Cubs-Dodgers NLCS Game 1: In Real Life
The Dodgers beat the Cubs, 5-2, on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the National League Championship Series presented by Camping World. We were at the scene in and around Dodger Stadium.
11:35 p.m. ET: Business as usual
The Dodgers' Kenley Jansen entered with two outs in the eighth inning and fanned Kris Bryant, then trotted out for the ninth and struck out the side to collect his third save of the postseason and seal the win for the home team.
The Dodgers' bullpen retired 12 consecutive Cubs on just 40 pitches.
11:09 p.m. ET: Well, that was unexpected
Yasiel Puig opened the bottom of the seventh with a homer -- and then things got crazy. Puig's jack, which cleared the left-center-field wall by about a foot, put the Dodgers ahead by two, and Charlie Culberson followed with a double.
When Justin Turner singled three batters later, Culberson tried to score, but was thrown out at the plate. Or so we thought. The Dodgers challenged the call, arguing that Cubs catcher Willson Contreras had improperly blocked the plate without the baseball. After review, the call was overturned, giving the Dodgers a 5-2 lead, and Cubs skipper Joe Maddon was promptly tossed for arguing the ruling.
10:31 p.m. ET: Taylor's swat puts Dodgers on top
In the sixth, Game 1 became a battle of bullpens, and Chris Taylor quickly gave the Dodgers the upper hand. Starting pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Jose Quintana each allowed two runs over five frames. The Cubs called on Hector Rondon for his first appearance of the postseason in the sixth (after Rondon was left off the NLDS roster). Taylor greeted the right-hander with an opposite-field blast, his first of the playoffs, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
9:56 p.m. ET: Puig cracks Quintana; Dodgers tie game
Puig's red-hot bat has carried over into the NLCS. Puig got the Dodgers on the board in the fifth with an RBI double off the left-center-field wall. Culberson -- added to the roster in Corey Seager's absence -- tied the game, 2-2, with a sacrifice fly one batter later. John Forsythe and Austin Barnes, who worked walks against Quintana, scored the two runs. Meanwhile, Puig, who improved to 6-for-13 with five RBIs this postseason, was stranded at second when James Farmer grounded out.
Quintana faced the minimum with two strikeouts through three innings, using a double-play ball to wrap up the second frame after allowing a single to Forsythe. He's also 1-for-1 at the plate against Kershaw. Not a bad start for the former South Sider, who went 7-3 with a 3.74 ERA to finish out the regular season after he was traded from the White Sox on July 13.
Kershaw also threw zeros through three, but ran into a jam in the fourth when Contreras led off with a single and Albert Almora Jr. crushed a full-count pitch out of the park to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Almora Jr.'s first homer of the postseason was the fifth long ball Kershaw has allowed in 10 1/3 innings this postseason.
8:35 p.m. ET: First things first
Kershaw opened the game by striking out leadoff hitter Jonathan Jay on three consecutive pitches. Kristopher Bryant then singled and Anthony Rizzo walked, but Kershaw rebounded to strike out Contreras and induce a groundout from Almora Jr. to round out the first on 23 pitches (15 strikes).
Quintana had a smooth opening frame, appearing focused despite a health-related scare concerning his wife, Michel, that forced the Cubs to divert their plane to Albuquerque, N.M., en route to Los Angeles on Thursday.
Quintana sat down the Dodgers in order on 22 pitches (14 strikes), inducing a groundout from leadoff man Chris Taylor before fanning Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger.
6:55 p.m. ET: Gear up, game faces on
With just a little more than an hour remaining before first pitch, fans from both sides were eager to get into game mode. All hail "Old Man Wrigley." More >
6:12 p.m. ET: The Madddon School of Thought
Kyle Schwarber normally does not start against left-handers, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided to take a chance today. If the Cubs get a lead, they'll sub a better defensive player in the outfield, but Maddon said he likes Schwarber's at-bats so far.
"I thought looking at [Clayton] Kershaw's body of work this year, and where Schwarber is at physically and mentally, I thought it would play," Maddon said.
5:59 p.m. ET: Advice from a great
Jansen had a chance to chat up Dodgers legend Don Newcombe prior to Game 1. The 91-year-old started for the Dodgers for eight seasons, his best year coming in 1956, when he went 27-7 with a 0.989 WHIP to win the Cy Young and the NL MVP Awards. Brooklyn lost to the Yankees in the World Series that season, 4-3.
Elsewhere around the park ...
5:25 p.m. ET: Line 'em up, part 2
In a bit of gamesmanship from the home team, the Dodgers released their lineup nearly an hour after the Cubs. The specifics:
4:36 p.m. ET: Line 'em up
The Cubs played the averages when starting left-handed-hitting outfielder Kyle Schwarber today. Schwarber has not faced Kershaw before, but lefties hit .248 against the ace vs. .203 for righties. Rizzo has the most at-bats against Kershaw (5-for-14) with two home runs.
4:17 p.m. ET: Who's up for some pregame carb-loading?
Dodger Stadium concessions rolled out some fancy new foodstuffs today in honor of the NLCS, including AL pastor fries, poke salad and a churro sundae served in a mini batting helmet. We're drooling already.
2:40 p.m. ET: The weather is gorgeous, and so is the view
Unlike many rainy games that have been played thus far this postseason, the grounds crew in Los Angeles has an easier job on a dry, beautiful afternoon in sunny Southern California. It's a clear day, and with the mountains visible in the background, the vista from above home plate at Dodger Stadium is one of the best views in baseball.
2:00 p.m. ET: If it ain't broke, don't fix it
Chicago goes with a similar roster as the NLDS presented by T-Mobile, with Hector Rondon being added to the bullpen in place of Justin Wilson as the only change.
1:35 p.m. ET: Injured Seager left off roster
The Dodgers will be without the services of All-Star shortstop Seager, who is dealing with a back injury suffered Monday night in Game 3 of the NL Division Series presented by T-Mobile. More >
Here is the full Dodgers roster:
Pitchers (11): Tony Cingrani, Yu Darvish, Josh Fields, Rich Hill, Kenley Jansen, Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, Brandon Morrow, Thomas Stripling, Tony Watson, Alex Wood.
Catchers (3): Austin Barnes, Kyle Farmer, Yasmani Grandal.
Infielders (5): Cody Bellinger, Charlie Culberson, Logan Forsythe, Justin Turner, Chase Utley.
Outfielders (6): Curtis Granderson, Enrique Hernandez, Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor.