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The Cleveland Indians have gotten out to a fast start in the American League Championship Series, but the Toronto Blue Jays are not going to go down without a fight.

Pitching has surprisingly been the story so far in this series, with the Indians earning wins of 2-0 and 2-1 in the first two games. Considering what we had seen from these two offenses coming into the week, fans were likely expecting a lot more scoring.

With the series shifting to Toronto for the next few games and each staff forced to go further down its rotation, we might finally start seeing some offense in Game 3.

ALCS Game 3

When: Monday, Oct. 17

Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Odds (via Odds Shark): Cleveland (17-10), Toronto (20-37)

Preview

There were question marks about the Indians rotation coming into the postseason with both Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar suffering injuries. However, Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin showed there is still plenty of talent on the roster.

The two starters combined for 12 innings of one-run ball, which was more than enough for the shutdown bullpen to take over. Andrew Miller is getting most of the headlines—and rightfully so—after tallying 10 strikeouts in two games, but the entire bullpen has been incredible to this point, per Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs:

With manager Terry Francona’s creative use of Miller, Cleveland is truly getting the most out of its pitching staff from top to bottom.

Despite the shutdown performances through two games, however, the Blue Jays aren’t ready to give up on the series.

“I believe in this team,” Edwin Encarnacion said, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. “I know we can hit. That’s one thing I know. And the way the pitchers have been throwing the ball, that’s why I feel so comfortable.”

Toronto’s pitching staff has held up its end of the bargain, especially Marco Estrada in Game 1. The team will now turn to Marcus Stroman in Game 3, who had an up-and-down year but might be the most talented pitcher on the roster.

After allowing just two runs in six innings in the AL Wild Card Game against the Baltimore Orioles, he should have plenty of confidence going into Monday’s battle.

The question is whether the Blue Jays offense can finally get going. Encarnacion knows the team can hit, and hitting 10 home runs in the first four postseason games wasn’t a fluke. However, the squad has zero home runs in the ALCS so far and is batting just .159 as a team.

Josh Donaldson remains red-hot, but the rest of the lineup has been inconsistent at best.

The Blue Jays will hope to find some Rogers Centre magic in the next couple of games, starting Monday against Trevor Bauer. The Indians starter failed to get out of the fifth inning in his only postseason start and is known to allow home runs.

Toronto needs to take advantage of the Indians’ third starter and finally generate some offense. Otherwise, this series is over.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.

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Behind dominant displays from Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen, the Los Angeles Dodgers tied the National League Championship Series with a 1-0 Game 2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

In the best postseason start of his career, Kershaw stifled the Cubs through seven spectacular innings. Although the ace only threw 84 pitches, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled him for Kenley Jansen, who recorded a six-out save with four strikeouts.

Kyle Hendricks limited them to one run despite issuing four walks, but Adrian Gonzalez’s solo home run in the second inning proved all the offense Los Angeles needed. 

Both sides combined for five hits in a quick game which lasted under three hours. After evening the series at 1-1, the Dodgers will now host the next three matchups, starting with Game 3 on Tuesday night.

FINAL SCORE: Dodgers 1 – 0 Cubs

W: Clayton Kershaw (7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

L: Kyle Hendricks (5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K)

SV: Kenley Jansen (2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

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The National League Championship Series kicked off with a bang on Saturday night, as the Chicago Cubs plated five runs in the bottom of the eighth en route to an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Miguel Montero delivered the big blow with a pinch-hit grand slam, and Hector Rondon was able to slam the door after the Cubs turned to Aroldis Chapman earlier in the game.

Jon Lester gave the Cubs six strong innings in a no-decision, but Kenta Maeda lasted just four innings for the Dodgers, forcing them to go to the bullpen early.

Now it’s on to Game 2, where Clayton Kershaw will take the ball for the Dodgers, and the Cubs will turn to Kyle Hendricks.

Before the action resumes on Sunday night, let’s take a look at some keys to victory for both teams as the Cubs aim to take a commanding lead and the Dodgers hope to even things up before the series shifts to Los Angeles.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs return to action on Sunday for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series with a stellar pitching matchup featuring Clayton Kershaw against Kyle Hendricks. 

Kershaw has been a true horse for the Dodgers so far in the postseason, pitching three times against the Washington Nationals in the division series. 

