Players to watch as NLCS gets going Saturday
It's on the next round of the playoffs, and in one corner stand the Chicago Cubs, healthy and well rested after eliminating the San Francisco Giants in four games in the National League division series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the other corner, and they are beat up and tired after slipping past the Washington Nationals in five games.
The Cubs look to have the upper hand in the NL championship series against a Dodgers team that used a franchise-record 55 players this season and had 28 different players on the disabled list.
Here are three players to watch from each team:
CUBS
Javier Baez
Whether he was tagging Giants pitchers with his bat or tagging San Francisco baserunners with his glove, Baez was quite a sight in the NLDS.
The energetic infielder still has a big swing, but he's no longer a strikeout machine. Defensively, he is a wizard at second base, shortstop and third, and good luck finding another big leaguer with quicker hands.
Aroldis Chapman
He actually looked human in Game 3 of the NLDS, coming on in the eighth inning with San Francisco runners on first and second and no outs. The cannon-armed closer struck out Hunter Pence but was lifted after yielding a 2-run triple to Conor Gillaspie and RBI single to Brandon Crawford.
Don't expect Cubs manager Joe Maddon to call on Chapman for a six-out save in the NLCS. Pitching the ninth inning only in Games 1, 2 and 4 vs. the Giants, Chapman allowed no runs, 1 hit and had 5 strikeouts.
Anthony Rizzo
If he builds off Game 4 of the NLDS, Los Angeles is in big trouble.
Rizzo was 0-for-13 in the first three games against the Giants and looked uncharacteristically impatient at the plate. In Game 4, the Cubs' stellar first baseman had a pair of walks around a single.
DODGERS
Clayton Kershaw
If you woke up late Thursday night, turned on the marathon Dodgers-Nationals NLDS Game 5 and thought you saw Kershaw come out of the bullpen and close out Washington in the ninth inning, it wasn't a dream.
In full-blown desperation mode, L.A. turned to Kershaw, and the ace left-hander came through.
As the NLCS opens, can Kershaw come back on short rest and start Game 2 on Sunday night at Wrigley? It's looking that way.
The Dodgers' rotation has been a mess due to injuries for most of the season and it desperately needs Kershaw, who also made 2 starts in the NLDS.
Justin Turner
Still a bit of an unknown outside of Los Angeles, Turner is making a name for himself in the playoffs.
After establishing career highs with 27 home runs and 90 RBI during the regular season, the 31-year-old third baseman was 6-for-15 with a homer and 5 RBI in the NLDS.
Corey Seager
There are talented young shortstops everywhere you look in the major leagues, and Seager's name is near the top of the list.
Favored to win NL Rookie of the Year honors after posting a .308/.365/.512 hitting line with 26 home runs and 72 RBI during the regular season, the 22-year-old Seager disappeared in the NLCS, going 3-for-23 while striking out six times.
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