during the last home game of the season didnt have the desired effect.

CHICAGO -- Jon Lester gave the Chicago Cubs a chance, Javier Baez supplied the power and Aroldis Chapman finished the job.A positive playoff opener for a city draped in W flags and hoping for a historic championship.Lester outpitched Johnny Cueto with eight sparkling innings, Baez homered in the eighth and Chicago beat the San Francisco Giants 1-0 in a tense Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Friday night.Lester retired his last 13 batters in a dominant performance, but the game was scoreless when Baez sent a towering drive into a stiff wind. With a raucous crowd of 42,148 and every player anxiously tracking the flight of the ball, left fielder Angel Pagan ran out of room as it landed in the basket that tops the ivy-covered walls at Wrigley Field.Baez thought it was surely gone as soon as the ball left the bat.I forgot about the wind, he said. The winds blowing straight in, and I hit it really good. Good thing it just barely went.Chicagos relievers in the bullpen in foul territory down the left-field line broke into cheers as Baez rounded the bases with the delirious crowd in a frenzy. Baez then came out of the dugout for a curtain call.Just waiting for him to make a mistake and he finally did, Baez said.Chapman allowed Buster Poseys two-out double off the ivy in the ninth before Hunter Pence bounced to second for the final out, wrapping a bow on Chicagos first meaningful game in weeks.Lesters $155 million, six-year deal in December 2014 was a key moment in the Cubs turnaround from also-ran to contender. They clinched the NL Central title on Sept. 15 and led the majors with 103 wins this year, but have their sights set on the franchises first World Series crown since 1908.I kind of figured as we got going it would come down to one mistake and luckily we didnt make one and they did, Lester said. And I think thats just kind of the beginning of the series.Game 2 is Saturday night.Cueto was outstanding, following up Madison Bumgarners four-hitter in San Franciscos wild-card win at New York with his own gem. The right-hander, deftly varying his delivery to keep the Cubs off balance, struck out 10 and allowed three hits in his second straight complete game in the postseason.We both were pitching a great ballgame and obviously we knew -- we were aware that one run was going to decide the game, Cueto said through a translator.Baezs homer stopped San Franciscos postseason scoreless streak at 23 innings dating to the World Series in 2014. The Giants also won it all in 2010 and 2012, leading to talk of even-year magic for manager Bruce Bochys club, but it was the Cubs with the good fortune in the series opener, a strange turn of events for the usually snake-bitten franchise.The Giants had at least one hit in each of the first four innings, including leadoff singles in the first three, but Lester held them off each time. The left-hander got some help from his usual catcher, with David Ross throwing out Gorkys Hernandez trying to steal second in the first and picking off wild-card hero Conor Gillaspie at first in the third.San Francisco had runners on second and third after left fielder Ben Zobrist misplayed Pagans sinking liner into a fourth-inning double, but Brandon Crawford bounced out to end the inning.We had a couple chances there. We just couldnt get the key hit, Bochy said.Cueto retired his first 10 batters and had the Cubs shaking their heads all night long. He also got some timely help from his defense.Hernandez got revenge on Ross with an outstanding, sliding catch on the warning track in left-center in the third. Kelby Tomlinson, starting at second in place of Joe Panik with the lefty Lester on the mound, robbed Zobrist of a two-out RBI single in the fourth, then took a hit away from Anthony Rizzo with another diving stop in the seventh.SEENActor and comedian Bill Murray was in the crowd cheering on his beloved Cubs. He did his best to bust the teams infamous curse, wearing a shirt that read: I Aint Afraid of No Goat.Rocker Eddie Vedder, Chicago Bulls stars Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook each got a loud cheer when they were shown on the videoboard in left field. Wearing a white Kris Bryant jersey, former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka fired up the crowd before the first pitch.Its time to play ball, he said while standing in front of the home dugout. Go Cubs Go!UP NEXTGiants: Jeff Samardzija gets the ball in Game 2 for his first postseason start in the same place he began his major league career. The right-hander was drafted by the Cubs in 2006 and spent his first 6 1/2 seasons with the team before he was traded to Oakland in the 2014 deal that brought shortstop Addison Russell to the Cubs.Cubs: Coming off a breakout season, Kyle Hendricks makes his third career playoff start. The right-hander went 16-8 with a major league-best 2.13 ERA this year. He was nearly unhittable at home, going 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA in 15 games.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap David Ortiz Red Sox Jersey . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. David Ortiz Jersey . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. http://www.officialredsoxfanstore.com/authentic-jim-rice-red-sox-jersey/ . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Tony Conigliaro Jersey . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Brock Holt Red Sox Jersey . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 12 Owners Issue. Subscribe today!Buffalo SabresOverall: 60 Title track: 81 Ownership: 29 Coaching: 66 Players: 73 Fan relations: 90 Affordability: 18 Stadium experience: 72 Bang for the buck: 47 Change from last year: +2With the Cleveland Cavaliers taking home a NBA championship this year, Buffalo now becomes a front-runner for most tortured sports town in America. But while the Sabres finished the 2015-16 season at just 35-36-11, there is hope for their faithful. The teams 81 points were the most since 2011-12, and rookie sensation Jack Eichel lit the lamp 24 times.Whats goodOwner Terry Pegula was a hit as soon as he bought the team in 11 (hes ranked 29th overall this year), promising to immediately spend to compete for a Stanley Cup. Five years later, and the Sabres wont be hoisting a trophy come June, but the wheels are certainly in motion. Eichel produced right away, and the additions of forwards Ryan OReilly and Evander Kane combined for 41 goals last season. Trading a first-rounder for Robin Lehner was considered a reach at the time, but the 6-foot-5 netminder looked promising in 21 starts last year, posting a .924 save percentage. Pegula showed he was serious by opening his wallet again this offseason, bringing in winger Kyle Okposo on a seven-year deal. Fans have to just trust the process for the time being, but at least waiting it out wont empty the bank account. The Sabres registered 18th in affordability with an average game cost of jusst $71.dddddddddddd30, and a Ulysses S. Grant will buy your average game ticket.Whats badApparently the fan appreciation night held during the last home game of the season didnt have the desired effect. The Sabres check in at No. 90 on our list in fan relations, down 36 spots from a year ago. That appreciation night featured giveaways, discounts at the team store, and various promotions, but roughly 75 percent of the fans in attendance were left out of the giveaways. One fan, a season-ticket holder for the past decade, was quoted in The Buffalo News as saying, Fan loyalty is taken for granted, and they do a poor job of tailoring the game-day experience for their core fans.Whats NewStadium experience at the KeyBank Center joined fan relations as a disappointment, falling 23 notches to 72nd overall, but the biggest change is on a positive note. The Sabres hopped from 108th to 47th in bang for the buck this year. Buffalo fans saw that same affordability that theyve come to love, but the bang was significantly better this past season. Despite giving fans just 16 wins at home, 73 percent of their home games were one-goal games, and the team featured four 20-goal scorers for the first time since 2010-11. The quality of hockey improved immensely, but dont worry -- those $4.25 hot dogs and $3 sodas werent sacrificed in the process.Next: Carolina Hurricanes?| Full rankings ' ' '