LOS ANGELES _ As the Dodgers packed up their belongings Thursday night for what could be their final trip of the season, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez considered what he expects Wrigley Field to be like for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Cubs.
He unwittingly issued a challenge to Cubs fans.
"The same (atmosphere) we had in Game 1 and 2," Gonzalez said. "They can't put any more people in the stands. They can only put in so many people."
A reporter pointed out that the stakes will be a little higher after the Cubs took a 3-2 series lead with an 8-4 victory Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. After all, the Cubs will try to clinch their first World Series berth since 1945 on Saturday.
"They can't cheer any louder," Gonzalez said. "It's not like it's a loud stadium to begin with. They're going to try their best, and we're going to tune them out like we always do."
Tuning out the outside world will have to be the Dodgers' strategy as they make their way to an undoubtedly frenzied weekend in Wrigleyville.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he has talked all season about dealing with "the noise" that surrounds a major league team, and he wants his team to do more of the same, even as the Cubs continue to build on a story that has captured the nation's attention.
"It would be a discredit to our guys to use any of that as motivation, to spite the media, the public or that narrative," Roberts said. "We're trying to win baseball games to advance, and that's our only focus."
Roberts said simply Thursday night that his team "got beat" in Games 4 and 5 at Dodger Stadium. They managed just one run over seven innings against Cubs left-hander Jon Lester on Thursday and didn't add on until their bullpen had coughed up seven runs.
"(Lester) keeps the ball down," Gonzalez said. "He doesn't really make mistakes. He doesn't give you a lot of pitches over the plate."
If there's a main reason for hope for the Dodgers, it's that they have ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound Saturday night to try to force a Game 7. They also came back from two games down to the Nationals in the division series to advance on the road.
"We're resilient," shortstop Corey Seager said. "We've battled adversity all year. We're up for the task."
