Jared Harper and Daniel Purifoy entered the game averaging in

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 Roberto Firmino Liverpool Jersey .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Adam Lallana Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. http://www.footballliverpoolstore.com/Women-Xherdan-Shaqiri-Liverpool-Jersey/ . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. Alisson Becker Jersey . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Rafael Camacho Liverpool Jersey . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. CANCUN, Mexico -- LeRon Smith made a crucial observation and followed it with a confident prediction sitting among his teammates on the bench Tuesday night.The Auburn forward watched again and again as Texas Techs Aaron Ross drove into the paint, hollered for the ball and hopped for easy layups. He watched as his teams lead got smaller and smaller, too.I was sitting on the bench, I asked, `Why doesnt someone just block his shot? Smith said. I said, `Theres no way Im going to let him get that layup.Smith came up with the block, swatting Rosss potential tying layup with four seconds left out to Texas Techs Zach Smith, who sailed a 3-pointer over the basket at the buzzer, and the Tigers held on for a 67-65 win in the Cancun Challenge.Mustapha Heron scored 15 points, Daniel Purifoy added 11 and Jared Harper netted 10 for Auburn (4-0), which led by 15 points with 11:15 left.Aaron Ross led the Red Raiders (3-1) with 17 points, Keenan Evans had 13 and Devon Thomas and Smith added 11 and 10, respectively. Smith grabbed 10 rebounds.Texas Tech is an NCAA tournament-caliber team, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. Theyre going to have a really good year. They didnt didnt get off to a very good start in either half and we did. I thought we played really good basketball in the first half.It was all Tigers at halftime. They led by 15 and dominated from midrange and added five 3-pointers. But the Red Raiders began to chip away and turned the rebounding battle in the second half, pulling down 20 to Auburns 11.Meanwhile, the Auburn offense went cold. Dunas snapped 4:18 skid without a field goal with a steal and fast-break layup to make it 65-59 with 1:18 to play.It didnt slow the Red Raiders, who continued a 28-15 run that ended when Thomas hit a layup with 32 seconds left to cut Auburns lead to 65-63. But the Tigers got free throws from Harper, who was 6 for 10 from the line but hit two in the final 255 seconds to keep the game out of reach.ddddddddddddTHE BIG PICTUREAuburn: The Tigers are 4-0 for the first time since 2011-12 and four underclassmen are helping them get it done. Bryce Brown, Jared Harper and Daniel Purifoy entered the game averaging in double figures and all chipped in equally against the Tigers. Auburn will try to win its fifth straight for the first time since 2004-05 on Tuesday.Texas Tech: Although they couldnt take the lead late, the Red Raiders, on their fourth head coach in six years, were able to keep the game within range. They did so with some explosive plays, including Zach Smiths furious slam dunk that cut Auburns lead to 53-45 with 7:52 left.PROTECTING THE RIMMaybe assistant coach Chuck Perkins overheard Smith as he noticed Ross cutting free to the basket?Pearl said Perkins suggested they put Smith in the game late. He had played just over 12 minutes to that point.Coach Persons suggested that I put LaRon in and I went with it, and it was a great call, Pearl said. Because LaRon is our best rim protector. . LaRon had some rebound baskets, he had some offensive rebounds and he was our best rim-protector at a very, very big time.LEARNING AND WINNINGHeron did plenty on the offensive side. Pearl noted the game began to shift as the true freshman got deeper into foul trouble. Heron picked up his third early in the second half and Texas Tech took advantage, getting inside the defense to sink 18 points in the paint over the final 20 minutes.The rebounding thing, it really swung in the second half. It energized them, Pearl said. I thought we stopped guarding in the second half. . Hes got to continue to guard and that, I think opened the door a little bit to Texas Techs run.UP NEXTBoth teams continue in the Cancun Challenge tomorrow. ' ' '