Kuzul

As the NLCS shifts back to Chicago with the Cubs leading the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2, the Cleveland Indians await the winner in the 114th World Series. 

After taking Game 5 of the ALCS over the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League pennant on Wednesday, the Indians guaranteed that they would have over five days to rest for the Fall Classic, while the winner of the NLCS will experience a much quicker turnaround:

The Indians are two years older than the World Series, having been established in 1901 under the name of the Blues. After short stints where they were known as the Broncos and Naps after Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie, they became known as the Indians in 1915. 

Five years later, they won their first World Series, defeating the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) in 1920.

The franchise would get a second title 28 years later in 1948, defeating the Boston Braves with a roster that included five players that were elected to the Hall of Fame:

That win 68 years ago would prove to be their last triumph despite making three World Series’ since then. In 1954, they were swept by Willie Mays and the New York Giants and didn’t make another Fall Classic until 1995. 

They would lose to an Atlanta Braves team headlined by a trio of Hall of Fame pitchers in Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine before losing a heartbreaking seven-game World Series in 1997 to a Florida Marlins franchise that was in its fifth year of existence:

But this season’s Indians could put an end to the wait and provide the city of Cleveland with a second major sports championship in the same calendar year. It’d be a benchmark season for a group of fans that hadn’t celebrated a title since 1964 before the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. 

The Indians have provided one of the deepest lineups in baseball this season to support a banged up pitching staff that lost Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar during the regular season before seeing Trevor Bauer slice his pinky open while cleaning his drone right before the ALCS:

But the offense has struggled at times during the playoffs, averaging just under 3.4 runs per game while posting a .208 team batting average. 

Luckily for them, the pitching has been dominant in the postseason:

It’s been headlined by ALCS MVP Andrew Miller, who has given up just three hits in 7.2 innings pitched while striking out 14 batters. 

SportsCenter broke down just how tough he’s been in October:

That kind of hot pitching is the key to an Indians World Series, as the Cubs and Dodgers are two of three teams that have scored over 30 runs during the postseason. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After erupting offensively in the last two games, the Chicago Cubs took a 3-2 series lead Thursday night over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 National League Championship Series with the thrilling matchup set to return to Wrigley Field this weekend.

The Cleveland Indians are awaiting in the World Series, as they will host the opening two games with a fearsome bullpen that appears ready to lift this team to a championship. Yet, the Cubs and Dodgers must focus on pulling out their current series before worrying about Andrew Miller and company in the next round.

Let us take a look at the remaining NLCS television and live-stream schedule, as well as a breakdown of what lies ahead in Game 6.

A full MLB playoff bracket can be found at MLB.com. 

Game 6 Preview

Despite dropping two straight games earlier in this series without scoring a run, Chicago seems to have broken out of its offensive slump with 18 runs in the last two games.

The emergence of Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell is a big reason why. After coming into Game 4 with one hit in 26 at-bats, Rizzo is 5-for-10 with four RBI in his last two games. Russell entered Game 4 with one hit in 24 at-bats before exploding for 5-for-10 with four RBI as well in his previous two outings.

With a critical Game 5 on the line, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to tab rookie Kenta Maeda, which did not turn out great as the starter went only 3.2 innings and allowed a run. This was Maeda‘s second loss of the series. However, Los Angeles has plenty of reason to be confident for a possible Game 7 with the proposition of Clayton Kershaw taking the mound on Saturday.

He will be coming off full rest from his last start in Game 2, where he went 7.2 innings with two hits and no runs allowed at Wrigley Field. This seems to be OK with the 28-year-old star, per the Los Angeles Times‘ Andy McCullough:

Before Game 5, Chicago manager Joe Maddon seemed to recognize the immense challenge his lineup faces, per Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:

When [Kershaw]’s pitching well, he’s just that good. There is that certain set of pitchers that are that guy, and the confidence he brings to their group. There is no question about that. But at this time of the year, if you wanted to get to your ultimate goal, you have to beat people like that. You have to.

There’s always been that group of pitchers through history that pitched a lot in the postseason because they’re very good. And he’s one of them.

