You can’t under sell it, you can’t oversell it, these are the most important games of our lifetimes as Chicago Cubs fans. Sure there was 2003, and that run. Yes there was the ’45 series. But each and every game from here on out is the most important game of our lifetimes.
Game four was the most important game of the season for the Chicago Cubs. With an offense that hasn’t been firing on all cylinders during the playoffs, and being held scoreless for the last two games, the entire team needed a Jumpstart. They got it. Rizzo was 3-5 with a homer and 3 RBI, Addison Russell was 3-5 with a homer and 2 RBI, and the team even got a RBI from Jason Heyward.
But as great if a win that was, tonight is even bigger. With Clayton Kershaw looming, this is must win game number two for the Cubs. With the team’s best pitcher, Jon Lester, throwing tonight – the Cubs cannot go back home down 3-2 with Kershaw prepping for the game six start. This doesn’t come from a “scared of all things Kershaw” place, it is a “is easier to win one of two games than win two of two with Kershaw in their way.”
To win tonight, the Cubs will need to jump on Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda early. He hasn’t made it out of the fifth inning in his last for starts, and has a 9.00 ERA in this year’s playoffs. The trick to Maeda will be staying in fastball counts as he doesn’t feature much speed, and taking chances at his below league average curveball. His sinker and change are exceptionally good at inducing ground balls. As long as Cubs hitters force Maeda into throwing fastballs instead of his off speed pitches with men on base – they could easily put up four or more runs early on.
If the Cubs allow Maeda to get into a rhythm, it could be a long afternoon. While I would be extremely surprised if Kenta goes more than six innings, the key will be to score early. Brian Roberts has shown a fearless mentality when it comes to the Dodgers pen. Bringing Kenley Jansen in the seventh and eighth innings, going to his best arm regardless of the inning. He does this because of the thought, sometimes the save happens in the sixth, sometimes in the ninth, but when it dies he wants his best pressure pitcher in at that time.
Lester’s key will simply be – be you Lester. If he commands the strike zone early in counts, challenges out of the zone, limits some of the damage – he will win. There is of course a little more to it, like continuing to get good calls, Cubs playing good defense, and making effective pitches which should help him pitch deep into this game. I do expect Lester to run deep today as well.
With his next start either in the World Series or March, there’s no saving his arm. Now Joe Maddon isn’t going to just keep him in if he’s given up four or five runs, but if he’s pitching well, with a lead, he will go seven or eight innings tonight
I would guess the Cubs win this, and probably pretty easily – but that doesn’t mean it won’t be intense and an incredibly nervous watch. The Dodgers are a damn good team, and they will have some chances to score, and will score. We may see an instance like last night where the Cubs have a three or four run lead and the Dodgers put a couple of runs on the board.
This will not be easy, and get used to this Cubs fans, this is playoff baseball. This could be what we’ve waited 108 years for, and to get there everyday is a must win game.
