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The majority of the postseason drama in the division series came from the National League this year, but the American League has two teams that are a combined 7-0 in the playoffs set on a collision course with a spot in the World Series hanging in the balance.

The Toronto Blue Jays stunned the Baltimore Orioles in 11 innings in the American League Wild Card Game then proceeded to sweep the Texas Rangers in the next round. The Cleveland Indians swept the Boston Red Sox and will square off with Toronto in the American League Championship Series.

The winner will face the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals or Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic.

The Cubs ended the San Francisco Giants’ even-year magic by scoring four runs in the ninth inning of Game 4 of their series the day after San Francisco won a 13-inning thriller, while the Dodgers and Nationals will play a do-or-die Game 5 on Thursday.

With that in mind, here is a look at the updated postseason bracket, remaining schedule (courtesy of MLB.com) and predictions for which teams will clash in the World Series.

American League Bracket

National League Bracket

Postseason Schedule

World Series Prediction

The American League representative in the World Series is more of a straightforward prediction at this point because the Cubs don’t yet know their opponent in the National League Championship Series.

Cleveland was impressive against Boston, but its starting rotation injuries will prove costly in the ALCS. Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com noted Danny Salazar has been out since Sept. 9 because of a forearm injury, while Carlos Carrasco is done for the season with a hand injury.

While Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Salazar threw a bullpen session and could pitch out of the pen against Toronto, that will still put plenty of pressure on Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin as the three starters.

They were able to carry the load in the short series with the Red Sox, but Toronto’s loaded lineup will get to them early and tax a bullpen that relies heavily on Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. 

Toronto leads the postseason in runs and finished fourth in the regular season with 221 home runs. Edwin Encarnacion (42 homers), Josh Donaldson (37), Troy Tulowitzki (24), Michael Saunders (24), Jose Bautista (22) and Russell Martin (20) all blasted at least 20 long balls during the regular season, and Bautista and Encarnacion have combined for five in just four playoff games.

What’s more, Encarnacion, Bautista, Donaldson, Martin and Tulowitzki are all right-handed hitters, which limits the impact the southpaw Miller will have late in the game.

Indians outfielder Coco Crisp still isn’t intimidated, per Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun: “When it comes to beating Toronto, just like Boston we’re going to have to come out there and relax and play our game.”

Despite the confidence, Toronto will wear out Cleveland’s pitching over the course of the longer series. 

There is also something to be said for experience, and the Blue Jays reached the ALCS last year and eventually lost to the Kansas City Royals. That won’t be the case this time around against Cleveland.

As for the National League, the Cubs’ dramatic comeback win on Tuesday was important for more than just the victory itself. Chicago earned three days of rest in between series to reset a formidable starting rotation that led all of baseball with a 2.96 ERA. 

That will prove crucial against the Dodgers, who pitched Clayton Kershaw on short rest Tuesday, or the Nationals, who will pitch Max Scherzer on Thursday.

The Cubs have a deep rotation with Jon Lester (2.44 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), Kyle Hendricks (2.13 ERA, 0.98 WHIP), Jake Arrieta (3.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) and John Lackey (3.35 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) that gives them a chance to win any given matchup. It says something about Chicago’s pitching that Arrieta won the National League Cy Young last year and is the No. 3 starter this season.

They also have a strong bullpen that can close the door behind the starters with fireballers Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman.

The lineup includes likely National League MVP Kris Bryant—who slashed .292/.385/.554 with 39 home runs and 102 RBI—Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler and dynamic youngsters such as Javier Baez and Willson Contreras.

That group doesn’t have to score a ton of runs with the pitching and the best defense in baseball. According to FanGraphs, the Cubs defense was responsible for 82 total defensive runs saved above average this season, which was a full 31 above the second-place Houston Astros.

Chris Emma of 670 The Score in Chicago pointed out the bullpen and versatile defense are a perfect fit for manager Joe Maddon:

The opponent doesn’t matter—the Cubs have the formula to win in October.

