The Chicago Cubs won Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. Clayton Kershaw—er, the Los Angeles Dodgers—won Game 2.
You don't want to miss Game 3.
Below, we'll review all of the information for viewing Tuesday night's contest along with the odds and a preview of the crucial Game 3 matchup.
Viewing Information
The game can be streamed on FSGO or MLB.tv.
Preview
The Dodgers are 4-0 this postseason in games that Kershaw pitched and 0-3 in games in which he didn't make an appearance. Kershaw won't be pitching in Game 3.
You do the math.
OK, OK—we can't reduce Game 3 to one stat. Fine. So how has Rich Hill, who will be starting the game for the Dodgers, fared this postseason?
Well, not great. In two starts, he has a 6.43 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched. He gave up four runs in 4.1 innings against the Washington Nationals in Game 2 of the National League Division Series before pitching better in a brief appearance in Game 5 on short rest, going 2.2 innings and giving up a run.
Jake Arrieta, meanwhile, doesn't have a decision yet this postseason, though he threw 6.0 innings in a Game 3 loss to the San Francisco Giants, giving up two runs in 6.0 innings.
Here's how the pair stacked up against each other in the regular season:
Given Hill's shaky postseason thus far, the Cubs get the slightest of edges in this comparison.
The Cubs would normally hold the advantage in the offensive department given their depth of star hitters, but the trio of Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell is a combined 6-for-60 this postseason.
That's become a major concern, as Dieter Kurtenbach of FoxSports.com wrote:
We’re yet to see the Cubs at their best so far in these playoffs—they’ve been in every game they’ve played, losing only two contests, and we’ve seen resplendent displays from the pitching and defense, but they’re yet to post a sustained offensive outburst this postseason—the kind that was commonplace in the regular season. There have been spurts here and there, and they’ve often been well-timed, but there hasn’t been a singular contest where you could say through all nine innings, “the Cubs’ bats are really clicking."
The Cubs are going to need one of those games—soon. And while the situation is hardly doom-and-gloom, in a postseason that has so far been charmed, that is the challenge the Cubs still need to prove they can overcome.
Yes, Javier Baez (.391 with a homer and three RBI) and Kris Bryant (.333 with a homer and four RBI) have been excellent. They've carried the team's offense to this point. But the Cubs, as a team, are hitting just .193 this postseason.
The Dodgers aren't exactly raking either, hitting .218 as a team. Through seven games, they've scored 24 runs. Through six games, the Cubs have managed 25. Neither team is lighting up the scoreboard, though both teams can argue they've faced excellent pitching all postseason.
So the offenses are a wash right now, though given that the Cubs scored the second-most runs in the National League this season (808), they still have to be considered the more dangerous offensive unit. Well, if the bats wake up, that is.
Again, give the Cubs the slight advantage in that department.
The bullpens? A wash. Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman are both excellent and headline solid units. The managers? Joe Maddon may be the crafty, experienced soothsayer, but Dave Roberts has been fantastic in his first year at the helm for Los Angeles. Maybe you give the Dodgers a slight advantage because they're at home. Maybe you counter that the Cubs were an impressive 46-34 on the road this year, the second-best road record in baseball.
See where we're headed here?
Ultimately, the Cubs have proved, to this point in the season, to be the better team. Arrieta has been better this postseason than Hill, Baez and Bryant have played like superstars, and it's hard to imagine the Cubs bats remaining so quiet for the duration of October.
Game 3 is a pivotal contest. Look for the Cubs to sneak away with a tight win.
Prediction: Cubs win 4-3
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