The Cubs got back to work on Saturday night in front of a raucous Wrigley Field crowd hoping to see the franchise make its first World Series appearance since 1945. 

Dodgers Key to Game 2: Ride the Horse

The narrative around Kershaw in October has been one of failure in the past, though his postseason resume doesn’t jive with that convenient story. He’s had bad games that have ballooned his ERA, sure, but virtually every other stat looks like what you’d expect from the best pitcher in baseball. 

Kershaw has already given the Dodgers everything they could possibly hope for this postseason. He threw a total of 211 pitches in two starts against the Nationals on just three days of rest, then came in for a two-out save in the decisive Game 5 with one day of rest. 

The good news for the Dodgers is Kershaw will essentially be starting this game on regular rest. He only needed seven pitches to close out the game on Thursday, which basically equates to a light bullpen day. 

Even though Kershaw‘s injured back during the regular season likely cost him a shot at the Cy Young Award, it may have indirectly been beneficial for the Dodgers in the postseason. He was only able to make 21 starts covering 149 innings in the regular season. 

In those previous years when Kershaw has struggled in the postseason—most notably 2013 and 2014 against the St. Louis Cardinals—he made a combined 60 starts covering 434.1 innings. It’s hardly a surprise that he hit a wall by mid-October. 

Per ESPN Stats & Info, there was one common denominator in the Dodgers’ three victories against the Nationals:

The Dodgers pitching staff is a mess right now. Kershaw is the one sure thing. Rich Hill is an effective starter, but continuing to start him on short rest with his long injury history is asking for trouble. Everything behind those two is essentially manager Dave Roberts praying for four solid innings. 

It’s a formula similar to what the Cleveland Indians are working with, except Roberts doesn’t have the bullpen depth Terry Francona has to play with. Closer Kenley Jansen is brilliant, but the gap to get from starter to him has been a problem in the playoffs. 

For instance, Kershaw was charged with five runs in Los Angeles’ Game 4 win over the Nationals. He left the game with a 5-2 lead and the bases loaded before Pedro Baez and Luis Avilan allowed those three runs to score and tie the game.

Ultimately, the Dodgers will have to keep using Kershaw as much as possible if they want to shut down a Cubs team that led all of Major League Baseball with 103 wins during the regular season and features a relentless offensive attack that can strike at any time. 

Cubs Key to Game 2: Patience is a Virtue

There are really no weaknesses to the Cubs in 2016. They finished in the top three in runs scored, OPS, ERA, shutouts, opponent batting average, opponent OPS and WHIP. 

Per Sam Miller of ESPN.com, this year’s Cubs have a strong claim as the best defensive team in MLB history:

The Cubs have converted 74.5 percent of balls in play into outs this year, which is what Baseball Prospectus calls Defensive Efficiency. (Rephrased: Opponents are hitting .255 on balls put in play against the Cubs.) That’s not just the best in baseball this year. Adjusted for era, it might be the greatest defensive season ever, with the gap between the Cubs and the second-best team this year topping the spread between the next best and the 27th best.

That defense is a big reason why Hendricks will at least end up in the Cy Young conversation, if not become the second straight Cubs pitcher (Jake Arrieta) to win the award. His stuff doesn’t intimidate anyone with a fastball that averages 89.7 mph, per FanGraphs.com. 

But Hendricks is able to get away with the lack of velocity because his changeup is so good and the defense is able to convert so many of the ground balls hit into outs. 

Looking at all of those factors, there really doesn’t have to be one specific key for the Cubs to win any game in this series. 

Yet going up against Kershaw, the easiest way to earn a victory is knocking him out of the game early to get into that Dodgers bullpen. 

Taking pitches against Kershaw can lead to a lot of quick outs because he pounds the strike zone so well, but the Nationals were able to make him work in his two starts against them. He needed 101 pitches to finish five innings in Game 1. 

Roberts stuck with Kershaw for 110 pitches in Game 4 because he didn’t want to use his bullpen. The Cubs faced a similar situation in the division series against the Giants. 

Matt Moore held the Cubs in check for eight innings in Game 4, leaving with a 5-2 lead and seemingly on the verge of forcing a winner-take-all fifth game. But after Moore threw 120 pitches, Giants manager Bruce Bochy turned to his shaky bullpen and the Cubs woke up with four runs for a 6-5 win. 

