The National League Championship Series gets underway Saturday (7:08pm CDT) at Wrigley Field. And the Cubs and Dodgers will square off in a postseason series for only the second time (2008).
The Cubs were 4-3 in the seven regular season games against the Dodgers this season. The Cubs won three of four at Wrigley (May 30-June 2) and dropped two of three at Dodger Stadium (Aug. 26-28). The Cubs outscored the Dodgers 19-16 in the seven games and did not face Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda or Rich Hill this season.
Jon Lester is starting Game 1 of the NLCS.
Joe Maddon is expected to lineup the Cubs rotation for the NLCS as Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and John Lackey. Dave Roberts should have RHP Kenta Maeda start Game 1 and the Dodgers rotation will include LHP Clayton Kershaw, LHP Rich Hill and LHP Julio Urias.
The Cubs and Dodgers are expected to announce their rotations for the NLCS during Friday’s workout at Wrigley.
Jon Lester
Jon Lester started two games against the Dodgers this season. Lester was 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 0.60 WHIP. Lester beat the Dodgers 2-1 at Wrigley on June 1. Lester gave up one run (a leadoff homer by Kike Hernandez) on four hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a complete game, nine-inning gem. Lester took a no decision on Aug. 28 at Dodger Stadium. Lester pitched six innings of shutout ball, allowing just three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. The Cubs lost 1-0 on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning.
For his career, Lester is 2-2 in five starts against the Dodgers with a 3.06 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. At Dodger Stadium, Lester is 1-1 in three starts with a 2.79 ERA and 1.03 WHIP.
Dodgers Career Numbers against Lester
- Howie Kendrick: 7-for-40 with four doubles and two walks
- Carlos Ruiz: 0-for-14 with one walk
- Justin Turner: 0-for-11 with one walk
- Chase Utley: 2-for-12
- Josh Reddick: 2-for-10
- Adrian Gonzalez: 1-for-8
- Corey Seager: 1-for-6 with one walk
- Yasmani Grandal: 1-for-5 with one double
- Andre Ethier: 2-for-4
- Yasiel Puig: 1-for-3 with one walk
- Joc Pederson: 0-for-3
- Charlie Culberson: 0-for-2
Dodgers Numbers against Lester in 2016
- Howie Kendrick: 0-for-6 with one walk
- Corey Seager: 1-for-6 with one walk
- Justin Turner: 0-for-7
- Joc Pederson: 0-for-3
- Carlos Ruiz: 0-for-3
- Charlie Culberson: 0-for-2
- Adrian Gonzalez: 1-for-2
- Yasmani Grandal: 0-for-2
- Yasiel Puig: 0-for-1
- Josh Reddick: 0-for-1
Jon Lester did not allow a run to the Dodgers over the last 14 innings he faced them this season.
Kyle Hendricks
Kyle Hendricks made one start against the Dodgers this season. Hendricks completed eight innings on June 2 at Wrigley in a 7-2 Cubs win. Hendricks allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
Hendricks is 2-1 in three career starts against the Dodgers with a 3.15 ERA and 0.70 WHIP (eight runs, seven earned, 11 hits, three walks, 12 strikeouts, 20 innings). And in one career start at Dodger Stadium, Hendricks allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts in seven innings (1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP).
Dodgers Career Numbers against Hendricks
- Justin Turner: 2-for-7 with one home run and one walk
- Adrian Gonzalez: 1-for-5 with one home run and one walk
- Yasmani Grandal: 0-for-4 with one walk
- Joc Pederson: 0-for-4 with one walk
- Yasiel Puig: 1-for-4
- Corey Seager: 0-for-2
- Chase Utley: 1-for-3
- Andre Ethier: 1-for-2
- Carlos Ruiz: 0-for-1 with one walk
Two of Hendricks’ better starts in the big leagues have come against the Dodgers, one at Wrigley (June 2, 2016) and one at Dodger Stadium (Aug. 1, 2014).
Jake Arrieta
Jake Arrieta faced the Dodgers once this season, and he received a no-decision on May 31 at Wrigley in a 5-0 Cubs loss. Arrieta shut out the Dodgers for seven innings, allowing just two hits and four walks while striking out eight.
Arrieta pitched his first no-hitter at Dodger Stadium in August 2015 and is 1-2 in four career starts against the Dodgers with a 3.24 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.
At Dodger Stadium, Arrieta is 1-1 in two starts with a 2.57 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. And in his last seven starts in the State of California, Arrieta has a 0.53 ERA and 0.608 WHIP (21 hits, 10 walks, 49 strikeouts, 51 innings).
Dodgers Career Numbers against Arrieta
- Adrian Gonzalez: 6-for-21 with one double, one home run and one walk
- Chase Utley: 0-for-13
- Carlos Ruiz: 3-for-9 with one double and two walks
- Josh Reddick: 4-for-9 with one home run
- Andre Ethier: 1-for-7 with one double and one walk
- Howie Kendrick: 1-for-6 with two walks
- Yasmani Grandal: 0-for-4 with two walks
- Joc Pederson: 0-for-6
- Charlie Culberson: 0-for-2 with one walk
- Yasiel Puig: 2-for-3 with one double
- Corey Seager: 1-for-3
- Justin Turner: 0-for-2
Jake Arrieta was 11-3 in 15 road starts in the regular season with a 3.59 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.
John Lackey
John Lackey is 6-3 in 12 career games, 11 starts, against the Dodgers with a 1.75 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. Lackey did not face the Dodgers this season. Last year, Lackey made one start against the Dodgers and completed seven innings without allowing a run.
Lackey has only made one start against the Dodgers the last two seasons.
Dodgers Career Numbers against Lackey
- Adrian Gonzalez: 7-for-23 with one double and one walk
- Andre Ethier: 4-for-19 with one double and one walk
- Howie Kendrick: 5-for-21
- Chase Utley: 2-for-13 with one triple and two walks
- Carlos Ruiz: 3-for-13
- Yasiel Puig: 1-for-6 with one triple
- Josh Reddick: 0-for-4 with one walk
- Yasmani Grandal: 0-for-2 with one walk
- Joc Pederson: 0-for-2
- Justin Turner: 2-for-3
Joe Maddon could have a short leash on both John Lackey and Kyle Hendricks in the series, especially if the Cubs are able to space the two right-handers in the rotation. The Dodgers simply did not hit left-handers this season. If Mike Montgomery and Rob Zastryzny are on the NLCS roster as expected, Maddon could force Dave Roberts to empty his bench early in a game to replace his lefties that struggle against southpaws with the right-handed platoon options.
Rosters for the NLCS do not have to be submitted until Saturday morning. And the Cubs are expected to take advantage of the Dodgers struggles against left-handed pitchers this season. The Cubs have discussed carrying 12 pitchers on the 25-man roster with 13 position players as opposed to 11 pitchers and 14 position players that were on the Cubs NLDS roster.
Mike Montgomery, Travis Wood and Rob Zastryzny are expected to be three of the five lefties on the Cubs’ NLCS roster.
Montgomery made one start against the Dodgers this season and allowed three runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts (5.40 ERA, 2.00 WHIP) at Dodger Stadium. Wood made four appearances against the Dodgers and was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 0.14 WHIP. Wood did not allow a run or a hit in seven innings while issuing one walk and striking out five. And in relief of Jason Hammel, Zastryzny allowed just one hit and no runs to the Dodgers in 3 2/3 innings with no walks and three strikeouts.