Kershaw stands between Cubs and trip to World Series
While regaining control of the National League championship series, the Chicago Cubs have piled up 18 runs in the past two games.
That is a sure sign the offense has switched on the heat button, and the Cubs will need to stay hot to have a chance in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Up 3 games to 2 in the NLCS with a chance to punch their ticket to the World Series for the first time in 71 years, the Cubs get another shot at Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw Saturday night at Wrigley Field.
Kyle Hendricks starts for the Cubs.
"It's going to be a formidable event," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Our guys will absolutely be ready for the moment, I promise you that. It's great. The city of Chicago has got to be buzzing pretty much right now. It will be a lot of fun."
Coming back just three days after pitching the ninth inning in the National League division series and closing out the Washington Nationals, Kershaw started Game 2 of NLCS at Wrigley Sunday night and silenced the Cubs' bats and crowd.
In that 1-0 win for the Dodgers, Kershaw breezed through 7 innings, allowing only 2 singles while throwing 84 pitches.
A great curveball pitcher, Kershaw had little or no feel for his off-speed pitch in Game 2 but was able to hold down the Cubs offense with precise fastball location.
Should Kershaw find the curve in Game 6, it could spell more frustration for the Cubs.
"If he's on top of his game, it's going to be another very close, low-scoring game," Maddon said. "We just have to do our best to eek out as many runs as we can."
Not only are the Cubs lighting up the scoreboard after being shut out in Games 2-3, they get to see Kershaw for the second time in seven days.
"Pitchers definitely don't have an advantage," Kershaw said of facing the same team twice in a postseason series. "I don't know if the hitters have an advantage. But pitchers, the more you see somebody, the more familiar you get with them, that's true for sure.
"I don't think there's anything that you can do to counteract it. I said this the other day, but there are no secrets, anyway, in the game right now. There's so much information. They know every pitch that I throw and every count and every situation. So it's just a matter of not really focusing on that and just trying to compete with every single pitch and execute every single pitch."
The Cubs are expecting Kershaw to be sharp in Game 6, and they feel the same way about Hendricks, who had the lowest ERA (2.13) in the major leagues this season.
The right-hander was also 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA at Wrigley Field.
"It's going to be the same environment as last time," said Hendricks, who started against Kershaw in Game 2 and allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 4 walks in 5⅓ innings. "I'm looking forward to it. It's a good matchup. I'm excited in a sense to get another crack at it. It should be a close game. But in order to approach that game, you have to have simple thoughts, take the same approach as you would any other game."