National League Championship Series Game 1: Cubs (103-58-1, 3-1) vs. Dodgers (91-71, 3-2)
- Game Time – 7:08pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: FS1 – Radio: WSCR 670 The Score, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 89, 844(Cubs), 183, 853(Dodgers)
- Location – Wrigley Field, Chicago
Jon Lester, LHP (19-5, 2.44/1.01/3.41) vs. Kenta Maeda, RHP (16-11, 3.48/1.13/3.58)
The National League Championship Series – Game 1
Cubs Baseball is On the Air! It’s the first game of the National League Championship Series between the Cubs and Dodgers from Wrigley Field.
The Cubs and Dodgers square off for the first time in postseason play in eight years. And one of the two of the oldest franchises in baseball will represent the National League in the Fall Classic.
Jon Lester gets the ball in Game 1 and will take on Dodgers’ right-hander Kenta Maeda. And it’s up to Lester to keep the Dodgers off the board while his teammates figure out Maeda.
The Cubs are looking for the offense to pick up where it left off against the Giants. The bats woke up in the ninth inning of Game 4 and broke out of the series-long slump. The Cubs must work at bats and string together hits like they did early in the season when the headlines focused on the relentless offense.
The first inning is key to tonight’s game. The Dodgers like to score early and often and it’s imperative the Cubs do not allow Kenta Maeda to get comfortable on the mound at Wrigley. As long as the Dodgers don’t score, even if the Cubs don’t put any runs up in the first inning, long at bats that result in a high-pitch count for Maeda after one inning could lead to success throughout the series.
Joe Maddon is expected to use his Lester Lineup for Game 1 with Javier Baez at second base and David Ross behind the plate. Maddon mentioned Friday trying to take advantage of Maeda’s splits (.580 OPS vs. right-handers; .730 OPS vs. left-handers) but it’s hard to see how he could add another left-handed bat to his Lester Lineup without negatively impacting the Cubs’ defense.
The Cubs won four of the seven regular season games against the Dodgers this season. As has been proved year after year, success over the course of a season against a specific team does not translate in postseason play.
Tonight all starts with Jon Lester …
Jon Lester stepped up in Game 1 of the NLDS and set the tone for the series against the Giants. Lester allowed just five hits in eight shutout innings with no walks and five strikeouts. The Cubs are looking for a similar performance from Lester in the opener against the Dodgers.
Lester put together an excellent season that was capped off with a tremendous second half. Lester was 10-1 in 14 starts after the break with a 1.76 ERA and 0.93 WHIP.
Lester was 10-2 in 15 starts at Wrigley this season with a 1.74 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. And in night games, he was 13-0 in 18 starts with a 2.09 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.
Lester was 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 0.60 WHIP in two starts against the Dodgers this season. Lester beat the Dodgers 2-1 at Wrigley on June 1 after allowing one run (a leadoff homer by Kike Hernandez) on four hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a nine-inning, complete-game gem. Lester received a no decision on Aug. 28 at Dodger Stadium. Lester allowed three hits over six shutout innings. Lester walked two and struck out six in a game the Cubs lost 1-0.
Jon Lester is 2-2 in five career 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.
The Dodgers will test Lester early. Lester and David Ross will have to shut down the Dodgers running game and set a tone for the series.
Dodgers Career Numbers against Jon Lester
- Howie Kendrick: 7-for-40 with four doubles and two walks
- Carlos Ruiz: 0-for-14 with one walk
- Kike Hernandez: 3-for-12 with one triple and one home run
- 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
Dodgers Numbers against Jon Lester in 2016
- Howie Kendrick: 0-for-6 with one walk
- Corey Seager: 1-for-6 with one walk
- Kike Hernandez: 1-for-6 with one home run
- Justin Turner: 0-for-7
- Joc Pederson: 0-for-3
- Carlos Ruiz: 0-for-3
- Adrian Gonzalez: 1-for-2
- Yasmani Grandal: 0-for-2
- Yasiel Puig: 0-for-1
- Josh Reddick: 0-for-1
The Cubs get their first look at Kenta Maeda. The veteran pitcher just completed his first season in Major League Baseball. Maeda pitched for eight seasons in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp.
Maeda struggled against the Nationals in the NLDS. Maeda allowed four runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in three innings. Anthony Rendon hit a two-run home run. The Nationals scored four runs in the third inning and won 8-3.
The Giants hit Maeda rather hard in his final start of the regular season. And the last time he pitched well on the road was back on Sept. 16 in Arizona. Maeda was 9-6 in 17 road starts this season with a 3.74 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.
Maeda had a good first half before teams started figuring him out and he wore down. Maeda was 8-6 in his first 18 starts with a 2.95 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. After the break, Maeda was 8-5 in 14 starts with a 4.25 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.
Maeda made 32 starts this season and was 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. And in 17 road starts, Maeda posted a 9-6 record with a 3.74 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.
The Cubs must not allow him to settle in tonight.
We're ready for you, #NLCS. pic.twitter.com/T5JcDnAGZq
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) October 15, 2016
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