Starting pitchers tonight were righthander Kyle Hendricks (Chicago) and lefthander Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles).
Hendricks was 16-8 this season with a 2.13 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 190 innings.
Hendricks was the starting pitcher in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Giants.
He then gave up four hits in 3 2/3 inning and left the game after being hit on his right arm by a line drive.
Earlier in this game, Hendricks had hit a 2-run single.
This season, Hendricks started one game against the Dodgers, was the winning pitcher and gave up only three hits in eight innings.
In his career, he is 2-1 in three starts against the Dodgers.
Kershaw was one of the heroes for the Dodgers in the NLDS against the Nationals.
He was the winning pitcher in Game 1, then took the mound with one out in Game 5 to earn a save, his first in his Major League-career.
Two days earlier, Kershaw had started Game 4, gave up five runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 inning and had a no-decision in a 6-5 win.
In the season, he wsa 12-4 with an 1.69 ERA, striking out 172 batters.
From July 1 on, he was listed on the disabled list for more than two months with a herniated disk in his lower back.
Kershaw didn't faced the Cubs this season, he last pitched against them in August 2015.
In his career, he is 5-3 against Chicago in eight starts.
Both starting pitchers had a strong start.
Both retired the side in the first inning with Kyle Hendricks striking out two batters and Clayton Kershaw striking out one.
But in the top of the second inning, the Dodgers opened the score when Adrián González led off with a homerun.
With two outs, Yasmani Grandal walked, but he stranded.
Kershaw retired the side again in his second, closing the at by striking out Javier Baez.
In the top of the third inning, Hendricks falled behind in the count several times.
With two outs, that led to him walking Corey Seager and Justin Turner.
And that brought up Adrián González, who had homered in his first at bat in the previous inning.
Hendricks struck him out to end the inning, then retired the side in the fourth.
In the bottom of the third and the fourth, Kershaw also retired the side again and added two strikeouts.
And so, the game was developing in a real pitcher's duel with the only difference being the homerun hit by González in the second inning.
With one out in the top of the fifth, the Dodgers reached base again and it was pitcher Clayton Kershaw himself who reached, as he singled.
He advanced on a grounder by Chase Utley, but then was left behind.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kershaw got two quick outs, but then his Perfect Game ended.
After having retired the first 14 batters he faced, Kerhaw gave up a single to Javier Baez, who became the first baserunner for the Cubs.
Next batter Willson Contreras also singled to get the Cubs into scoring position for the first time, but a pop-foul then ended the at bat.
The evening for Hendricks ended in the top of the sixth inning.
With one out, he walked Adrián González, then gave up a single to Josh Reddick.
That brought in Carl Edwards, Jr. to the mound.
Hereafter, Joc Pederson lined the ball to second baseman Javier Baez, who appeared to going to catch the ball, but instead let it bounce in front of him.
He then forced out Reddick at second base, which also resulted in some confusion, as Baez had let the ball bounce intentionally in order to make a double play.
González initially went back to second base, but then started to run towards third base.
Short stop Addison Russell first turned to complete the double play at first base, but then turned and threw the ball to third base and got González in a rundown to end the inning.
...Kenley Jansen earned a 6-out save...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Oh, Kershaw then retired the side again in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Mike Montgomery became the new Chicago-pitcher, but walked lead-off hitter Yasmani Grandal.
He got into scoring position on a grounder by pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández.
With two outs, Chase Utley walked, but the Dodgers stranded two runners.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Cubs got their first baserunner since the fifth inning when Anthony Rizzo led off with a walk.
Hereafter, Kershaw retired the next three batters, including an inning-ending drive to deep centerfield by Javier Baez.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, closer Kenley Jansen took the mound for the Dodgers, taking over for Clayton Kershaw, who had struckout six and gave up only two hits in seven innings.
The Curaçao-born Jansen began by striking out Willson Contreras, which was followed by a flyout.
The righthander then faced pinch-hitter Miguel Montero, who was the hero in Game 1 when he hit a grand slam homerun.
Jansen struck him out to end the inning.
In the top of the ninth inning, Chicago-Manager Joe Maddon also inserted his closer, as Aroldis Chapman took the mound.
He walked lead-off hitter Joc Pederson, who then stole second base and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Yasmani Grandal.
Kiké Hernández then flied out to centerfield, but the ball was not far enough for Pederson to score, so he stayed at third base.
The inning ended when Chapman caught a pop-up on a bunt by Yasiel Puig.
In the bottom of the ninth, Jansen again started with a strikeout, this time for Dexter Fowler.
He followed by also striking out Kris Bryant.
Hereafter, Anthony Rizzo lined out to second baseman Chase Utley, which ended the game.
And with that, Kenley Jansen earned the first 6-out save in his career!
|
Dodgers even Series with one run on a homerun
CHICAGO, Illinois (USA) -
Los Angeles Dodgers won only 1-0 on Sunday-evening (October 16) against Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series.
With the win, the Dodgers evened the Series at 1-1.
On Monday, the teams will travel to Los Angeles, where Game 3 will be played on Tuesday.
The lone run in the game was scored in the second inning on a homerun by Adrián González.
Pitcher Clayton Kershaw gave up only two hits in seven innings, then Kenley Jansen threw two perfect innings and struckout four batters to close the game.