IST 2016 NLCS - Dodgers vs Cubs

[Guest d'Kong76]

I still think it would be hilarious if the Cubs got swept again. Hilarious, I tell ya.

[Guest themetfairy]

d'Kong76 wrote: I still think it would be hilarious if the Cubs got swept again. Hilarious, I tell ya.

So long as one of them slides straight into Chase Utley's knee on the way to being swept, I could get behind this.

[Frayed Knot]

Whether it's because it was pre-decided by contract that FOX gets priority this year (AL series is on TBS) or if it was a decision based purely on the Cubs being the TV darlings this year, the first five games of this series will be in prime time: SAT, SUN, TUE, WED, THU
Game 6 (next Saturday) will be a day game but only if it conflicts with AL Game 7.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Games between teams from Chicago and Los Angeles will get a lot more viewers than games played between teams from Cleveland and Toronto.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Games between teams from Chicago and Los Angeles will get a lot more viewers than games played between teams from Cleveland and Toronto.

I always wondered if this called for the opposite though. The large viewership for the big market teams will manage to be there at 4, and might also stick around at 8, especially if they already have to alter their routine for their own game (i.e., if you leave work early to get to a viewing party/bar, why not stick it out?) Unless they think there are so many non-team fans that'll tune in to the big markets versus the smaller ones. Like, are Mariners fans more likely to tune in to LA-CHI versus CLE-TOR?

[Guest d'Kong76]

LA Dodgers at Chi. Cubs
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, October 15, 2016
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
SportsDirect Inc.

The Chicago Cubs avoided an anxiety-filled Game 5 at home in the National League Division Series with a remarkable ninth-inning comeback on Tuesday and then waited around until late Thursday to figure out who they would face in the Championship Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who authored their own dramatic road victory in the NLDS, were the lucky winners in the battle of teams fighting for the chance to go up against the best team in baseball and will visit Chicago for Game 1 of the NLCS on Saturday.

The Cubs got six RBIs from their pitchers in the NLDS and are hoping the momentum from a four-run ninth inning in Game 4 can carry over to the next series for the offense. "We struggled at the plate in that series," Chicago general manager Jed Hoyer told reporters. "Maybe that kind of rally is what we needed to open the flood gates. ... It's nice to know we can win a series without having our best offense." The Dodgers went into a decisive Game 5 in Washington on Thursday and battled through a seventh inning that saw them take the lead over the course of 1 hour, 6 minutes, and then they had to turn to ace Clayton Kershaw to close it out. "It's just one of those things that when you're in the middle of a game, you're trying to count outs and shorten the game and put guys in the best position to have success on the offensive side, the defensive side," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the win.

TV: 8:08 p.m. ET, FS1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (0-1, 12.00 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jon Lester (1-0, 0.00)

Kershaw started Game 4 and closed out Game 5 of the NLDS, so Los Angeles will turn to Maeda in Game 1 of the NLCS. The native of Japan was roughed up for four runs on five hits and a pair of walks over three innings in his NLDS start and has lost three in a row while posting an 11.17 ERA going back to the regular season. Maeda, who is facing Chicago for the first time in his career, went 9-6 with a 3.74 ERA in 17 road starts this year.

Lester is one of three legitimate Cy Young Award candidates on the Cubs' staff and will get the Game 1 nod over Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta after tossing eight scoreless innings in the NLDS opener versus San Francisco. The 32-year-old, who went 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA during the regular season, struck out five and did not walk a batter against the Giants to improve to 7-6 with a 2.63 ERA in 17 career postseason games (15 starts). Lester faced the Dodgers twice in the regular season and allowed a total of one run while striking out 16 over 15 innings.

WALK-OFFS:
1. The Cubs, who lost to the New York Mets in the NLCS last season, have not reached the World Series since 1945 and have not won a championship since 1908.
2. Los Angeles 3B Justin Turner batted .400 with a .591 on-base percentage and five RBIs against the Nationals.
3. Chicago INF Javier Baez went 6-for-16 in the NLDS and likely will get the start at 2B in Game 1, with Ben Zobrist moving to the outfield.

[Frayed Knot]

Hmmmm, (Cubs catcher) Ross seemed a bit pissed at Adrian Gonzalez following that play at the plate.
Not sure why because I didn't see AG do anything wrong, but Ross seemed to be glaring and showing the ball back in the direction of the Dodger dugout for about 10 seconds after the play was over.

[Zvon]

Anyone see the Fowler catches in this game?

The
Cubs
are
going
all
the
way!

3-0

[Zvon]

Frayed Knot wrote: Hmmmm, (Cubs catcher) Ross seemed a bit pissed at Adrian Gonzalez following that play at the plate. Not sure why because I didn't see AG do anything wrong, but Ross seemed to be glaring and showing the ball back in the direction of the Dodger dugout for about 10 seconds after the play was over.

This was almost as bizarre as Werth the other night. I guess the new thing is to make them make the throw.
AG did put up a wing.

[Fman99]

Joe Buck is insufferable to me.

[Zvon]

Joe Buck is insufferable to me.

Is droll the right word?



