By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | Oct. 13, 2015, 7:16 pm CT

What’s always seemed impossible has suddenly become reality.

The Chicago Cubs slugged their way past the Cardinals into the NLCS, clinching a postseason series at home for the first time in their 139-year existence with a 6-4 win in Game 4 of the National League Division Series.

Following a 100-win regular season in which they battled injuries to key players all year, the Cardinals, who reached the Championship Series in each of the last four years, are headed home.

[Related: STL Baseball Today’s Complete NLDS Game 4 Coverage]

How it Broke Down:

After blasting a postseason record six home runs in Game 3 of the series, the Cubs’ power show continued on Tuesday night.

Cardinal outfielder Stephen Piscotty got things started on a positive note with a two-run home run on the fourth pitch of the game from Jason Hammel, but Chicago quickly responded with a four-run second inning off John Lackey, highlighted by a Javier Baez three-run blast. It was the first start of the postseason for Baez, who was filling in at shortstop for the injured Addison Russell.

Both starting pitchers were on a short leash for their clubs, tossing just three innings in each of their respective outings. After hurling 7 1/3 shutout innings in Game 1, Lackey surrendered four runs in the outing, allowing a postseason homer for the first time in 74 2/3 innings. Despite giving up just two runs, Hammel was lifted after three frames in favor of Justin Grimm, the first of seven relievers used by Cubs manager Joe Maddon.

Just four innings in, Game 4 had turned into a battle of the bullpens, and the team with the third-best ERA during the regular season ending up surrendering another two runs: the difference in the contest.

St. Louis added two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a double by Tony Cruz and a single by pinch-hitter Brandon Moss. The redbirds would have plated the go-ahead run on Moss’s base hit if not for the arm of right fielder Jorge Soler, who threw out Cruz on a play at the plate.

The Northsiders immediately responded back, with Anthony Rizzo and rookie Kyle Schwarber blasting solo shots off of Kevin Siegrist, who didn’t allow a single home run in the month of September.

A sold out crowd of 42,111 at Wrigley Field exploded as closer Hector Rondon struck out Stephen Piscotty to send the Cubs to the National League Championship Series, where they will face either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, retreated down the steps into the visiting clubhouse. Into the offseason.

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Game Notes: The Cardinals struck out 13 times in back-to-back games in the final two contests of the series, something that didn’t happen all regular season … the Cubs became the first team with three or more home runs in consecutive postseason games since the Detroit Tigers in 2011 … 15 of the 20 runs scored by the Cubs in the NLDS came via home runs.

More STL Baseball Today NLDS Coverage: 

Videos: Matheny, Mozeliak, and Cardinals players react to NLDS loss to Cubs

Photos: Scenes from Game 4 of the National League Division Series

News: Molina to see doctor Wednesday, could require surgery on hand

Media Reactions: Top Reads after Cards knocked out of postseason

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