate.
Fans voiced frustration after the game, criticizing the team’s offensive inconsistency.
One social media user wrote, “The #Cubs offense is feast or famine. It is utterly impossible to advance in the playoffs when your runs predominantly come from home runs.”
Another pleaded, “At the Cubs offense please stop swinging at bad pitches.”
And a third commented, “Cubs offense does not care even a little.”
As for Clark, the disappointment of seeing her favorite team fall short comes after she suffered heartbreak with the Fever in the WNBA Playoffs, as they were defeated by the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.
The WNBA offseason has allowed her more time to enjoy other sports – but after Milwaukee‘s victory, it’s safe to say that the Indiana Fever star will have to wait another year to “Fly the W” in the Windy City.
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