With their victory in Game 4, the Chicago Cubs have averted the sweep in the NLCS and reduced their run against the Los Angeles Dodgers to 1-3.Game 5 also takes place in Wrigley Field, but the omens are not very good for the World Series champion.SPOX gives an overview – and shows game 5 of the NLCS on Friday from 2 o’ clock in the LIVESTREAM FOR FREE.
Starting position:
It’s very simple: the Dodgers still need a victory, and then they’re back in the World Series for the first time since 1988.For the proud franchise, which has been throwing money around in the last few years and represents by far the most expensive squad of the MLB (over 265 million dollars the team pays salaries), a far too long dry spell.
The signs are good that it is possible to imitate the success of the Cubs from the previous year.They had entered the playoffs in 2016 as a big favorite and had finally secured the title.The Dodgers were the best balance of the regular season and lost for the first time in this postseason on Wednesday.
The Chicago Cubs have made a deep hole with three consecutive defeats, even though this gap has already been turned in MLB playoff history, as opposed to the NBA.Since 1985, seven out of 38 teams were still able to tear around a League Championship Series after 1-3.And: Last year, the Cleveland Indians were trailing 1-3 against the Cleveland Indians – and they won the World Series in the end,”they will fight to the end,”said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Starting Pitcher:
The Dodgers will send their best man to the dodgers’ hill: superstar Clayton Kershaw.The most dominant pitcher of the last few years would have exactly four days off until the World Series in case of a victory, which would be the normal seasonal rhythm.But should we really look to the future?Kershaw won Game 1 of the series, was not really outstanding with two earned runs in five innings and only four strikeouts – just like in the Division Series.
So is there any truth to the playoff problems he’s been told?Yes and no.The numbers (4.57 playoff ERA) could be better.Nevertheless, he was not bad in game one either, just a home run.”We’ll get it right,”reassured Cody Bellinger.”We’ve got the right man for tomorrow.”
The Cubbies throw Jose Quintana into the race again.The 28-year-old had been picked up by the White Sox during the season to improve a possible play-off rotation.It’s his first postseason, in game 1 he was able to keep up with Kershaw (5 IP, 2 ER).This time, however, he has the home advantage on his side – especially for inexperienced players, a trump card.
Bullpen:
Clear advantage for the Dodgers.Roberts had to put in five relievers after only 4.2 innings from Wood on Wednesday, but only one of them threw over ten pitches.And they didn’t run together, like in game 4.If Kershaw should have any problems with the Long Ball, he has a relief corps at his disposal, which is in good spirits.In addition, Closer Jansen, who after a break of one day in case of emergency, could pitch more than one inning.
Cubs skipper Joe Maddon can’t claim that.Although he used only two reliefs in game 4, he put everything on one card: Closer Wade Davis pitched two innings and needed a proud 48 pitches to do it:”The others have to do it,”Maddon ruled out a bet.Without Davis he has to do a lot of work, but not many of his reliefs have really come to the fore.Maddon has to win the game and therefore has to think in the short term: Is he betting on another starter if Quintana doesn’t last long?
Lineups:
The Cubs have scored seven runs in four games so far.All right, the pitching of the Dodgers was overwhelming for the most part, but it’s disappointing.”We have to be much more offensive,”Maddon emphasized.”It just has to work tomorrow.If we want to make it, we have to do more offensive tomorrow” The team has so far scored all the runs with the Long Ball.A run is a run,”Kyle Schwarber said,” Of course we want to produce runs, but now we’ve only won 3-2 with homeruns,”he will hope that Javier Baez got the turn: after a 0-20 series, he struck with two home runs on Wednesday.
The Dodger’s bats were first silenced, with two top performers on the scoreboard.Rookie-of-the-Year favorite Cody Bellinger narrowed to 1-2, and in the eighth inning Justin Turner then beat a long home run against Davis.Turner is currently just super hot (4 hits and 5 walks in the last three games).
X-factor:
Experience.The Dodgers have years of playoff experience, but as you can see on the Yankees at the moment, some teams with their backs to the wall are sometimes even better.The Cubs have now won five elimination games in a row and believe that the series will be back to L. A. again.to be able to send them.
Fun Fact:
The Bullpen of the Dodgers has not played a run for 20 innings now and has only delivered three hits in this series in four games.So Roberts won’t have any doubts about taking Kershaw out quickly in case of doubt.
forecast:
Kershaw and that bullpen?Even if the Cubs have once again gained hope and Kershaw may even be able to add one or two home runs: it won’t be enough.Quintana is unlikely to be able to do much more than five innings, and after that the loss of Davis weighs too much.The Dodgers reach the World Series.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.