Jansen is a vastly superior closer to Sergio Romo, but the Dodgers relievers and setup men have not given Roberts many reasons to feel confident so far this postseason. 

The sooner the Cubs can get Kershaw out of the game, the easier their path to victory will become. 

Series Prediction

Until the Cubs show that they aren’t the best team in baseball, there is no reason to bet against them. Fans and analysts can play up curses and 108 years of history all they want, but none of that is relevant to this collection of talent.

Most teams have one or two ways, at best, you can specifically point to for why they will win a game or series. The Cubs can win games in any fashion. They can win a slugfest with their offensive talent, a bullpen game with their deep stable of relievers or a low-scoring battle between two starting pitchers. 

The Dodgers’ formula is to get at least 25 great innings out of Kershaw, which will only happen if the series goes seven games, and hope Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez hit like All-Stars. 

Prediction: Cubs in six

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The two league championships series are underway, but there is clearly a long way to go for any of the teams to clinch a spot in the World Series.

The Cleveland Indians are obviously in the best shape after their two wins over the Toronto Blue Jays, but they will have to find a way to keep it up when they go on the road. Considering the impact of the Rogers Centre in the postseason, this will not be easy.

In the National League, the Chicago Cubs got a big momentum boost when Miguel Montero hit a game-winning, pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth inning of an eventual 8-4 win. Still, this was just one win of four needed before knocking out the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The rest of both series will be worth watching regardless of your rooting interests.

ALCS

This series was supposed to feature a lot of scoring and plenty of home runs, but that hasn’t been the case through the first two games. Instead, the Indians were able to jump out to a 2-0 lead thanks mostly to their pitching.

Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com noted just how good the pitchers have been in the postseason:

Josh Tomlin keyed a 2-1 win in Game 2 after Corey Kluber was the star in a 2-0 Game 1 victory. Of course, the bullpen has also been a major part of the success. According to Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs, Cleveland’s relievers have combined for a 1.10 ERA while allowing a .473 on-base plus slugging percentage and earning strikeouts at a 44 percent rate.

Andrew Miller has been the real star of the show so far in the ALCS, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and just one hit allowed. He really mowed down the batters in Game 2:

If he and Cody Allen can keep up their strong play out of the bullpen, it will be a challenge for the Blue Jays to get any runs in this series.

Still, Toronto will not go down without a fight. Manager John Gibbons discussed the urgency down 0-2, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet:

The Blue Jays are hitting .212 as a team with zero home runs in the first two games. This came after hitting eight home runs in three games in the ALDS. Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion are still getting hits, but it isn’t enough.

While the pitchers have held their end of the bargain for the most part, the offense has clearly been disappointing so far.

They now have a chance to turn things around against Trevor Bauer, who had a 4.26 ERA during the regular season and failed to get out of the fifth inning in his only postseason start. The right-hander allowed two home runs in that game and 20 during the year, which could put him in danger against Toronto.

With the crowd likely to inspire the Blue Jays players throughout the game, look for the squad to try to turn things around in Game 3 Monday.

NLCS

The big story after Game 1 was undoubtedly the big swing by Montero. The catcher came up to the plate in a 3-3 game and took an 0-2 pitch off Joe Blanton and sent it deep into the bleachers.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports didn’t mince words with his thoughts on the play:

Montero didn’t have a single hit in the NLDS while going 0-for-4, but he is now batting 1.000 in the NLCS, and that is all fans care about right now.

While the home run was clearly the biggest moment of the game, the Cubs showed a lot of ability throughout the nine innings.

Jon Lester was impressive as a starter with six innings of one-run ball. Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant and Javy Baez each had two hits. Baez even found a way to steal home for the team’s third run of the game.

Add in some incredible defense all around, and Chicago truly has all the tools necessary to keep winning. It’s not a surprise this group won 103 games during the regular season.

While there is concern over Aroldis Chapman, who suffered his second blown save of the playoffs, the 1.55 regular-season ERA and the lights-out fastball should allow Cubs fans to rest easier.

On the other hand, the Dodgers had an uphill battle in this game to start. The pitching staff was short-handed after a dramatic Game 5 win against the Washington Nationals two days earlier and still needs a little bit of time to recover.

With ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound in Game 2, Los Angeles should have plenty of confidence in its ability to even the series.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.

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Following Saturday’s Game 1 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will meet again on Sunday night for a pivotal Game 2 before the teams head west to L.A.

Both the Dodgers and the Cubs are looking to end lengthy World Series droughts, although there is likely more desperation on Chicago’s side, since the Cubs haven’t reached the World Series since 1945 and haven’t won it since 1908.

Prior to Game 2, here is all the information you need regarding how to watch the matchup, as well as a prediction for which team will come out on top.

Where: Wrigley Field in Chicago

When: Sunday, Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox Sports 1

Dodgers Player to Watch: Joc Pederson

Outfielder Joc Pederson was among the Dodgers’ most potent offensive players during the NLDS against the Washington Nationals, and he came through in some clutch situations as well.

Pederson hit .333 with one home run and three RBI in L.A.’s first playoff series, but the biggest of his five hits undoubtedly came in the seventh inning of Game 5, when he tied things up with a solo shot.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, it had been 28 years since a Dodgers player last accomplished a similar feat:

Pederson tends to be a streaky player due to his propensity for striking out, but he’s made huge strides since his rookie season.

The 24-year-old hit 25 homers and set a career high with 68 RBI, but he also improved his batting average from .210 to .246 and cut down his strikeouts by 40, making him a much tougher out.

That has translated to the playoffs thus far, and it makes the Dodgers’ entire lineup far more dangerous when he is putting the ball in play.

Perhaps no player on L.A.’s entire roster is more capable of changing the complexion of a game or series with one swing of the bat, and the Dodgers may need precisely that in a tough matchup with Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks on Sunday.

Cubs Player to Watch: Kyle Hendricks

Hendricks’ NLDS start against the San Francisco Giants ended after just 3.2 innings, when he got hit in the forearm with a line drive.

The 26-year-old allowed two earned runs on four hits and didn’t appear to have his best stuff, but he still contributed heavily to Chicago’s win.

After getting just two RBI during the regular season, Hendricks drove in two runs in that game, which hadn’t been done by a pitcher in the playoffs in eight years, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

There was some concern that Hendricks would miss time, but after throwing and testing his arm out, he ruled himself “good to go,” per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago.

That was enough for manager Joe Maddon to name him the Cubs’ Game 2 starter despite having some other capable options at his disposal.

Hendricks went 16-8 and led qualified National League starters with a 2.13 ERA during the regular season. It was a true breakout campaign, but he has yet to prove he can get the job done on the big stage.

With a career ERA of 5.11 in three postseason starts, Hendricks is still searching for a gem in the games that matter most.

Continued playoff issues could lead to a huge Los Angeles win, but if Hendricks performs like he did during the regular season, the Cubs will almost certainly come away with the victory.

Game 2 Prediction

Seemingly every factor appears to be pointing in the Cubs’ favor ahead of Game 2, as they boast advantages across the board.

Chicago will play the game at home and Hendricks will pitch on extra rest. Plus the lineup is as deep as any in the league, with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Javier Baez leading the way for the National League’s No. 2 regular-season scoring offense.

It’s difficult to argue against the notion that the Cubs are the best all-around team in baseball, and that should come in handy in Game 2, since it means they can beat the Dodgers in a number of different ways.

Look for strong starting pitching, timely hitting and clutch relief from closer Aroldis Chapman to carry Chicago to victory in Sunday’s NLCS clash.

Game 2 pick: Cubs win, 4-2

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Game 1 of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs is underway at Wrigley Field.

Keep it here for all the latest updates, reaction, analysis, pictures, tweets and anything else we can think of as the action unfolds.

Hit us up in the comments section below and on Twitter @RickWeinerBR to partake in the festivities! 

Final Score

Cubs 8, Dodgers 4

WP: Chapman

LP: Blanton

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Pitching was the story in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, as the Cleveland Indians jumped out to an early series lead with a 2-0 victory Friday night at Progressive Field.

Marco Estrada threw eight strong innings for the Blue Jays. But Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen combined to shut out the high-powered Toronto offense, and Francisco Lindor provided all the offense the Indians would need with a two-run home run at the bottom of the sixth inning.