The lefty possesses a commanding fastball and a slew of other pitches that keep batters off balance. Yet, the Cubs were one of the better clubs in baseball against left-handed pitching, ranking seventh with a .267 team average. However, that mark has dropped dramatically in the postseason, where Chicago is hitting .170 as a team.

Kyle Hendricks is set to take the hill for the home team after a regular season in which he led the majors with a 2.13 ERA. He has been solid this postseason with three runs allowed in 9.0 innings, but Hendricks lost his Game 2 start to Kershaw.

Yet, the 26-year-old has been historically good against this Dodgers roster, as all current players are hitting a combined .195 against Hendricks for their careers. Although there is not a huge sample size, Hendricks has been stout against Los Angeles’ top bats:

This game looks to be a low-scoring affair similar to the 1-0 Dodgers win in Game 2. The Cubs have a slight advantage in this one simply because they are at home, where they sported MLB’s top home record this season with a stout 57-24 mark. Still, Kershaw was unfazed by this in Game 2, handing Chicago its first home loss of the playoffs.

Los Angeles’ suddenly dormant lineup could be the difference. The Dodgers have combined for a pedestrian six runs and 13 hits in the last two games, and the team is batting .224 in the postseason. Given that the club struggled on the road this season with a 38-43 record, it is tough to believe it can pull out a win on Saturday despite Kershaw‘s brilliance.

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For the second year in a row, the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the American League Championship Series. And for the second year in a row, the Blue Jays came up short, this time losing to the Cleveland Indians in five games.

With a number of players eligible for free agency, most notably Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, what the team’s roster will look like in 2017 isn’t clear.

What is clear, however, is that John Gibbons will be back as manager, a job he’s now held for a decade. Team president Mark Shapiro told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi after the team’s Game 5 loss:

There’s a level of consistency with him in approach that is unflappable and I think that translates into toughness. …  

There’s no panic. He believes in the talent, he believes in his players, he believes in the process and he believes in all the work that’s been done to date. That gives us confidence, that gives the players confidence and the belief to hold true to the bigger picture. That’s a separator.

What follows is an overview of some of the other decisions the team will have to make—and some of the players it may look to—as the Jays try and get over the hump in 2017 and reach the World Series for the first time in more than 20 years.

Begin Slideshow

The 2016 Major League Baseball postseason has featured studs, duds and everything in between.

But since nobody cares about that last part, this discussion shall focus strictly on the first two.

With the World Series set to start Tuesday, there are sizable lists of good and bad postseason performances to choose from. We’re going to narrow things down to a half-dozen each by focusing on stars who have either lived up to or fallen short of expectations. But here’s a spoiler warning that you didn’t hear from me: There might be a couple of players to a slide here and there.

In no particular order, we’ll begin with a stud and then alternate studs and duds until the end.

Begin Slideshow

After clinching their first American League pennant in 19 years, the Cleveland Indians must wait to find out their World Series opponent.

Cleveland has gone 7-1 in postseason play with a 1.77 staff ERA despite missing starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. The offense has struggled, mustering a meek .206 batting average and .256 on-base percentage, but hitting 11 homers will suffice for a squad that has allowed 15 runs.

Everything went their way against the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Will they keep rolling against the Chicago Cubs or Los Angeles Dodgers? As the Indians celebrated their AL crown, the Cubs took a 3-2 lead on Thursday night. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will look to fend off elimination in Saturday’s Game 6.

Once the matchup is set, observers will fixate on the stars who must step up during the best-of-seven showdown. Cleveland needs more huge outings from Corey Kluber, Francisco Lindor, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. Both National League teams standing will counter with marquee sluggers, aces and stellar closers.

The superstars, of course, don’t always decide the World Series. Let’s take a look at some other pivotal players key to securing a championship.

Josh Tomlin, SP, Cleveland Indians

Cleveland’s bullpen—and manager Terry Francona’s aggressive usage of the stellar unit—is the toast of baseball. Miller and Allen have combined to strike out 33 batters over 19.1 shutout innings. Those guys must keep dealing, but a ragtag rotation also must hold the fort down.

