NLCS Game Four, 2016

Cubs at Dodgers, 5:00PM PT, TV: FS1

The Cubs send wily veteran RHP John Lackey (11-8, 3.35 ERA) out to face the Dodgers’ rookie LHP Julio Urias (5-2, 3.35 ERA) in hope of tying the series up. Lackey has made 11 career starts in 12 appearances against the Dodgers and has a career 1.75 ERA against them. Urias started twice against the Cubs during the regular season, working six innings to beat them on Aug. 27 at Dodger Stadium after getting beaten up at Wrigley Field in his second Major League start.

Lineup:

154 thoughts on “NLCS Game Four, 2016

  1. Fortunately, you can only lose one game a day, and the final score doesn’t matter all that much.

  2. Well, I don’t care what anyone says – in my augmented reality the Dodgers only lost 10-3. Take that Angel Hernandez.

  3. Here’s hoping we have an ace – or two – in the hole if Maeda falters. If the Dodgers don’t respond strongly tomorrow, it may come down to Kershaw and Hill winning Game 6 and 7 on the road in Chicago.

    #whateverittakes

  4. Oh well – I guess the series you really want to clinch at home is the World Series.

  5. Dastardly detail: The middle three innings for the Cubs — 4 1 5 — is the area code for San Francisco.

    • It’s my fault for watching the game and ignoring my in-laws who decided to come to day on one days notice. I’ll take this one for the team.

    • And that we have used up all of our errors. (We certainly haven’t used up all our hits tonight.)

      • I thought Joc’s throw was perfect and it was Grandal that let it go over his head by going from home plate where the ball was thrown to and running toward the mound to try to cut it off.

        The ball bounced off the mound higher than Grandal expected but would have been right on the mark had he more cautiously stayed closer to home.

  6. Good news department: Jansen gets a needed night off. (OK, OK, I’m grasping at straws.)

    • Nope. With a Game 6 looming now, may as well save him for that. Plus, he threw today which he wouldn’t do the day before a start.

      • My worry is that if we lose tomorrow without him, we head back to Chicago three games to two needing a sweep there. Not sure what is the best way to go.

        • But if you figure a win when Kershaw pitches and figure not a win when Maeda pitches, then either way it comes down to Hill on the road in Game 7.

  7. I switched over to the debate after the 3rd or 4th and after sneaking a peak at the score just now came back. The Dodgers have some rusty pitchers and a couple that have worked hard.

  8. Silver Lining Dept: A blowout lessens the suspense/stress.
    Lose by 8, lose by 1, it’s still an L. (But it would be nice to look like you belong in the game.)

  9. Two words: ug ly.
    Guess it all turned around after the play at the plate.
    As well as the Dodgers looked last night, they seem as bad tonight.

  10. So – we were 40% there towards a comeback tonight but now down to 25% and falling.

  11. nice, when I saw in play (runs), I was hoping for a grand salami, but you have to start somewhere. (and still only 1 out)

  12. Just read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day with my son and I am feeling better about tonight’s gene.

  13. I suppose his hand could have been above the plate just long enough that tag got him. (But I don’t think so.)

  14. Alright – this part of the Dodger line up – you can get on base, run wild and hit for extra bases.
    And score runs.

      • I agree.
        At first I was thinking of going for broke, perhaps his final game. But they have to be thinking/hoping/planning for another series.

  15. In a perfect world the ALCS would have gone 7 games to max out the winnng team’s starting pitching.

  16. From a tweet by Don Banks, whoever that is —

    3 teams alive in MLB: Cubs last won in 1908, add 40 years, Indians in ’48, add 40 years, Dodgers in ’88. Nice symmetry to these streaks.

  17. So it will either be a repeat of the 1920 World Series or a brand new matchup. I’m down for the roaring 20’s, ninth six years after the fact.

    • Cleveland, city of light, city of magic
      Cleveland, city of light, you’re calling me
      Cleveland, even now I can remember
      ‘Cause the Cuyahoga River
      Goes smokin’ through my dreams

    • I hope so, but don’t take a census of poultry until they’re born . . . we know the Dodgers can easily look as hapless as the Cubs did last night.

      • funny you say that, at the moment in our year 4 class we are looking at life cycles and we have several chickens hatching at the moment as we have set up in the classroom a hatching chicks program, where the students get to watch chickens hatching from an incubator

        • Our 4th Graders do that — an exciting time for them, but we wait until the “real” Spring 🙂