Cubs by the numbers

4

Times Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster walked more batters than he struck out in 2008, all in his first 17 starts. Over his last 16 starts, he never walked more than he whiffed. In Game 1 Wednesday, he walked seven while fanning two.

3,330

Days since Dempster last walked a career-high 7 batters in a game (Aug. 20, 1999, as a Florida Marlins pitcher against the Houston Astros).

2

RBI for Mark DeRosa in Game 1, on his 2-run homer. Exactly five years earlier, on Oct. 1, 2003, he drove in 2 runs to help the Atlanta Braves defeat the Cubs 5-3 in Game 2 of the National League division series.

41 percent

Increased frequency that Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee grounded into a double play this season, compared to his career norm entering 2008. (He had a GIDP every 23.1 at bats this year, compared with once every 39.2 at bats previously.) Lee's double-play grounder ended the Cubs' fifth inning.

2

Times that Dodgers first baseman James Loney drove in more than 4 runs in 2008. He racked up 5 RBI in a July 21 game and 6 in a May 3 contest, both against the Colorado Rockies.

1

Batters that Greg Maddux faced in his previous relief appearance, for the Atlanta Braves against the Houston Astros on Oct. 8, 1999. He walked Craig Biggio in the seventh inning of a 12-inning Braves victory.

4.5

Average number of pitches per Los Angeles plate appearance: Cubs hurlers threw 184 pitches during 41 Dodgers trips to the plate. The Cubs coaxed 3.8 pitches per at-bat (141 pitches in 37 trips).

Sources: Retrosheet.org, Sportsline.com

­- Compiled