GAME: Los Angeles Dodgers (110-59) at Chicago Cubs (96-75)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, October 19 - 8:00 PM EST
WHERE: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A
Playoff Series: League Championship; LA Dodgers leads 3-1
Preview: Dodgers at Cubs
Gracenote
Oct 19, 2017
The Chicago Cubs have won five straight games when their backs were against the wall dating to last year’s World Series, and they’ll try to make it six on Thursday. The Cubs will try to stave off elimination for a second consecutive night by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers at home and sending the National League Championship Series back to California.
Javier Baez homered twice and Willson Contreras also went deep in support of Jake Arrieta as Chicago held on for a 3-2 win in Game 4 to extend the series, handing the Dodgers their first loss of the postseason. Los Angeles had not trailed after the fifth inning in any of its previous six playoff games this year. “We don’t expect anyone to lay down,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “They’re the world champs, and you know they’re going to fight to the end.” If the Cubs are going to live another day, someone other than Wade Davis will have to close out Game 5, as the right-hander recorded six outs on Wednesday for his second multi-inning save of the postseason.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TBS
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (1-0, 4.76 ERA) vs. Cubs LH Jose Quintana (0-0, 1.59)
Kershaw is 5-7 with a 4.57 ERA in 20 career games (16 starts) in the postseason. He split two starts against the Cubs in last year’s NLCS and allowed two runs over five innings in a no-decision in Game 1 of this matchup. Surprisingly, the ace has started only one series-clincher, throwing six scoreless frames to beat Atlanta in the 2013 NL Division Series.
Quintana has been excellent in his first postseason, allowing three runs - two earned - over 11 1/3 innings in two starts and a relief appearance. He gave up two runs and two hits over five frames in Game 1 and left with the contest tied. Quintana went 5-0 with a 4.76 ERA in eight turns at Wrigley Field during the regular season.
WALK-OFFS
1. All seven of Chicago’s runs in the series have come on homers.
2. Dodgers relievers have pitched 20 consecutive scoreless innings and given up only three hits in the series.
3. Davis is the first pitcher to record multiple saves of two or more frames in the same postseason since he accomplished the feat in 2015 with Kansas City.
PREDICTION: Dodgers 4, Cubs 3