OE: Nope, I looked it up. Too good for him.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/droll?s=t

morbid of voice?

[Zvon]

Bryant is so tall if he didn't squat at the plate like that the catcher would have to stand up to cover the strike zone.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Fman99 wrote: Joe Buck is insufferable to me.

Dude makes like $5mil/year! It's just mind boggling!
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/highest-paid-sportscaster-analyst-commentators/

[Zvon]

ugh man, he's trying to make a Bartman outta somebody!

[Frayed Knot]

So far you have to say that the Indians are getting more out of their mid-season MFY reliever pickup than are the Cubs.
That's now the second lead Chapman has given up in just five games now - even if most of the runs he has allowed have been runners he's inherited.

[Zvon]

Oh maaaaaan! TIED!

If Buck tries to make that analogy again, Rizzo play and Bartman grab....I'll have to mute it. "Thanks for picking me up?"
Dude, he made a fantastic effort for a ball he hardly had a chance for and no fan was near it. And his team-mates were not down on him for having it slip out, mid-dive, into the stands.

[Zvon]

Just to torture us they remove the crowd noise and it's just Buck. Ha.

[Frayed Knot]

Well THAT pretty much settles things for tonight.

[Zvon]

WOW! Montero rips a granny!

7-3 Cubs

[Zvon]

OMG, FowlerBOOM!

[Frayed Knot]

Some icing for your cake sir?

[Zvon]

Montero:(probly not exact) "It was a good slider that got on the barrel of my bat,...a good slider for me,..."

Great game

[MFS62]

Zvon wrote: Anyone see the Fowler catches in this game? The Cubs are going all the way! 3-0

Two in one game. I had a Tommie Agee flashback.
The Cubs are gonna' win it all.

Later

[Guest d'Kong76]

LA Dodgers at Chi. Cubs
When: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 16, 2016
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
SportsDirect Inc.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw will try to help the Los Angeles Dodgers avoid an 0-2 hole when he takes the mound on Sunday in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the host Chicago Cubs. Los Angeles battled back to forge a tie before giving up five runs in the eighth inning to fall 8-4 on Saturday in the series opener.

Kershaw pitched in all three victories of the NL Division Series against Washington and owns a 5-3 career record with a 2.14 ERA against the Cubs, but he did not face them in 2016. Chicago will counter with Kyle Hendricks, who is healthy after suffering a forearm injury in the NLDS win over San Francisco and beat the Dodgers with eight innings of two-run ball on June 2. Miguel Montero belted a pinch-hit grand slam to break the tie Saturday while Kris Bryant and Javier Baez remained hot as both are 8-for-20 in the first five postseason games. The Cubs have won all three playoff games at Wrigley Field and finished a major league-best 57-24 at home during the regular season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (1-0, 5.84 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 4.91)

Kershaw has given up eight runs and 15 hits over 11 2/3 innings during the playoffs but got the final two outs for a save in Game 5 against Washington on Thursday. The 28-year-old Texan went 12-4 with a 1.69 ERA in the regular season despite losing three of his final four decisions. Dexter Fowler is 18-for-44 versus Kershaw, who is 3-6 with a 4.79 ERA in the postseason and went 4-3 with a 2.31 ERA on the road in 2016.

Hendricks gave up two runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings against San Francisco in the NLDS before getting hit by a batted ball and leaving the contest. The 26-year-old Dartmouth product went 7-1 in his last 10 starts during the regular season and had a 1.68 ERA after the All-Star break. Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner both have homered versus Hendricks, who was 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA at home this year.

WALK-OFFS:
1. Bryant and Baez have hit in five straight games to start the postseason, one shy of the club record shared by Mickey Livingston and Moises Alou.
2. Gonzalez has belted six homers in postseason play for the Dodgers, tied for third in franchise history with Ron Cey and Davey Lopes.
3. Chicago 1B Anthony Rizzo (1-for-20), RF Jason Heyward (2-for-18) and SS Addison Russell (1-for-19) have yet to heat up in the playoffs.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Dodgers win 1-0. Cubs had 2 hits vs. Kershaw and Jansen

[Fman99]

Did it make anyone else sad to see a team's closer come in to a postseason game and shut down his opponents with nasty stuff? Or was it just me?

[Frayed Knot]

It's officially a series now.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

That was fun, sorta.

[bmfc1]

Fman99 wrote: Did it make anyone else sad to see a team's closer come in to a postseason game and shut down his opponents with nasty stuff? Or was it just me?

Me too. For all of his saves, he's not elite. If he has his "stuff" in that 9th inning against SF, maybe the Mets are playing the Cubs right now.

[Centerfield]

Come on guys. The myth of Famila struggling in the post-season is just that, a myth.

His stats from last year:

NLDS: 4 Games. 5.1 IP. 0 ER
NLCS: 4 Games. 4.1 IP. 0 ER
WS: 4 Games. 5.0 EP. 1 ER

His post-season ERA: 0.61

I take that any day. This is not even a discussion if Murphy catches the ball, or Duda makes a good throw.

And yes, that HR against San Francisco sucked, but even with that his post-season ERA is 2.36.

Blame is always disproportionately put on the closer.