With no Carrasco, no Salazar and one out from Trevor Bauer in the American League Championship Series, the Indians still survived. While Kluber is undoubtedly essential to the starting staff, de facto No. 2 starter Josh Tomlin has embodied the Indians’ unlikely October run.

After posting a 4.40 ERA during the season, the 32-year-old limited potent Boston and Toronto offenses to a combined three runs over two starts. Perhaps just as surprising, the man with a career 5.98 strikeouts per nine innings has collected 10 of them over 10.2 frames.

His postseason success isn’t entirely out of nowhere. Tomlin posted a 1.75 ERA through his final four regular-season starts without issuing a single walk. As ESPN’s Buster Olney noted, the veteran righty will attack the strike zone:

Such control led to only 20 walks during the season, but it also caused him to get shelled too often. He relinquished 36 home runs, MLB‘s third-highest tally behind James Shields and Jered Weaver.

Right-handed hitters crushed him to a .299/.323/.522 slash line. The lefty-heavy Dodgers usually torment righties, but Tomlin’s reverse splits could save him from despair. Against the Cubs, NL MVP front-runner Kris Bryant is a prime candidate to go yard.

With rookie Ryan Merritt potentially representing their Game 3 or 4 starter, the Indians need another solid turn or two from Tomlin.

Ben Zobrist, OF, Chicago Cubs

If the Cubs overcome the Dodgers, Ben Zobrist will appear in his second straight World Series. The Cubs will hope he makes as much of an impact for them as he did for the Kansas City Royals.

Playing second base for the AL champions last year, he hit four doubles during five Fall Classic games against the New York Mets. The midseason trade acquisition ended the postseason with an .880 OPS and a championship ring.

He’s not doing so well this October, batting 6-for-33 with one double. The team’s offensive struggles compelled him to bunt out of desperation in Game 4.

Bunting is rarely advisable, especially for a cleanup hitter who can work his way on base otherwise, but it worked. His bunt hit helped sparked a four-run inning in the team’s best offseason showing of the playoffs.

“It felt like that spot in the game was the right time,” Zobrist said, per ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers. “After we hadn’t gotten any hits up to that point, I was like ‘Well, it’s time. Someone needs to do it.'”

Thursday offered a promising sign. He went hitless in Game 5’s win, but the 34-year-old also drew three walks. Entering Thursday, he had worked only one free pass. 

In order to make and win the World Series, the Cubs will need him to contribute in more conventional ways. He’s positioned high in the order near Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, so it’s especially vital to get his bat going.

Pedro Baez, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers

The bullpen wasn’t a problem for the Dodgers this season. The 3.35 ERA led the majors, but that success has not carried over into the playoffs.

Their relievers—including Kershaw’s National League Division Series save—have relinquished 37 runs over 17 innings. Veteran Joe Blanton, who posted a 2.48 ERA during the season, has already capitulated seven runs. Rookie Grant Dayton, another high-leverage option, is also struggling under the brighter spotlight:

Although his snail-like pace puts everyone to sleep, Pedro Baez was an exception in his recent outings. The 28-year-old righty didn’t allow a run over his first 5.1 innings. Manager Dave Roberts has twice trusted him to work two full frames, which he hadn’t previously done since July 8.

On Wednesday, however, he relinquished a home run to Rizzo. Used the next day despite throwing 27 pitches, he put Game 5 out of reach by surrendering five runs, three of which crossed home plate when Ross Stripling replaced him and gave up a bases-clearing double.

In 10 games, Los Angeles’ starters have gone five or more innings four times. Kershaw accounts for three of those, with Rich Hill lasting six in the other. Someone needs to bridge the gap to Kenley Jansen, and Baez remains one of the most prominent options despite two consecutive poor games.

Having allowed 11 homers in 74 innings this season before Rizzo’s Game 4 blast, Baez also must beware the long ball. Those not yawning through his slow outings will instead bite their nails, but he will have to pitch key late innings if the Dodgers advance.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

LOS ANGELES — Here they go again: The Los Angeles Dodgers, one loss away from clocking out for the final time in 2016, are handing the ball to Clayton Kershaw.

