LA looks to Yu as Cubs call on Hendricks in G3

October 17th, 2017

The Dodgers still haven't lost this postseason, and now they take their two-game lead in the hunt for a pennant on the road, where the Cubs hope their opportunistic opponent finally runs into a brick wall.
• NLCS Game 3: Tonight, 9 p.m. ET/8 CT/6 PT on TBS
An ivy-covered brick wall, that is.
The best-of-seven National League Championship Series presented by Camping World shifts to the gem of a ballpark on the north side of Chicago, smack dab in a neighborhood filled with history, fervent fans, bleachers on nearby rooftops, and a defending World Series-champion team that knows how to respond to its people.
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It's a move from Chavez Ravine to Wrigley Field for Game 3, and it's set for Tuesday night.
This matchup pits the Cubs' pitching "Professor," right-hander , against the Dodgers' Trade Deadline acquisition with the brilliant right arm, .
The Cubs will be hoping that the change of venue changes their fortunes as they try to climb out of a 2-0 hole and gain an advantage on the road to a second consecutive Fall Classic.
The Dodgers prevailed on Sunday, 4-1, on 's walk-off three-run home run, moving to within two wins of playing in the franchise's first Fall Classic since 1988.
"We have an opportunity to bring a championship back to L.A.," Turner said. "And like I said, it's been a long time."
But these Cubs, as the rest of Major League Baseball knows all too well of late, are ready to rally at any point in a series, game or inning.
"I know our guys -- of course, we wanted to win one of those two," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Monday. "But we're coming back, and we won't be fazed in the sense that … this is a dire situation, [that] we can't do this kind of thing.

"We'll be fine. We've had some tough losses before that we were able to bounce back from, and that's what I'm talking about. … I had the privilege of being in the clubhouse and in the dugout with these guys every day. I know what they're like. I know what they feel like. I know how they respond to situations, and we'll do the same thing tomorrow."
Naturally, they know they're up against a formidable opponent. The Dodgers won an MLB-best 104 games during the regular season, earned home-field advantage throughout October, and happen to be loaded with depth, a powerful mix of veteran presence and immensely talented youngsters in the lineup, and a fleet of elite starting pitchers backed by a brilliant bullpen.
And they don't even have one of their best players, shortstop , who is sitting out this NLCS because of back issues.
"I think up to this point, we've done everything we can to put ourselves in a good position, but there is a long way to go," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday.
"And this team, the Cubs, are not going to quit fighting and competing. I think with our guys, speaking for our team, our only focus is getting three and putting at-bats together and pitching well. So it's definitely noted how resilient that club is over there. They're going to do everything they can to win a game, and we're going to do the same."

On Tuesday, the Dodgers will look to Darvish to continue that march, and they'll be leaning on a pitcher who might be getting comfortable with his new team at the right time.
Darvish's only postseason start for Los Angeles came in the clinching Game 3 of the NL Division Series presented by T-Mobile on the road vs. Arizona, and he was dastardly, giving up only one run on two hits in five innings while striking out seven -- and, perhaps most important, not walking a batter.
"I think that it starts with the confidence he has in himself, and his ability to execute a pitch or throw a strike when he needs to," Roberts said of Darvish. "And I think that early on coming over here things sped up on him a little bit. He was out of whack mechanically, but I think right now, simplifying things and being able to repeat the delivery, I think he's gained a lot of confidence, and I think in turn we feel the same about him."

Hendricks has been pretty solid recently, too. He sparkled in Game 1 of his team's NLDS win over the Nationals, pitching seven shutout innings and giving up two hits while striking out six, before stumbling a bit in Game 5, giving up four runs on nine hits in four innings.
But Hendricks was lights-out vs. the Dodgers in two NLCS starts last year, pitching to an ERA of 0.71 by giving up one run on five hits in 12 2/3 innings.
"Kyle, with the normal rest coming back tomorrow night, he's had success against these guys in the past, especially in this building," Maddon said Monday. "So I feel really good about it."

Maddon's positive vibes have permeated the Cubs' clubhouse and culture. That's why a two-game deficit doesn't seem anywhere near insurmountable. Not when they've accomplished so much together already, breaking a 108-year drought by winning last year's World Series. Not when they head into a locker room that's united and fun-loving, no matter what happens.
"For us, this is just Game 170, I think it's going to be," Hendricks said Monday. "So, yeah, we're down 2-0. Obviously, we know we need to get wins at this point. But approaching it as a must-win is a little extreme.
"We've just got to go out there and play our brand of baseball."