Cubs @ Dodgers: Quintana vs Kershaw (NLCS Game 1)
CHC (0-0): LHP José Quintana
LAD (0-0): LHP Clayton Kershaw
First pitch: 7:08pmCST (TBS)
The Cubs head back to the NLCS for the third year in a row (!?), this time as the underdogs. There are a lot of reasons not to be optimistic, mostly having to do with a bullpen that seems to think that throwing strikes can cause cancer.
There’s also a lot of evidence to suggest that the Cubs are a very good baseball team and a bunch of drama queens, who pull it together only when they have to.
After a (too-brief!) relief appearance in Game Five on Thursday, Quintana (0-0, 0.00 in the NLCS) gets the start in Game One against the Dodgers. For their careers, the Dodgers are 12-42 (.286) against him. Taylor is 3-3; Forsythe is 5-11 with a HR.
Kershaw had a no-decision in L.A. against the Cubs in May, giving up 4 ER in 4.1 innings on 109 pitches. That’ll do. Overall, the Cubs are 18-76 (.237) against him. Rizzo is 5-14 with 2 HRs, so stick that in your lefty-lefty pipe and smoke it.
For his career, Kershaw (1-0, 5.68 in the NLCS) is 5-7 with a 4.63 in 15 postseason games (11 starts, 10 series). He was 1-1 with a 3.00 against the Cubs in the NLCS last year.
Jon “Blacked Out” Lester and Rich Hill go tomorrow at 6:38pmCST.
On another note, I had occasion (read: insomnia) to watch Let’s Play Two, which aired on Fox after the Astros-Yanks game last night. It’s more of a documentary than a Pearl Jam concert film. They did a great job of interweaving footage from Eddie Vedder’s younger days and Cubbie history with the story of the 2016 championship season. The direction and editing were masterful. It brought tears to my eyes. Truly a must see.
Go Cubs!
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