advertisement

Lester, Hill will square off in Game 2 of NLCS

Rich Hill didn't like the final outcome of last year's National League championship series.

Looking for their first trip to the World Series since 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Chicago Cubs 4-2.

As for Hill's only start against the Cubs in the 2016 NLCS, there was a lot for the veteran left-hander to like.

“It was a great game,” Hill told reporters Saturday. “Obviously, it was here in L.A., and I think it put us up 2 games to 1 against the Cubs. Other than that, I think it's a similar situation to where we were last year.

“Last year we wanted to beat the best, and we thought the Cubs were the best. Unfortunately, we didn't get through that round.

“But what we gained in experience was huge to get to this point. A lot of guys that were on that roster last year with the Dodgers are back again this year, and we're able to feed off those experiences from last year and understand that where we got to, it wasn't such a failure. It was more of a learning point in moving forward.”

In Game 3 of last year's NLCS against the Cubs, the 37-year-old Hill took the mound for Los Angeles at Dodgers Stadium and pitched 6 scoreless innings in a 6-0 win.

L.A. is back in the playoffs this year, but Hill struggled in his start against Arizona in Game 3 of the NLDS. The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 8-5, but Hill allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks in just 4 innings.

While Hill figures to benefit from plenty of rest — he last pitched on Oct. 7 — Jon Lester's stamina figures to be tested.

The Cubs' starter in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals on Oct. 7, Lester threw 86 pitches over 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks.

Lester came back out of the bullpen in Game 4 and allowed 1 run on 1 hit and 1 walk in 3⅔ innings while throwing 55 pitches.

“I'm not worried about it,” Lester said of the relief appearance. “I mean, it's kind of just work in between. Just got to do it in the game as opposed to on the side.

“I don't think it's a problem. This time of year, you have to adjust and figure it out. We'll do that tomorrow.”

Lester started against the Dodgers twice during the regular season.

On April 4, he allowed 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings at Wrigley Field and got a no decision. On May 28, he allowed 6 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in 3⅓ innings and took the loss at Dodger Stadium.

Hill did not face the Cubs during the regular season.

The Cubs, meanwhile will go with Kyle Hendricks in Game 3 of this series and Jake Arrieta in Game 4.

• Follow Scot's baseball reports on Twitter @sgregor.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.