Now the Indians will look to claim a big series lead with Josh Tomlin (13-9, 4.40 ERA, 118 K) on the hill, while the Blue Jays try to pull things even behind Cy Young Award candidate J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18 ERA, 163 K).

Who will come out on top in Game 2 of this exciting ALCS matchup?

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

FINAL SCORE: Blue Jays 1, Indians 2

W: Josh Tomlin (1-0)

L: J.A. Happ (0-1)

SV: Cody Allen (2)

SCORING PLAYS

BOT 2: Carlos Santana solo HR (0-1)

TOP 3: Josh Donaldson RBI double (1-1)

BOT 3: Francisco Lindor RBI single (1-2)

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The Cleveland Indians drew first blood in the American League Championship Series, and now it’s time for the Toronto Blue Jays to see if they can answer back.

That will not be an easy task, because the Indians continued their shutdown pitching as they defeated the Blue Jays 2-0 in the first game of the ALCS at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Strangely, it was Toronto pitcher Marco Estrada who threw the complete game for his team in a losing effort. While Estrada was sharp, he gave up a two-run homer to Francisco Lindor in the sixth inning, and that was the only hit that produced runs in the series opener.

Estrada became the only Toronto pitcher to throw a complete game this season.

The Indians figured to have an excellent chance to win Game 1 at home with ace Corey Kluber on the mound. He had his good stuff working, but it was more of his ability to work out of trouble that got the job done for 6.1 innings.

Kluber made his best pitches with runners on, and he kept Toronto’s big bats from getting clutch hits. Manager Terry Francona then brought in bullpen ace with one out in the seventh inning, and Andrew Miller pummeled the Blue Jays throughout the rest of the seventh and eighth. Cody Allen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and allowed the Indians to secure the win.

In many ways, Game 1 was a must-win game for the Indians because they had their ace on the mound. They will have a much more difficult time in Game 2 Saturday with Josh Tomlin on the mound against J.A. Happ.

On the surface, the Blue Jays have the advantage. Happ was 20-4 with a 3.18 earned-run average and 1.169 WHIP, and he has the ability to shut down good teams.

Tomlin is not a hard thrower, and the Blue Jays hitters should feel confident that they can get good swings against him.

Tomlin was 13-9 with a 4.40 ERA this season and gave up 187 hits in 174.0 innings. More importantly, he gave up 36 homers this season, and that’s the most of any pitcher on the Cleveland staff by a wide margin.

However, Tomlin is not a pushover. He pitched the clinching game Monday night in the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, limiting his opponents to four hits in five innings.

The Blue Jays are -125 favorites (bet $100 to win $80) to win Game 2, according to Odds Shark. The Indians are +115 underdogs in Game 2 at Progressive Field.

When it comes to the World Series, the Chicago Cubs are solid favorites among the four remaining teams. The Cubs are +140 favorites to win their first World Series title since 1908. The Blue Jays are the second choice at +250, while the Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers are both +450.

Predictions

The Indians may have gotten the jump on the Blue Jays, but it’s difficult to see them winning this seven-game series. They have the advantage when Kluber pitches, but the rest of their starting staff looks vulnerable. Look for the Blue Jays to turn the series around starting Saturday night. They will win Game 2 with Happ on the mound and take the series in six games.

The Cubs are the strongest team left in the postseason, and they are set up well to beat the exhausted Dodgers in the first two games of the series at Wrigley Field. Cubs manager Joe Maddon will send Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA, 197 strikeouts and 1.016 WHIP) and Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13 ERA, 0.979 WHIP) to the mound in the first two games, while Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Kenta Maeda (16-11, 3.48 ERA, 1.139 WHIP) will start the series opener.

The Dodgers showed plenty of heart in beating the Washington Nationals in five games, and they are likely to fight the Cubs to the limit in each game. However, the Cubs will earn the National League pennant by a 4-1 margin.

The Cubs get to their first World Series since 1945, and their 108-year drought and worldwide following will make them heavy sentimental favorites.

However, the Blue Jays have the depth, power and talent to extend this series to seven games, and by the time it’s over, the Cubs, Maddon and their fans will be left thinking about what might have been. 

Toronto will win the World Series in seven memorable games.