Poor guy. Already, he missed two-and-a-half months this summer with a herniated disk in his back. And this keeps coming up. Pray the Dodgers pack the proper back brace to protect him in Chicago.

Uh-oh. From the good vibrations following Game 3 when the Dodgers edged ahead of the Chicago Cubs in this National League Championship Series, Dave Roberts’ club has backed itself to a cliff’s edge with two hideous clunkers. The latest, Thursday’s 8-4 face-slap, sets up a Game 6 Saturday in which the Cubs, with a win, will clinch their first World Series appearance since 1945.

But that long-haired, left-handed, bearded obstacle standing between the Cubs and the World Series is not a billy goat.

It is Kershaw.

Yeah, we’ve been down that path this postseason. Seems like, oh, about every other day, in fact. Lather, rinse, repeat.

On Saturday, Hollywood’s favorite action hero will spring to life for the fifth time in these playoffs.

It will be third time he’s done it with his team facing elimination.

There was his short-rest Game 4 start in Los Angeles in the Division Series against Washington.

There was the dramatic, seven-pitch, two-out masterpiece in his first career save situation in Game 5 against the Nationals on one day’s rest, as literal a use of the word “save” as you can draw up, with the winner of that game advancing to meet the Cubs.

And now, with L.A. trailing this NLCS three games to two, here comes Saturday.

Somebody asked Kershaw what his “level of excitement” is, pitching in another loser-go-home game.

“I don’t know if excitement’s the right word,” the three-time Cy Young winner and one-time NL MVP winner said drolly. “But it will be exciting if we win, for sure.”

Whatever. It’s guaranteed to be more exciting than watching Kenta Maeda, Luis Avilan, Pedro Baez and the rest of the nondescript, lump-of-coal pitchers the Dodgers employ who are not named Kershaw, Kenley Jansen or Rich Hill.

My goodness. The more you watch the Dodgers this postseason, the more you understand what a miracle it was that they won the NL West. Kershaw has precious little help in the rotation this side of Hill.

The Dodgers got everything anybody could have expected out of Maeda on Thursday night, which was a molasses-slow pace, a dip into the fourth inning and a departure with two out and his team trailing 1-0. Seriously, for a guy who had worked only seven innings over the past two-and-a-half weeks, it wasn’t like anybody expected a Mona Lisa.

From Kershaw, yes. The Dodgers ask and ask and ask.

And?

“I like our chances to win and push this to a Game 7,” Dodgers All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. “We had the same situation against Washington, and we took care of it.”

As the Dodgers prepared to charter to Chicago on Friday, they weren’t exactly thrilled that they had let the lead in this NLCS slip away. But they weren’t exactly overly concerned, either.

“First of all, your fly is open,” Gonzalez quipped in response to a person who asked him one of the first questions.

And, darned if Gonzalez’s observational skills weren’t impeccable.

“We’ve won two games in a row before,” Gonzalez continued. “It’s nothing we can’t do Saturday and Sunday.”

Besides, the Dodgers already know what to expect when they arrive at Wrigley Field after splitting Games 1 and 2 there last weekend.

“Same thing we had in Games 1 and 2,” Gonzalez said. “They can’t put more people in the stands. They can’t cheer any louder.

“It’s not like it’s a loud stadium.”

Besides, while the Cubs’ path to the World Series still must run right smack through Kershaw and Hill, the Dodgers can be thankful they no longer have to face Lester. In four starts against the Dodgers this season, Lester produced a stunning 0.96 ERA: 28 innings, three runs, 16 hits, 25 strikeouts and only four walks.

The $155 million the Cubs spent on Lester may be the best money they’ve spent since Harry Caray’s expense account: In dominating the Dodgers over seven innings in Game 5, Lester lowered his career playoff ERA to 2.50 in 119 innings pitched. And this postseason, he’s surrendered only two runs in 21 innings over three starts.

Part of the Dodgers’ strategy against Lester was to bunt, run and make him throw the ball. It’s no secret he has difficulty throwing accurately to first base. Yet after Enrique Hernandez walked on four pitches to start the bottom of the first, and after he took as big a lead as you’ll ever see at first base, dancing, taunting…he didn’t attempt to steal.

