CHICAGO — The Cubs will play another day after they fended off elimination in the National League Championship Series with a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field.

Javier Baez hit two home runs and Jake Arrieta gave up one earned run over 6?2/3 innings as the Cubs triumphed in a must-win Game 4. The Dodgers had won the first three, including the first game at Wrigley on Tuesday night.

Willson Contreras also homered, crushing a solo shot off Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood with one out in the second. His second postseason homer traveled an estimated 491 feet and bounced off the left-field video board.

One out later, Baez hit a solo shot to left field to end a 0-for-20 skid. He entered the night 2-for-6 lifetime against Wood.

Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger responded with a solo homer to right off Cubs starter Jake Arrieta to cut the Cubs’ lead in half.

But Baez put the Cubs back on top by two with a fifth-inning solo shot to left field off Wood. Arrieta’s single with two outs in the fifth ended Wood’s night.

Arrieta gave up three hits with five walks and nine strikeouts. After 111 pitches, he left the field to a standing ovation following a walk to Chris Taylor with two outs in the seventh. Brian Duensing recorded the final out of the inning.

Justin Turner cut the Cubs’ lead to 3-2 in the eighth with a solo home run off Cubs closer Wade Davis, who entered to try for a six-out save. He got it, but not before he threw 48 pitches.

The loss was the Dodgers’ first this postseason after six wins and, for now, denied them their first trip to the World Series since 1988. However, ace Clayton Kershaw will pitch Game 5 for the Dodgers on Thursday.

The Cubs are trying to duplicate the 2004 Red Sox’s feat of coming back from a 3-0 series deficit.

The Associated Press

contributed