Advanced stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

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Following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ come-from-behind win over the Washington Nationals in Game 5 of the NLDS, the NLCS is officially set with the Chicago Cubs looking to return to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

According to Odds Shark, the Cubs enter the series as 20-39 favorites, while the Dodgers are 7-4 underdogs. Although history hasn’t been kind to Chicago, every indication throughout 2016 has been that the Cubs are the best all-around team in baseball.

As the Cubs look to exorcise more than a century of demons by reaching and winning the World Series, here is a full rundown of the NLCS viewing schedule, as well as a prediction for how the series will play out.

Dodgers Player to Watch: Corey Seager

The Dodgers are far less offensively inclined than the Cubs, but that could change if shortstop Corey Seager gets hot at the plate in the NLCS.

The 2016 regular season marked Seager’s first full campaign in Major League Baseball, and he didn’t disappoint, as he hit .308 with 26 home runs, 72 RBI and 105 runs scored while being named to his first career All-Star team.

Despite enjoying such a great year, Seager was hit-and-miss during the NLDS, as he finished with a .130 batting average to go along with two home runs and three RBI.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the 22-year-old struggled to get anything going at the plate beyond the opening inning:

Seager’s first-inning heroics were key in Los Angeles advancing to the NLCS, but the Dodgers need him to be a threat throughout the entire course of games moving forward.

He possesses power that is rarely seen at the shortstop position, as evidenced by him accomplishing something that hadn’t been done by a shortstop in a division series in nine years, per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell:

The Cubs boast a pitching staff that doesn’t let up, so Los Angeles will need contributions throughout its lineup to advance.

Provided Seager plays like the stud he proved himself to be during the regular season, however, it will make life far easier for the rest of the lineup in terms of seeing quality pitches and being put in positions to succeed.

Cubs Player to Watch: Kris Bryant

After establishing himself as an MVP candidate during the regular season by hitting .292 with 39 home runs, 102 RBI and an NL-best 121 runs scored, third baseman Kris Bryant has carried over his hot hitting to the playoffs.

In Chicago’s NLDS triumph over the San Francisco Giants, Bryant hit .375 with one homer and three RBI, and he proved he has a knack for clutch hitting in the process.

Although the Cubs went on to lose in extra innings, Bryant hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 against the Giants to tie the game, which put him in elite company, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

While Bryant is just 24 years of age, he seemingly already has the mindset of a veteran player who has been through all the battles before.

Per Dan Martin of the New York Post, Bryant said the Cubs gained “motivation” in losing to the New York Mets in last year’s NLCS and that he and the Cubs don’t intend to go through a similar situation this time around: “Going through that NLCS, when we had high expectations, was tough. We found out it was like to be swept and what that feels like. And we definitely don’t want to do that again.”

For as great as the Cubs were last season, they are a far more experienced and dominant team in 2016, and the steps taken by Bryant are a big reason for that.

The 2015 NL Rookie of the Year makes the entire lineup better due to his ability to get on base and hit the ball out of the park, and he figures to make life miserable for the L.A. pitching staff in the NLCS.

Series Prediction

The Dodgers enter the NLCS at a significant disadvantage since their roster is nowhere near as deep and talented as Chicago’s—and due to the fact that ace Clayton Kershaw won’t be available in Game 1.

Kershaw started Game 4 of the NLDS and came in for the final two outs of Game 5 to record the save and send L.A. to the next round.

Although Kershaw was far from his best during the NLDS with a 5.84 ERA, the Dodgers are overly dependent on him to win games, as evidenced by this tweet courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info:

Neither Rich Hill nor Kenta Maeda pitched well in starting roles for the Dodgers in the NLDS, and rookie Julio Urias could be pressed into more significant action against the Cubs.

Conversely, Chicago’s rotation is stacked from top to bottom with Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey all capable of tossing a gem on any given day.

The Cubs also have a deep lineup without any truly easy outs, spearheaded by Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Javier Baez.

Both Rizzo and Russell struggled mightily in the NLDS, yet Chicago still managed to put plenty of runs on the board.

It is difficult to envision their issues continuing for much longer, and that makes the Cubs an even more difficult team to contend with.

The Dodgers were seemingly forced to empty the tank in order to get past the Nats, and there simply won’t be enough left to pull off the upset over Major League Baseball’s best team.

Prediction: Cubs win in 5

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