Montero’s pinch-hit slam lifts Cubs over Dodgers 8-4

The key to beating Chicago, lies within our bullpen vs. theirs, and the Dodgers’ performance at Chavez Ravine. The former two players have a postseason save on their résumé – Kershaw earned his Thursday night in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ series-clinching victory over the Washington Nationals – but Lester has plenty of his own October success, culminating in two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox.

Since the All-Star break, Lester is 11-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 15 starts, counting his first NLDS start, with 94 strikeouts and 24 walks in 100 innings. Montero then hit out an 0-2 slider with two outs, and Dexter Fowler followed with another homer.

“There were how many line drives”. Before that, they led the 1938 World Series 1-0 before losing in six games. Third-base coach Chris Woodward waved the slow-footed Gonzalez home, but the throw from Ben Zobrist in left field arrived well ahead of Gonzalez for the final out of the inning.

“Obviously I’m looking at the card and I see Chapman’s still in the game”, Roberts said.

But, did you know that Heisey was with the Dodgers last season and close friend’s with Clayton Kershaw. According to basic win expectancy, the Dodgers were actually the odds-on favorites to prevail, as they had a 51.8 percent chance of winning Game 1.

Left-hander – that again – Jon Lester had a stranglehold on the Dodgers for six innings, allowing just one run on a wind-aided pinch-hit home run by Andre Ethier in the fifth.

Will Mike Montgomery be the Andrew Miller of this series? But the Dodgers rallied in the eighth, prompting Maddon to go to Chapman with the bases loaded and no outs.

Chapman, as usual, was absolutely ridiculous; 16 of his 17 pitches were 100 miles per hour or faster. Six of the eight were over 100 miles per hour. Three of them, all over 100 miles per hour. The Cubs have three incredible arms at the top of their rotation which is scary for Dodgers hitters. With the score tied 3-3, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts twice ordered intentional walks.

“If it was a sloppy game and we didn’t play or compete, you get a little bit more of a sour face”, Roberts said.

Celebrity support has been plentiful in the playoffs, with some well-known faces getting almost as much airtime as the players. As soon as catcher Carlos Ruiz threw to third, Baez sprinted home and beat the throw from third baseman Justin Turner to expand the Cubs’ lead to 3-0. It worked when Baez lifted a flyout to right.

Cubs: LH Aroldis Chapman (4-1, 1.55, 36/39 saves, 90 Ks, 58 IP for Yankees and Cubs), RH Hector Rondon (2-3, 3.53, 18/23 saves), RH Pedro Strop (2-2, 2.85), RH Carl Edwards Jr. As has been mentioned over and over, the Dodgers were the worst-hitting team in baseball against left-handed pitchers.

As good as this game was, it raised a question that baseball has been grappling with for years: Why is this taking so long? It’s to get (Chapman) out of the game. What hitters must do for LA is work the pitch count, get what you can, and get them out of the game.

The Dodgers’ had a mini-comeback started in the ninth when Toles drove in Joc Pederson with an RBI double.

“We just have to make sure that that thing doesn’t open up where it’s bleeding, because then they won’t let him pitch”, Francona said.

It was an instant classic and one of the most insane games we’ve ever experienced live.

“Getting settled in the new place, figuring out what’s going on here, the travel and the teams, all that stuff”, Lester said of last season’s adjustments. “We had the momentum back on our way”.

“We’ll be ready tomorrow”, Gonzalez said. There will be no holding back.