World Series prediction: Chicago Cubs vs. Toronto Blue Jays

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Think twice before you discount the notion of San Francisco’s even-year magic because the Giants were dispatched from the MLB playoffs by the Chicago Cubs in four games. There was a whole lot of magic involved for the Giants to even reach the postseason.

Let’s not forget that it was the Giants who had baseball’s best record (57-33) and a 6.5-game lead in the National League West at the All-Star break. That they managed to reach the playoffs at all after posting a 30-42 second-half record is nothing short of miraculous.

But there’s only so much the baseball gods will do to help a team. At some point, it’s on the players to get the job done. The Giants simply weren’t up to the task, and they’ll head into the offseason looking for ways they can avoid carrying that disappointing finish into 2017.

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Three of the four spots in the league championship series are set, with only the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers left to decide who will advance.

The divisional series provided plenty of drama, between the Toronto Blue Jays’ walk-off win to the Chicago Cubs’ improbable comeback in Game 4. On the other hand, these two teams and the Cleveland Indians combined to lose just one game as they advanced to the next round of the playoffs.

Fans will at least get to watch one winner-take-all battle in the opening round, and this has the potential to exceed expectations. Here is what you need to know for the final NLDS battle.

Dodgers vs. Nationals

When: Thursday, Oct. 13

Where: Nationals Park; Washington, D.C.

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox Sports 1

Odds (via Odds Shark): Dodgers (+135), Nationals (-150)

Preview

As with most baseball games, the biggest story coming in is the pitching probables. The Nationals will use their ace in Max Scherzer, while the Dodgers will start Rich Hill on only three days’ rest. While both pitchers had outstanding seasons, they are each coming off poor showings so far in the postseason.

Scherzer, who is a top contender for the NL Cy Young Award, allowed four runs in six innings in a Game 1 loss. The talented pitcher took full responsibility for the loss after the game. 

“Giving up those two home runs, I really feel like that was the difference in the ballgame,” Scherzer said Friday, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. “I’m accountable for that and I’ll shoulder that and I’ll take the blame for that. I know I’m capable of executing pitches at a higher level, and I’ve got to do it.”

While Scherzer does have a bad game every now and then, Nationals fans should be happy about the fact he rarely doubles up on these performances. Only once during the regular season did the veteran pitcher allow more than four runs in back-to-back starts.

Hill is also coming off an impressive season where he posted a 2.12 ERA, but there are more question marks for him entering Thursday’s game. The 36-year-old starter doesn’t go deep into games ordinarily, averaging 85.2 pitches per game with the Dodgers this year. Coming back on short rest, it would be almost a miracle for him to top five innings.

As Holden Kushner of TuneIn noted, Los Angeles will use as many pitchers as needed:

Julio Urias won’t get the start, but you can be certain the 20-year-old lefty will see the field at some point in this important game.

No matter who is on the mound for the Dodgers, however, it will be a serious challenge to keep this Nationals lineup off the scoreboard.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today gave praise for the red-hot Daniel Murphy after his four-RBI performance in Game 4:

Murphy is hitting .462 in the postseason a year after breaking out in the playoffs with the New York Mets. Meanwhile, Jayson Werth (.467), Trea Turner (.353) and Ryan Zimmerman (.333) have been outstanding as well in the four games to this point. If Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon play to their abilities, this could be a high-scoring effort.

The Dodgers just haven’t seen the same type of effort from their offense with the exception of Justin Turner. Even Corey Seager has lacked consistency outside of a few big hits.

At the least, Washington should be able to get enough runs at home to give Scherzer breathing room. The starter can take care of the rest and lead the Nationals into the NLCS.

Prediction: Nationals 4, Dodgers 2

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Baseball’s two hottest teams will clash in the American League Championship Series when the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians play at Progressive Field on Friday.

Each team swept its respective division series.

The upcoming ALCS can be compared to a great boxing card. In boxing, contrasting styles between fighters make a great fight.

The Indians and Blue Jays won this season in different ways. The Indians relied on solid pitching, particularly a starting rotation that carried the team through its best stretches of the regular season.

Toronto, on the other hand, is loaded with power and hit its way through the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series.

