Cubs to start Lester in NLCS Game 1

Beck made similar bets with former New York Police Department Commissioner William J. Bratton past year when the Dodgers faced the New York Mets in the National League Division Series and the Kings battled the Rangers for the Stanley Cup. Jansen got himself in trouble a couple of times but hung in until the 9th, only leaving after he had thrown a career-high 51 pitches and put two runners on by walks.

Curse enthusiasts and others inclined to see the hand of the occult at work on Cub fortunes should note one essential difference this year: Things that used to happen to the Cubs are now happening for the Cubs.

The Dodgers won the game, 5-4, and went on to win the series in five games, still their most recent World Series triumph. With that, the Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series and will face the Cubs.

The Cubs also made it to the NLCS previous year and then managed just eight runs and 21 hits in a sweep by the New York Mets. A Saturday night, no less, just as Game 1 of this NLCS between the Dodgers and Cubs will be.

Kershaw pulled a Madison Bumgarner by pitching in three of the five NLDS games, leaving his status in doubt.

“All Sox fans should root for the Cubs so you don’t have to talk about Sam Sianis’s Billy Goat curse any more”, he said. Andrew Friedman was leaving Tampa Bay to take over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jon Lester will open the series, with Jake Arrieta and John Lackey starting Games 3 and 4, respectively.

As the Cubs get ready to play for their first pennant since 1945, take a look back at a season’s worth of Sports Illustrated’s North Side coverage, including features from SI.com’s baseball experts; video on the Cubs’ culture and history; and galleries featuring photos of the greatest players in franchise history, as well as a rare look at their longtime home, Wrigley Field. “I just felt that Kenley was going to go out there and give us everything he had; and for that Murphy at-bat, I wanted Clayton, and so I felt good about it”.

If Kershaw does make the Game 2 start on Sunday, that would mean he will have pitched Game 4 on three days’ rest; appeared in Game 5 on one day of rest; and started Game 2 of the NLCS on two days’ rest.

Enter Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers ace starter making his first relief appearance in years. But they won two of three games at Washington in Division Series, including Game 5 clincher.

But now they draw a team that threw everything on the line just to get to the NLCS.

The 28-year-old Maeda went 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in his first season in the majors. Yasiel Puig was supposed to be their future, and he spent about 40 games of the regular season in the minor leagues.