“I was trying to get into his head and get J.T. [Justin Turner] a good pitch to hit,” Hernandez explained. “He threw four straight balls to me that were not even close to the strike zone.

“If I tried to steal and was thrown out at second base, it would give him a break.”

The Dodgers’ lack of aggression cost them.

And it shined the spotlight right back at Kershaw, who will pitch Saturday on an extra day’s rest. There was some discussion regarding whether the Dodgers should have started him on short rest in Game 5, but they declined because Kershaw had pitched four times (including the relief appearance) in a 10-day span through his seven shutout innings against the Cubs on Sunday night in Chicago.

The Dodgers would’ve risked riding him too hard.

And besides, somebody else had to pitch at some point. They can’t start Kershaw and Hill all seven games.

So his plan is to show up at Dodger Stadium early Friday and get in his regular between-starts work before the team charter departs for Chicago.

Then, you figure, the next step in the plan is to show up Saturday night in Wrigley dressed in his usual superhero garb.

His degree of difficulty continues to skyrocket, the harder the Dodgers lean on him and the more opposing hitters see him.

“Pitchers definitely don’t have an advantage,” Kershaw said of facing the Cubs a second time since Sunday. “I don’t know if the hitters have an advantage. But pitchers, the more you see somebody, the more familiar you get with them. I mean, that’s true, for sure.

“So I don’t think there’s anything that you do to counteract it. I said this the other day, there’s no secrets in the game right now. There’s so much information. They know every pitch that I throw and every count and every situation. So it’s just a matter of not really focusing on that and just trying to compete every single pitch and execute every single pitch.

“You maybe have less margin for error facing them the second time. Just be better, I guess.”

How much better he can be following his seven-inning, two-hit performance Sunday remains to be seen.

But don’t underestimate what the Dodgers may do if Kershaw pitches them over the valley of death one more time Saturday and into a Game 7 on Sunday.

“This time Kershaw will pitch on zero days’ rest,” Gonzalez said, smiling broadly.

He was kidding. I think.

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs are one win away from the World Series, and Jon Lester is back among the pantheon of postseason studs.

On Thursday, the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 at Chavez Ravine to grab a 3-2 lead in the National League Championship Series. Game 6 will be played Saturday at Wrigley Field.

For his part, Lester twirled seven innings of five-hit, one-run ball with one walk and six strikeouts. He got the win, moving his 2016 playoff record to 2-0 and his ERA to 0.86.

Nothing is over until the Cubs bust their century-plus championship drought, as Lester himself noted.

“This season isn’t anything unless we do what we showed up at spring training to do—win a World Series,” Lester said in early October, per ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers.

Still, in his pivotal Game 5 outing, Lester was every bit the crafty, nasty, unflappable ace the Cubs thought they were getting when they inked him to a six-year, $155 million deal in December 2014.

At the time, Lester was coming off a disappointing postseason outing with the Oakland A’s.

Oakland acquired Lester from the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline in 2014, only to watch him allow eight hits and six earned runs in a heartbreaking Wild Card Game loss to the Kansas City Royals.

It was only one game, the mother of all small samples. But in 2015, Lester was again mediocre in the playoffs, yielding seven earned runs and 13 hits in 14 innings as the Cubs fell in an NLCS sweep to the New York Mets.

Suddenly, the veteran southpaw’s clutch credentials were in doubt.

Sure, Lester won a pair of rings with the Red Sox, in 2007 and 2013. Yes, he’s gone a spotless 3-0 in three World Series starts, allowing a single run in 21 innings. Granted, he’ll never buy another drink in Beantown.

Reputations, however, last only so long. At a certain point, the query inevitably creeps in: What have you done for us lately?

Now, Lester can offer this answer to the title-starved Cubs faithful: Pitched you one essential step closer to a Commissioner’s Trophy, that’s what.

The Dodgers tested Lester on Thursday, seeking to exploit his well-documented difficulties throwing to first base. They stretched their leadoffs beyond credulity. They bunted. They stole.

