{"id":13813,"date":"2016-10-21T05:57:48","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T05:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=13813"},"modified":"2016-10-21T05:57:48","modified_gmt":"2016-10-21T05:57:48","slug":"cubs-dodgers-nlcs-game-5-final-score","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/cubs-dodgers-nlcs-game-5-final-score.html","title":{"rendered":"Cubs-Dodgers NLCS Game 5 Final score"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cubs-Dodgers NLCS Game 5: Final score, things to know as Cubs near World Series<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Cubs-Dodgers NLCS Game 5: Final score, things to know as Cubs near World Series:-<\/strong> The Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by an 8-4 score in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, giving them a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series. The Cubs received a strong outing from left-handed starter Jon Lester, as well as the middle-infield combination of Addison Russell and Javier Baez, who drove in five runs total.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 10 things to know about Game 5 of the NLCS.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Blanton has had a rough series<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Two years ago Joe Blanton was retired. He decided to give baseball another go last season, and after a successful year with the Royals and Pirates, he signed with the Dodgers last offseason. Blanton was great in the regular season and the NLDS. The NLCS? It’s been a disaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Game 1 at Wrigley Field, Blanton gave up the go-ahead grand slam to Miguel Montero in the eighth inning. Then, in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, <\/span>he Mark <\/span>Wohlers’d a slider to Addison Russell, who deposited it into the center field seats for a two-run go-ahead homer in the sixth. Look how bad this pitch is:<\/span><\/p>\n

Woof. Terrible. Both the Montero grand slam and the Russell two-run home run came on sliders up in the zone that did nothing but spin. No action. Classic cement-mixers. Blanton was great this year overall, but he’s now given up two back-breaking home runs in the NLCS.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. The Cubs have destroyed the Dodgers’ bullpen<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

To be fair, it’s not just Blanton who is getting hammered by the Cubs. It’s everyone in the Dodgers’ bullpen not named Kenley Jansen.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. The Dodgers took huge leads against Lester<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coming into Game 5, the Dodgers were determined to take advantage of Jon Lester’s issues throwing to bases. Enrique Hernandez danced off first and second base in the first inning trying to distract the left-hander. It didn’t <\/span>work though. He was stranded.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the fourth inning, Los Angeles made one of those huge leads <\/span>count. Howie Kendrick stole third with one out — he was initially called out before it was overturned on replay — following his double, and his lead was massive:<\/span><\/p>\n

Kendrick was more than one-third of the way to the next base when Lester released the pitch. Catcher David Ross deserves a ton of credit for making that play so close that replay was required.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next batter, Adrian Gonzalez, drove in Kendrick with a ground out to first base. I don’t love the idea of dancing off first base like Hernandez in the first inning. Does anyone really think Lester will get rattled? Just steal the base. The extra 90-feet are more valuable than trying to distract him.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. The Dodgers also tried to bunt against Lester<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Well, let me rephrase. They squared around to bunt against Lester a bunch of times.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only two of those bunt attempts actually got down, and the runner was thrown out each time. Lester was fired up about making the play himself. <\/span>It’s weird teams don’t do more to try and take advantage of Lester’s throwing issues, especially in the postseason, when he’s close to unbeatable.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Lester joined exclusive strikeout company<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

By striking out Hernandez to end the fifth inning, Lester became only the sixth left-hander with 100-plus strikeouts in his postseason career. Here’s the list:<\/span><\/p>\n

6. The Dodgers got really sloppy in the eighth<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The wheels came off in the eighth inning for the Dodgers. The Cubs scored five runs that inning while hitting two balls out of the infield. Two. Here’s how the inning unfolded:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • Addison Russell:<\/strong> Safe when Pedro Baez can’t handle the flip from Gonzalez at first base. Error called on Baez.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Wilson Contreras:<\/strong> Pulled the soft single to right field to put runners on first and second.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Albert Almora Jr.:<\/strong> Bunted the runners up. It appeared Baez had a play at third, but he went to first.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Dexter Fowler:<\/strong> Reached on an infield single to first. Gonzalez tried to look Russell back to third, failed, then lost the foot race to the bag. One run scored to make it 4-1 Cubs.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Kris Bryant:<\/strong> Reached on an infield single to third. Justin Turner had to come in on the ball and Bryant just beat it. Replays confirmed. One run scored to make it 5-1 Cubs,<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Anthony Rizzo:<\/strong> Lined out to second. Fowler got back to second in time to avoid the double play, replays confirmed.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Ben Zobrist:<\/strong> Walked on five pitches to load the bases.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Javier Baez:<\/strong> Cleared the bases with a booming double to right field. Finally, a well-struck baseball.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The Cubs gave the Dodgers the first out on a bunt, the second out was a line drive at the defender, and the third out was a Jason Heyward pop-up. Might as well have been the pitcher hitting. Not a good inning for the Dodgers. No siree. Credit the Cubs. They were aggressive and broke the game open.<\/span><\/p>\n

    7. Turner reached base again<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

    With his <\/span>third inning single, Justin Turner has now reached base in 15 straight postseason games. That is a new Dodgers’ record. Here are the four longest such streaks:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Justin Turner, 2015-16: 15 games and counting<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Carl Furillo, 1953-56: 14 games<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Steve Garvey, 1974-77: 13 games<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Pee Wee Reese, 1953-56: 13 games<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Turner came into Game 5 as a career .388\/.500\/.673 hitter in 16 postseason games. He then went 1 for 4 on Thursday night.<\/span><\/p>\n

      8. Zobrist bailed out Pederson<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

      Joc Pederson, who is normally a very good defensive center fielder, made a major blunder in the fifth inning when he got twisted around on Bryant’s double. He turned left, then turned right, then the ball sailed over his head. It should have bee caught.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The Dodgers escaped the inning unscathed because Grant Dayton struck out Rizzo and got Zobrist to line out to right field. Zobrist, surprisingly, hasn’t been all that good in the clutch this year:<\/span><\/p>\n

      That surprised me. Zobrist seems like one of those guys who always comes through. So much for preconceived notions!<\/span><\/p>\n

      9. Chapman was not good in the ninth<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

      It’s a good thing the Cubs built a big <\/span>lead, because Aroldis Chapman did not look sharp in the ninth inning. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in the <\/span>inning, and did not strike out a single batter.<\/span><\/p>\n

      10. The Cubs are one win away from the World Series<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

      Up 3-2 in a best-of-seven series with Games 6 and 7 at home? You bet the Cubbies are feeling good right now.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/mlb\/news\/cubs-dodgers-nlcs-game-5-final-score-things-to-know-as-cubs-near-world-series\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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