Let’s move on and see what makes these two heavyweights so great.

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The first and only winner-take-all game of the 2016 MLB division series will go down Thursday at Nationals Park.

Los Angeles Dodgers. Washington Nationals. Game 5 of the National League Division Series. A trip to the National League Championship Series on the line. Aw, heck and/or yes.

But while we could just sit here and be excited until first pitch at 8:08 p.m. ET, there are serious discussions about what the Dodgers and Nationals must do to win Game 5. Let’s narrow it down to three keys for each team, starting with the visitors.

Keys for the Dodgers

Take Max Scherzer Deep

Now, here’s advice not even John McClane would hesitate to accept. Hitting home runs is a good way to beat any pitcher. It’s science.

The difference with Scherzer, who starts for Washington in Game 5, is that home runs are the only way to beat him. The ace right-hander is rally-proof. He allowed just a .199 batting average and 2.2 walks per nine innings in the regular season, striking out 11.2 batters per nine innings. 

However, he did give up the long ball. Precisely 1.2 of them every nine innings. And he may be especially prone to home runs now, as Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post can tell you about how Scherzer‘s arm slot and fastball have flattened out recently.

The Dodgers have already shown they’re up to the task. They only collected five hits off Scherzer in their 4-3 win in Game 1, but two of them left the yard. If there’s more where that came from, the Dodgers could have all the offense they need.

Rich Hill’s Leash Should Be as Long as His Curveball Is Good

Nothing has been confirmed by the Dodgers as of Wednesday night, but Rich Hill told reporters (including ESPN.com’s Doug Padilla) after Game 4 that he’ll be starting Game 5.

With the Dodgers season on the line and Hill on short rest after starting in Game 2 on Sunday, it goes without saying his leash will be short. But in this case, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts can look for something specific to determine how short it should be.

Hill’s curveball is going to be on display in Game 5 for reasons that Mike Petriello of MLB.com covered ahead of Game 2: It’s always on display, it’s really good and it’s a lethal weapon against the Nationals.

Or, so it seemed. What actually happened in Game 2 was Washington piled on the sudden hittability of Hill’s curveball, pictured here courtesy of Brooks Baseball:

This smoke leads to some fire. The velocity on Hill’s hook has been down lately, and his location of it has been up. It remains a good pitch, but that’s not a favorable combination. If it gets Hill in trouble, Roberts must not have too much faith he can work out of it.

Have Joe Blanton on Speed Dial

Assuming he’s not the one who gets the start, the expectation now is that 20-year-old left-hander Julio Urias will piggyback off Hill in Game 5. Following his impressive second half, this is a solid idea.

But rather than pin too many hopes on Urias, Roberts should be ready to replace him with Joe Blanton at a moment’s notice. Or, just go directly to Blanton if he’s needed in the middle innings.

We know two things about Blanton. One, he can go more than an inning if need be. Two, he’s been solid all season and even better lately. He had a 1.74 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10.1 innings in the last month of the regular season and has pitched 3.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts in the NLDS.

It’s all about Blanton’s slider. He’s been using it more lately, and the hits against it have been few and far between. Per fellow reliever Luis Avilan, Blanton made it clear he would be sticking with it when Dodgers pitchers were preparing for the Nationals.

“I don’t know about you guys,” Avilan told Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times, relaying Blanton’s words, “but I won’t throw fastballs at all. I just throw sliders.”

A fine plan. If Blanton does his job after the Dodgers offense hits a few home runs while Roberts plays it safe with Hill and/or Urias, the Dodgers could find themselves back in the NLCS.

Keys for the Nationals

Work Rich Hill, Attack Julio Urias

The aforementioned advice of “hit home runs, win game” also works for the Nationals in Game 5. Heck, it may work even more for them given that they’ve gone yard only three times all series.

But scoring off the Hill/Urias piggyback will also require more tact, specifically in how Nationals hitters approach them. Against Hill, they should look to work him and drive up his pitch count. Against Urias, they should be aggressive and try to hit him right out of the gate.