“This isn’t some WikiLeaks bombshell: Jon Lester has the yips,” CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney noted. “It must be in every scouting report by now, the reminder to get inside his head and make him feel uncomfortable, forcing him to field his position, throw to first base and become distracted with the running game.”

L.A. did. Lester was not amused.

“It gets him pissed off,” catcher David Ross said, per 670 The Score. 

That can mean rattled, or it can mean laser-focused. On Thursday in Southern California, it meant the latter. 

Lester pushed through. He pitched like a guy who has been on this stage many times before. He wasn’t flawless, but he was more than good enough.

It can’t be overstated how huge this win was for the Cubs. In Game 6, they’ll face Clayton Kershaw, who has cast aside his playoff demons and is still the best pitcher on the planet. Had they lost Game 5, that would have been a do-or-die situation. 

Now, thanks to Lester, it’s a game they’d very much like to win, but not one they have to win.

Oh, we should toss some praise at the Cubs offense, which has plated 18 runs in the last two contests after scoring one in the previous two.

If Chicago is going to slay the billy goat once and for all, it will be a team effort spearheaded by the lineup, the bullpen and the full complement of starters.

Lester doing Lester things, however, is a welcome addition. President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein remembers this guy from his days in the Boston front office. And while Epstein rarely smiles when the cameras catch him, surely he’s grinning behind closed doors.

The Chicago Cubs are five wins away from a champagne bath that’s been on ice since Theodore Roosevelt occupied the Oval Office.

And Jon Lester, not coincidentally, is back in vintage autumn form.

All statistics current as of Thursday and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs appeared to be in trouble after they dropped Game 3 of the NLCS, but they’re now one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1945 thanks to an 8-4 road win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 on Thursday night.  

Although both teams failed to generate loads of offense, the Cubs broke through in the sixth inning when shortstop Addison Russell snapped a 1-1 tie with a go-ahead two-run homer to center: 

Chicago used a five-run eighth inning to seize control of the proceedings, and the sizable margin allowed the NL Central champions to breathe easy and take a commanding 3-2 series lead. 

Cubs starter Jon Lester wasn’t his sharpest, but he powered his way to a win by striking out six and scattering five hits over seven innings.  

USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale took note of Lester’s dominance against the Dodgers after he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth inning: 

Fresh off a 10-2 drubbing of the Dodgers in Game 4, the Cubs came out and made Kenta Maeda work during a first inning in which he threw 26 pitches. 

After Dexter Fowler led off with a single up the middle, Anthony Rizzo lined a double to right field that scored the center fielder and gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead. 

Maeda struggled to find the plate as the first inning progressed—only 14 of his 26 pitches went for strikes—and Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller took note of the 28-year-old’s discouraging demeanor on the mound: 

Lester similarly struggled with command in the first inning.

The 19-game winner threw nine strikes on 18 pitches in the opening frame and allowed one hit and a walk during that span. As a point of reference, Lester allowed four hits and one walk total over six innings in his Game 1 start against the Dodgers. 

But for all of his command issues, Lester escaped the first inning without allowing a run. 

Maeda, meanwhile, hit 57 pitches by the time the third inning was over. That said, he didn’t let any additional runners cross the plate as the Cubs’ bats fell silent following an encouraging opening statement. 

Chicago threatened in the top of the fourth after Javier Baez smacked a leadoff double, and the Cubs ultimately chased Maeda before the top half of the stanza came to a close, as the New York Post‘s Joel Sherman noted: 

Josh Fields entered and retired Lester to escape with the Dodgers down just one, and L.A. capitalized in the bottom half when Howie Kendrick doubled and stole third before Rizzo bobbled a one-out dribbler to first that allowed Kendrick to score. 

However, the Cubs struck back in style in the top of the sixth. 

Russell—who hit his first postseason home run in Game 4—slammed a two-run bomb to center off Joe Blanton to give Chicago a 3-1 lead. 

