Rozner: Pressure exceeding pleasure for Cubs

If John Lackey didn't come here for a haircut, he better deliver in a big way Wednesday night or he can reserve a chair at the barber shop.

Yeah, you wanted a reason to worry? Well, now you've got it.

After a thrilling win in the opener, the Cubs have dropped two straight to the Dodgers in the NLCS due to a hapless offense that has hung Cubs pitchers out to dry and left them searching for perfection.

Never a great way to take the mound.

This feels like an appropriate time to point out that it's really hard to win in October.

No, really.

It's easy to forget now that the Cubs were a few minutes away from returning to Chicago for a Game 5 against the San Francisco Giants, and the prospect of facing a whole lot of Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner.

And now they face the possibility of more Clayton Kershaw in a couple days - and maybe finished for the season.

The Cubs faced adversity in Game 4 of the NLDS, but after a season in which they had very little stress, they're up against it now. If they can't win Game 4, they'll be down 3-1 and probably face Kershaw in an elimination game.

Even if the Dodgers hold Kershaw for Game 6, the Cubs would still have to win three straight at a time when they can't string hits together and half their lineup is doing nothing.

And they haven't scored since Moses was in short pants.

That's the nature of playoff baseball, and if you look around the postseason you see great pitching stifling hitting in every series.

So the Cubs needed Jake Arrieta to be great Tuesday night and he was far from it, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits in 5-plus innings, while Dodgers starter Rich Hill embarrassed the Cubs for 6 innings, allowing just 2 lonely Kris Bryant singles.

And though young Cubs shortstop Addison Russell has struggled so mightily during the postseason after such a great season offensively, the Dodgers young shortstop - Corey Seager - got it going Tuesday night in Game 3.

In the top of the second when they made Hill throw 30 pitches, the Cubs had runners on second and third with one out in a scoreless contest when Russell struck out and Miguel Montero grounded softly to end the inning.

Hill looked miserable in that inning, unable to find the grip on his curve. The Cubs had him on the ropes and let him escape to the middle of the ring without delivering even a jab.

But in the bottom of the third with two outs and a runner on second, Seager (3 hits) lined a basehit to right to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

When Yasmani Grandal took Arrieta deep for a 2-run shot in the fourth, the Cubs were down 3-0 and in deep trouble. Justin Turner led off the sixth with a solo shot and that was it for Arrieta, who has thrown too many games like Tuesday's since his struggles began in June.

So the pressure is absolutely exceeding the pleasure, and Joe Maddon - the $25-million Zen master - better come up with some answers quickly or the Cubs will be flying home from the West Coast with a big-fat doughnut from Dodger Stadium and facing a long winter to ponder how the most powerful team in baseball became the gang that couldn't hit straight - or far.

Emotions can swing quickly in a playoff series, and with a victory in Game 4 the Cubs can feel good about themselves again.

But a defeat and on the brink of a shocking elimination, they're going to feel very bad, indeed.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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