Being patient with Hill makes sense in light of his short rest. But there are also his splits to consider. Hill sticks with the same pitch mix each time through the order, making it easier for hitters to adjust. Lo and behold, he’s vulnerable to the usual times-through-the-order penalties. Nationals hitters got a taste of this in Game 2, when he was sharp early before falling apart. The Nats should force the issue again.

Urias is different, struggling with a .758 OPS the first time through the order. This is when he’s looking to establish his fastball, throwing it 60 percent of the time. By default, that means more pitches to hit.

If the Nationals can get even a couple of runs off the Hill/Urias piggyback, that could be enough for Scherzer and the bullpen. Speaking of which…

Be Ready to Go to Tanner Roark

After throwing only 85 pitches in Game 2, Tanner Roark was asked if he would be ready to go in Game 5 if need be.

“Oh yeah, I’ll be ready to go,” Roark responded, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker may not need to call Roark‘s number if Scherzer is on his game. If not, Roark is just the guy for him to turn to if things need to be calmed down.

He didn’t look the part in allowing seven hits and three walks in 4.1 innings in Game 2, but Roark is normally an efficient pitcher who specializes in missing barrels. He was among the leaders in soft-hit percentage this season, and he was the leader in hard-hit percentage.

This could make him just the guy if the Nationals need to put out an early fire. Not only could Roark get multiple outs in a pinch, but the nature of those outs could leave Dodgers hitters frustrated after having taken some shots at one of the best strikeout pitchers in the business.

Be Aggressive with Mark Melancon

Roark can be the long man in Washington’s bullpen in Game 5. But after posting a 1.64 ERA with a 65-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2016, Mark Melancon is the Nationals’ relief ace.

Thing is, Baker may have to use him like a true relief ace for a change.

It’s true that Baker hasn’t stuck too rigidly to the traditional closer rules with Melancon. After rarely appearing in non-save situations with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post highlighted in September how often Baker used Melancon in such situations. Fine by him, apparently.

Baker has been more shy about bringing Melancon in to get more than three outs at a time. Including the postseason, he’s appeared before the ninth inning just once as a National. Regardless of the situation, it’s typically been ninth-inning-or-bust for him.

Baker should be prepared to change that in Game 5. As good as his bullpen has been in this series, Game 5 might not even be happening if Melancon had appeared in an eighth inning that got away from the Nats in Game 4. If he had, they may have preserved a 5-5 tie and gone on to win later.

Whether or not there’s a late lead to protect, Baker should not be so cautious in Game 5. This postseason has featured aggressive usage of relief aces such as Andrew Miller, Cody Allen and Roberto Osuna. Melancon should be next.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Despite getting swept in three games by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series, Texas general manager Jon Daniels hasn’t lowered his expectations for the Rangers in 2017 and beyond.

“We expect to win,” Daniels told reporters at his season-ending news conference, per MLB.com’s TR Sullivan. “We will be better.”

With much of the roster still under contract and one of the game’s premier managers, Jeff Banister, in the dugout, Daniels’ job isn’t quite as daunting as those facing some of his counterparts around the game, whose teams aren’t in nearly as good of shape as the Rangers are.

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For the first time in more than a decade, the Boston Red Sox head into the offseason knowing that David Ortiz and his larger-than-life personality won’t be a fixture in the middle of their lineup when the team reports for spring training next year.

“No one wanted it to end like this,” said Xander Bogaerts, Boston’s 24-year-old shortstop, following the Cleveland Indians‘ series-clinching Game 3 victory over the Red Sox in the American League Division Series, per the Providence Journal‘s Tim Britton.

Whether the “it” Bogaerts was referring to was Boston’s season or Ortiz’s career is irrelevant—he’s right.

The team wasted little time in making one of its biggest offseason decisions, deciding to maintain the status quo in the dugout for 2017.

“John Farrell will be our manager for 2017,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters Tuesday, per the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato. “So he is all set and his full staff will be invited back. … Everybody is welcome back. I think they did a very fine job for us.”

Exactly how the roster he’ll be managing will look come Opening Day, however, isn’t quite as clear.

