MLB Playoffs: Day 15

In what may have been the last game of the year in Dodger Stadium -- in the last season of Vin Scully's career -- the Cubs were just far too good for the Dodgers last night.  Dodger Manager Dave Roberts pulled every trick he knew.  He had runners going every chance he got.  He switched pitchers like someone playing a tabletop game.  And so he scraped into the top of the 6th with a game that was tied at 1-all.  At that point, the Cubs were 0-7 with runners in scoring position, and you might have thought that this wouldn't be their day.

But the Cubs just kept stalking the Dodgers, like a great boxer constantly pressuring his opponent -- driving him into the corner, and looking for the knockout blow.  Addison Russell blasted a two-run homer to put the Cubs up 3-1 after 6, and then the Cubs exploded for five more runs to put the Dodgers away.  The final score was 8-4.

So far, the Cubs have beaten the Dodgers 8-4, 10-2, and 8-4.  The Dodgers won Games Two and Three by 1-0 and 6-0.  The 2016 Dodgers are 4-0 in post-season games where Clayton Kershaw started or closed, and 1-5 in all other post-season games.  Fortunately for the Dodgers, it's time for Kershaw to take the mound again.  On Saturday night in Chicago, the Dodgers' best pitcher since Sandy Koufax (lifetime record of 126-60, lifetime E.R.A. of 2.37) will take the mound in one last effort to hold back the Cubs.  Meanwhile, Cub fans around the world will be anxious to see whether their heroes can return to the World Series for the first time since 1945.  If you can't get excited about a game like that, you're on the wrong blog.

Los Angeles 4 - 8 Chicago

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

Chicago leads Los Angeles 3-2

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

Cleveland beat Toronto 4-1