NLCS Game Three, 2016

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

The Cubs send RHP Jake Arrieta (18-8, 310 ERA) to the mound to face LHP Rich Hill (12-5, 2.12 ERA) of the Dodgers. The last time Arrieta faced the Dodgers at this start time was last August; all he did was throw a no-hitter at them. Since then he’s faced them once in May of this season and shut them out for seven innings. He’s not been quite that good in the second half of this season and he hasn’t gotten much help: The Cubs lost all five of his starts in July and four of his last six entering the NLCS start. His ERA is 4.44 in his last 16 starts. Hill, a mid-season acquisition by the Dodgers, hasn’t been able to produce as much as they hoped due to blister issues and an inability to go deep in games. He pitched into the fifth inning in a 5-2 loss at Washington in Game 2 of the NLDS and came out in the third inning of Game 5 when he was working on three days’ rest.
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Someone post the lineup when it’s out, please. I’ll be in the air to Honolulu and won’t arrive until about the sixth inning.

221 thoughts on “NLCS Game Three, 2016

  1. Kenley with a great interview. He prefers to pitch against lefties and is happy when the opposing manager puts them in to face him. Also, when he has trouble with his pitches, he reverts to practicing with long tosses from his knees, like he used to do when he was a catcher. Finally, big smiles when it is mentioned that he will be an FA.

  2. Can’t wait to see how Julio does. My son is going tomorrow night with his wife, and he and I go on Thursday.

  3. Watching the post game show and it reminded me that the Dodgers used speed tonight with Toles and Puig scoring, Reddick and Pederson stealing bases. I like speed.

  4. Sounds like the Cubs play after the Bartman incident . . . but this game should not be in question.

  5. Can picture Vin describing the “wild horse” coming around to score!
    Joc-ularity!

  6. Corey’s 3rd hit is cumulatively the 10th of the game — guess they’re right that pitching dominates postseason.

    Great that Corey’s becoming a force, other than his two solo HRs.

  7. If I have it right, that’s Dodgers leading the HR derby, 3-2 in this series.
    Doesn’t mean much, except the Cubs had more in the regular season.

  8. I figured the Hill of his first three starts for LA would definitely be a match for Arrieta . . . but he hasn’t shown up much lately, so i am VERY pleased.

  9. The PAR (posts against replacement) for RBI and Dave combined is easily in the hundreds!

  10. After two games for the ages which TOOK ages to finish, a 2nd straight game actually under time (I figure an hour for 3 innings).

  11. This is a novelty in the post season. A pitcher whose last name doesn’t begin with K, pitching deep enough in a game to qualify for a win.

  12. I’m choosing to believe Josh’s baserunning exploits helped rattle Arrieta.
    I soo love a running a game!

    • It’s a little early to talk about that. Don’t underestimate these Cubbies, though I’d hope they would embrace their essential Cubbiness.

  13. Please do not make hill do what Kershaw and Jansen had to do, let’s score more than one run!

  14. Nice to have a player who’s a threat on the basepaths.
    One of the sports guys in Vegas theorized that Toles would be the leadoff hitter next year for LA.

  15. Based on the offensive output from both teams last game, this could be the ballgame, right here.

  16. I’m out of town tonight at a lecture. Will sneak peeks at the score but won’t be posting too much. Topic of the lecture: Raising Children in the Digital Age. My own screen time might be reduced after tonight to model this well 😉

    • There was an episode of MASH where Hawkeye took a dare to not make wisecracks for 24 hours. At the end of it, he made up for lost time.
      Perhaps you’ll do the same.

  17. Candy Maldonado and Mitch Webster are the only two players who played with each of the Final Four teams: Dodgers, Cubs, Indians and Blue Jays.