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Those seeking drama this MLB postseason need to turn their attention to the National League. Both the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays swept their respective division series, while the two NLCS teams have yet to be determined.

Both the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are facing elimination. They’ll play with urgency, but that alone won’t get them to Game 5.

What exactly will?

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The Los Angeles Dodgers will be fighting for their lives when they take the field at Dodger Stadium Tuesday afternoon.

After winning Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals, they have dropped the last two and must come up with wins in Games 4 and 5 if they are going to advance to the National League Championship Series.

The Nats rode the power bats of Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth to record an 8-3 victory in Game 3 in Los Angeles Monday. Rendon hit a two-run home run in the third inning off Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda, while Werth crushed a 450-foot homer off Los Angeles closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning.

The Dodgers will either go with Clayton Kershaw or Julio Urias on the mound in this potential elimination game, but the team had not made an official announcement as of Tuesday morning.

Kershaw pitched five innings Friday and was credited with the win in the series opener, but he did not control or dominate the Washington hitters.

Urias is well-rested and quite talented, but he would be getting the start in an elimination game, and it seems likely that manager Dave Roberts will want to go with his best pitcher in such an important game instead of a 20-year-old, relatively untested pitcher.

However, Kershaw spent more than two months on the disabled list this year with a lower-back injury, so the Dodgers may not want to push him on short rest.

“With an elimination game, we still have to win two games,” Roberts said after the loss, per Doug Padilla of ESPN.com. “So the thought of having Julio pitch at home, versus the road is something we’re thinking through, and what gives us the best chance to win two games. And obviously, yeah, you have to win [Tuesday] to win on Thursday.”

The Nationals have not announced their starter, either. It is possible that they could go with Joe Ross (7-5, 3.43 ERA) and save Max Scherzer (20-7, 2.96 ERA) for Game 5—if that scenario is required.

Tuesday’s game will be played at 5:05 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports 1.

Both the Nationals and Dodgers are still considered underdogs to win the World Series, according to Odds Shark. The Dodgers are +1200 (bet $100 to win $1,200) to be crowned world champions, while the Nationals are +700.

Prediction 

There are many variables since neither side has announced its starting pitcher. However, the Dodgers need to win to stay alive, and they will be the more desperate team.

It would take a lot for Roberts not to go with his ace, and the feeling is that Kershaw will get the ball. Kershaw has struggled throughout his postseason career and is not at his best right now, so it may not be the proper time to expect a remarkable effort from him.

That may be the key. While some may see Kershaw as vulnerable, this will be the time that he comes through with a postseason gem. The Dodgers win Game 4 and square the series.

Chicago at San Francisco, Chicago leads series 2-1

It took 13 innings for the San Francisco Giants to get their first victory of the series against the Chicago Cubs, and by winning the third game, manager Bruce Bochy’s team is back in the NLDS.

The Giants rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 5-3 lead into the ninth as a result of a two-run triple by Conor Gillaspie and an RBI single by Brandon Crawford off flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman.

With the Giants poised to win, NL MVP candidate Kris Bryant hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the top of the ninth to tie the score at 5-5.

The two teams remained locked up until the bottom of the 13th, when Joe Panik doubled home Crawford with the winning run. The Cubs lead the best-of-five series by a 2-1 margin.

“Just because we’re down, we’re not out,” Panik said after the game, per Janie McCauley of the Associated Press (h/t CBSSports.com). “If we’re breathing, we’re still fighting.”

The Cubs will send John Lackey to the mound Tuesday night at 8:40 p.m. ET against Matt Moore. The game will be televised by Fox Sports 1.

The Cubs remain favored to win the World Series with odds of +210. Chicago is looking for its first World Series title since 1908. The Giants are +1600 underdogs to win the World Series, and they have won three championships since 2010.

Prediction 

The Giants succeeded in putting the heat on the Cubs by winning a game in this series in front of their rabid fans.

However, the Cubs won 103 games in the regular season because they were the best team in baseball, and they will have a strong pitcher on the mound in Lackey.