As ESPN’s Karl Ravech noted, Blanton was playing with fire when he delivered the fateful pitch to Russell:  

Fox Sports 1 analyst Dontrelle Willis explained that Maeda’s inability to put forth a quality start hampered L.A.’s ability to hang with the Cubs:  

At that point, the Cubs leaned on their stable of strong arms to seal the deal after tacking on five insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning. 

Lester powered through seven strong while throwing 108 pitches, and Pedro Strop entered in the bottom half of the eighth to serve as a bridge to Aroldis Chapman. 

With the Cubs’ stay in Hollywood a thing of the past, the scene will shift back to the Windy City for a decisive Game 6. 

Taking the mound for the Dodgers will be Clayton Kershaw, who most recently captured a win in Game 2 thanks to a performance that saw him strike out six and allow two hits over seven innings. 

Countering Kershaw will be Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks. The 26-year-old squared off against L.A.’s dynamite southpaw in Game 2 and was effective to the tune of five strikeouts and one earned run allowed over 5.1 innings, but he did give up four walks in the loss. 

This time around, Hendricks will seek redemption with a trip to the Fall Classic on the line. 

Based on historical outcomes, the Cubs should be feeling confident even though they’re at a disadvantage on the bump. 

Teams holding 3-2 leads in a best-of-seven format have gone on to win the series 70.4 percent of the time, per WhoWins.com, which puts the Cubs firmly in the driver’s seat as they seek to snap their pennant-less drought on Saturday night at Wrigley Field.  

Postgame Reaction

“Our guys will be ready for the moment,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Game 6, per ESPN.com’s Arash Markazi. “I’m sure Chicago is buzzing.”

On the flip side, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed optimism that his team would turn things around, according to MLB Network: 

Adrian Gonzalez shared the same state of mind, per the Orange County Register‘s Bill Plunkett: 

As for Thursday’s win, Lester told reporters he won’t apologize for his intense on-field demeanor.

“I play this game with emotion and if it rubs people the wrong way, oh well,” he said, per Markazi. 

Speaking of Russell’s go-ahead jack, Baez noted the Cubs are unique in that they have a squad full of potential game-changers. 

“Anybody in our lineup can turn the game our way,” he said, according to 670 The Score on Twitter. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the Cleveland Indians await the winner of the National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, the 2016 World Series picture is starting to come into focus before Game 1 on October 25. 

The Indians secured their spot in the Fall Classic by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in five games during the American League Championship Series. Andrew Miller was named MVP of the series, but Ryan Merritt’s heroics in Game 5 set up the big left-hander to get the ball to closer Cody Allen in the ninth inning. 

The Cubs offense had its breakout game against the Dodgers in Game 4 on Wednesday and will look to take control of the series on the back of Jon Lester, who has allowed nine hits and one run in 14 innings this postseason. 

World Series Schedule

World Series Odds

Prediction

One of the things that makes sports predictions such an interesting source of discussion is the use of logic and reason with something that often defies both. 

For instance, there’s no way to explain how the Indians have made it this far. They were supposed to be eliminated in the division series by the Boston Red Sox because their starting rotation was a shell of its former self due to injuries sustained by Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco. 

Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote September 17—the day Carrasco’s pinky was broken on a liner hit by Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler—the Indians’ postseason dreams ended before they began:

Along with Corey Kluber, Carrasco and Salazar are the heart of the rotation. Carrasco and Salazar have had star-crossed seasons to be sure. They’ve each missed a month to injuries, but they still combined for 22 wins, 50 starts and just over 283 innings.

The Indians have no one of equal caliber to replace them.

Headed into the best-of-five AL Division Series, it’s going to be Kluber and Trevor Bauer. The other two starters are Josh Tomlin and rookie Mike Clevinger. That’s reality and that means a quick exit in the postseason.

No one gave the Indians that memo because their entire pitching staff has recorded three shutouts in eight playoff games, including a 3-0 victory over the Blue Jays in the ALCS clincher. 

Somehow, what was overlooked coming into the postseason was how well Cleveland manager Terry Francona utilizes his bullpen and how deep that group is. 

