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Fans High 5 Cops After Cubs' Win, Capping Wrigleyville's World Series Weekend

GAME 5 HEADLINES: Lady Gaga at Wrigley | Fans keep the faith | 7th inning stretch dedicated to Ross | Do NFL ties mean Cubs will be champs?

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CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago Cubs played their final World Series game at Wrigley Field on Sunday, and they made sure Game 5 wasn't their final game of the 2016 season.

The Cubs beat the Indians, 3-2, but are still down 3-2 in the series. They need to win the next two games in Cleveland if they want to win their first World Series crown since 1908.

Patch provided live updates during Game 5 on Sunday, spotlighting what was happening on and off the field. Read what you missed if you just watched the game. And check out Patch's recap of Game 5, too.

Police Praised for World Series Performance

For three days, thousands of people descended upon the 44th Ward and Wrigley Field as the World Series returned to the ballpark for the first time since 1945. That meant more than 1,000 agents and officers from various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies patrolled the area to keep fans safe as they watched the Cubs-Indians games from the Wrigley stands or the bars and restaurants in Wrigleyville and nearby neighborhoods.

On Friday night, police told Patch that arrests had been "relatively quiet" during Game 3 of the World Series, a trend that appeared to continue through the rest of the weekend. No major incidents had been reported during Games 3 through 5 as of last Sunday night.

In fact, fans, spectators and residents praised the work law enforcement did in handling the World Series while it was in town.

Some people even went so far as to give a row of Chicago Police Department officers high fives after Game 5 ended:

Chicago police getting plenty of love after #cubs win!
A video posted by Ryan Young (@tvryanyoung) on Oct 30, 2016 at 9:25pm PDT

Some individuals were critical, though, of the police presence and the additional expense it was costing the city:

Police Cubs #chicago #police #support #cubs #baseball #weekendus
A photo posted by Jamel Benjemaia (@jamstagramx) on Oct 30, 2016 at 9:26pm PDT

It's not known what plans will be in place for police in the Wrigleyville area for Games 6 and, if necessary, 7, which will be played in Cleveland on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

On a related note, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson were both on hand Sunday for this season's final game at Wrigley Field.

—UPDATED (2:52 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31)

Dedicated to the Man Behind the Plate

The wonderful thing about the Cubs' appearance in the 2016 World Series is that this monumental event has been filled with smaller, magical moments. Like the celebrity guest conductors leading the Wrigley Field crowd in a singalong of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

On Sunday, Pearl Jam frontman and Evanston native Eddie Vedder was in charge of the ballpark's musical tradition. And he definitely made it something special. First, he invoked the spirit of famed Cubs announcer Harry Caray and then he dedicated the song to a player still out on the field: David Ross, the Cubs' 39-year-old catcher — known as "Grandpa Rossy" — who is considering retiring at the end of this season.

Watch and listen to the touching Game 5 moment.

—UPDATED (10:18 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30)

Being John Cusack … at the World Series

Evanston native John Cusack has attended all of the 2016 World Series games played at Wrigley Field, and he's also been posting his own game updates to Twitter. Reading them can make you feel like you're Jeremy Piven (before they had a falling out and their longtime friendship dissolved). Or maybe Joan Cusack.

Here are a few of his tweets:

—UPDATED (9:32 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30)

Shaking the House

The Wrigley Field faithful erupted in the fourth inning after the Cubs got to Cleveland starting pitcher Trevor Bauer and took a 3-1 lead. Cheering from fans was so loud that the ballpark was shaking, said Fox Sports announcer Joe Buck during the broadcast.

Members of Cubs Nation also erupted online. Except they did it in GIF form, as is the fashion of the day:

—UPDATED (8:41 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30)

Cubs Bring Their Gloves in Game 5

After the clinic in Game 4 on how not to play defense, the Cubs demonstrated some impressive glove work early in Game 5. In the second inning, catcher David Ross chased down a foul ball near the first-base dugout, but it slipped out of the webbing of his glove. No problem. First baseman Anthony was there to make a nifty saving catch for the out.

The following inning right fielder Jason Heyward scaled the wall along foul line to go after a ball, then angled his body backward to snag it.

Heyward's fantastic catch did remind a few fans of something a little less fantastic, however.

—UPDATED (8:10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30)

Lady Gaga's a Cubs Fan?

The World Series games at Wrigley Field have been a magnet for celebrities. Die-hard Cubs fans, such as Bill Murray, John Cusack, Vince Vaughn and Eddie Vedder, have been seen in the stands during Games 3 through 5. Even St. Louis Cardinals fan Jon Hamm came out to support the North Siders.

Now you can add pop music icon Lady Gaga to that list. She was caught walking into the ballpark Sunday by the Chicago Police Department, which did a pretty good paparazzi impression.

—UPDATED (7:29 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30)

Cubs Fans' Rally Cry: 'Make History or We're History'

It's fitting that Game 5 of the World Series — the first time in the 2016 postseason that the Chicago Cubs faced elimination — is happening on a Sunday. After Chicago's demoralizing loss to the Cleveland Indians in Game 4 on Saturday night, fans have been praying that the North Siders accomplish a feat only five other major league teams have pulled off: coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.

Despite that daunting undertaking, the Cubs faithful wasn't ready to concede and "wait for next year" hours before the final game to be played at Wrigley Field this season. Hope was in heavy supply around Chicago and online that the Cubs would win at home Sunday and then go to Cleveland to capture their first World Series title in 108 years.

In fact, the Cubs' tradition of holding Mass at the ballpark before Sunday home games was never more appropriate. The final one of the 2016 season was conducted before Game 5, according to WGN-TV's Paul Konrad:

A sampling of some of the posting headlines on the front page of Reddit's Chicago Cubs page showed the teams loyal following wasn't ready to give up yet:

Reddit user numbuh34 also posted a photo to the news and social media platform capturing fans writing messages on the brick walls outside Wrigley Field before Sunday's game. "We Believe" and "WE NEVER QUIT" were scrawled in chalk and represented not only the feelings of Cubs Nation, but the attitude the players on this year's team have had throughout the entire season.

RELATED: Can Cubs Overcome 3-1 World Series Deficit? Yes, But History's Not on Their Side

Here's a look at what other fans were saying as they waited for the first pitch to be thrown in Game 5:

The newest sliver of hope for fans to cling to revealed itself Sunday afternoon: The last time there were at least two tie games in the NFL — 1997 — the Indians lost the World Series in seven games. Earlier Sunday in London of all places, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Redskins played to a 27-27 tie a week after the Seattle Seahawks-Arizona Cardinals game ended in a 6-6 tie.

Of course, that occurence is coincidence, not causation. But when a curse involving a farm animal is considered the reason behind a franchise's championship drought of 100-plus years, it's pretty easy to accept.

And right now, Cubs fans would agree: We believe.

The marquee at Wrigley Field hours before Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday, Oct. 30. (photo by Chicago Police Department | Facebook)

Cubs fans gather in Wrigleyville near Wrigley Field before Game 3 of the 2016 World Series on Friday, Oct. 28. (photo by Tim Moran)

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