He was 11-8 with a 3.35 ERA this season along with a 1.057 WHIP. Additionally, Lackey has been a part of two World Series-winning teams (2002 Anaheim Angels and 2013 Boston Red Sox), and he should be able to pitch effectively in a closeout game on the road.

Moore was 6-5 this season with a 4.08 ERA and 1.332 WHIP in 12 starts for the Giants. It may be much harder for him to limit Chicago’s offense.

Look for the Cubs to pull away in this game and earn the series victory.

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One division series is already in the books, and two more could end Monday in a loaded day of action in the MLB playoffs.

The Toronto Blue Jays were the first team to earn a spot in the American League Championship Series with their walk-off win over the Texas Rangers. The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, both up 2-0 in their respective series, have a chance to move on to the next round by the end of the night.

Only the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied in their series as we head to Game 3.

Still, nothing is decided until the series are over, so make sure to tune in to the upcoming battles.

Previews

Nationals vs. Dodgers

The Nationals saw their best hitter on the season go 3-for-3, while an unlikely source had the biggest hit of the day. Backup catcher Jose Lobaton came through with a three-run home run in the fourth inning that ended up being the deciding factor in the game.

Joe Sheehan of Sports Illustrated summed up an unlucky day for the Dodgers:

Los Angeles only scored two runs but certainly had opportunities on the day. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, the missed chances were out of character for this squad:

From a long-term perspective, it’s a positive the Dodgers were getting so many runners on. It is only a matter of time before these turn into runs.

In reality, the game will likely be decided by Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez. The lefty is one of the most volatile starters in the league, capable of fantastic performances but also devastating starts that give his squad little chance of victory.

After posting a 7.43 ERA in five September starts, it’s difficult to trust him in the upcoming road battle.

Prediction: Dodgers 5, Nationals 3

Indians vs. Red Sox

Game 3 of the Indians vs. Red Sox was initially scheduled for Sunday but was rained out and rescheduled for Monday, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

In reality, it won’t matter when the game is played if the Boston Red Sox can’t get a better performance from the pitching staff. After Cy Young candidate Rick Porcello allowed five runs in Game 1, David Price followed up with five runs allowed in Game 2.

All of a sudden, Boston is forced to turn to Clay Buchholz, who had just a 4.78 ERA on the season while bouncing in and out of the starting rotation.

The Cleveland Indians have a deep lineup that ensures few easy matchups for Buchholz throughout the day. With the way Jason Kipnis, Jose Ramirez and others have performed to this point, it’s hard to imagine this offense is going to quiet down any time soon.

On the other side, the Red Sox offense is much better than it has shown so far in this series, with players such as David Ortiz and Mookie Betts barely making an impact. It seems like only a matter of time before this group explodes for a big outing.

Still, Josh Tomlin has pitched well for Cleveland down the stretch, holding opponents to two or fewer runs in each of his last four starts. The Red Sox could finally get on the board at home in Fenway Park, but it might not be enough to hang with the opposition to stay in the series.

Prediction: Indians 7, Red Sox 4

Cubs vs. Giants

It’s clear that the Chicago Cubs are the best team in baseball. They can win with pitching, they can win with hitting and they recently showed they can even win with hitting pitchers.

Travis Wood hit a home run in Game 2 as a reliever, helping the home team secure an ugly 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. 

While this isn’t something the squad will rely on each game, the Cubs can count on a long list of players to step up when needed.

“We’re a very deep team,” catcher David Ross said Saturday, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. “We have a group that [manager] Joe [Maddon] has utilized all year. We are not the typical best team in baseball that uses the same lineup every day.”

On the other hand, it might not matter what lineup the Cubs throw out Monday with a matchup against Madison Bumgarner.

Sporting News contributor Ryan Spaeder explained just how good the left-hander has been in big moments in his career:

This isn’t a winner-take-all game, but the Giants’ season is on the line down 0-2. Bumgarner also has a 1.94 ERA in his 15 career postseason appearances.

While Chicago is still in the driver’s seat in this series, one unstoppable pitcher will keep San Francisco’s hopes alive.

Prediction: Giants 2, Cubs 0

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