Miller got all of the accolades for what he did against Boston and Toronto, but Richard Justice of MLB.com noted Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen have been really good too:

Since the Indians were able to clinch early, they get to line up Kluber for Game 1. Bauer’s pinky once again takes center stage, casting doubt over his ability to make at least one start in the series. 

For Cleveland fans, the best-case scenario in the NLCS would be the Cubs and Dodgers going seven games with the Dodgers winning. That would presumably push Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill back to start Games 2 and 3. 

The Cubs, who showed they do have weaknesses by not hitting in two games against Kershaw and Hill, bounced back with 10 runs in Game 4 of the NLCS. 

Just as encouraging as the deluge of runs was for Cubs fans, ESPN Stats & Info noted why it was particularly sweet for Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell when they hit their homers:

While Chicago will always panic when the Cubs don’t look good for a couple of games—ignoring the fact that those games were against the best pitcher in baseball and another guy who had a 2.12 ERA in 20 starts this season—they are still the best and deepest team in baseball. 

Even when the Cubs are in an offensive funk, Lester and Kyle Hendricks have combined to allow four runs in 23 innings this postseason. Their defense has never wavered from the historically great regular-season numbers they put up, per ESPN’s Sam Miller:

The Cubs — a team with only one Gold Glove winner on the roster, a team that shifts less than any in baseball — are better than any other club at converting ground balls into outs (80.1 percent), the best at converting fly balls into outs (94.1 percent) and the best at converting line drives into outs (43.5 percent). They do this despite allowing an exit velocity that is almost exactly league average, and an exit velocity on grounders that is harder than league average. 

No team in Major League Baseball this season had as many ways to beat an opponent as the Cubs. They will be favored over the Indians if they can get past the Dodgers and should be. It’s hard to win 103 games during the regular season by accident. 

Forget all the talk about goats and curses in Chicago. This is a franchise that’s become the model in MLB because of its young position player talent and the incredible wealth of options for manager Joe Maddon to choose from off his bench and on the pitching staff. 

The Indians’ run so far in the postseason has been wondrous to behold because of how unique it is. Since the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a historic comeback against the Golden State Warriors, these last four months have breathed new life into a city so often beaten down by its sports teams. 

Eventually, you would assume, Cleveland’s patchwork pitching rotation will run out of steam, negating the work of Miller and Allen in the middle and late innings. 

It’s certainly not impossible to win a World Series on the back of a bullpen—the 2015 Kansas City Royals did it—but it’s awfully hard, especially if the team on the other side of the field is the Cubs. 

Prediction: Cubs win World Series in six games

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Things are all knotted up at two games apiece between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers in their National League Championship Series clash, following a much-needed victory from the Cubs on Wednesday night.

It’s now a best-of-three battle the rest of the way for the right to represent the NL against the AL champion Cleveland Indians in the World Series.

After a thrilling late-game victory in Game 1, the Cubs were shut out in Games 2 and 3, with their scoreless-inning streak running all the way to 21 innings before they finally plated a run in the fourth inning of Game 4.

The floodgates opened from there, and the Cubs walked away with a 10-2 victory as they looked to swing the momentum back in their favor.

Both teams will now go back to their Game 1 starters, as left-hander Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA, 197 K) takes the ball for the Cubs and right-hander Kenta Maeda (16-11, 3.48 ERA, 179 K) gets the start for the Dodgers.

Who will come out on top in the pivotal Game 5 of this NLCS matchup?

Keep it right here for live updates on all of Thursday’s action, and for further MLB analysis, be sure to follow me on Twitter, @JoelReuterBR.

FINAL SCORE: Cubs 8, Dodgers 4

Top 1: Anthony Rizzo RBI double (1-0)

Bot 4: Adrian Gonzalez RBI groundout (1-1)

Top 6: Addison Russell 2-run home run (3-1)

Top 8: Dexter Fowler RBI single (4-1)

Top 8: Kris Bryant RBI single (5-1)

Top 8: Javy Baez 3-run double (8-1)

Bot 8: Carlos Ruiz RBI double (8-2)

Bot 9: Josh Reddick RBI single (8-3)

Bot 9: Andrew Toles sac fly (8-4)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com