LOS ANGELES _ The Cubs survived the National League Division Series against the Nationals despite a glaring lack of offense.
But it seems unlikely they will be able to get away with that again in the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers, who can use Clayton Kershaw three times in a seven-game series, and have the most dominant closer in the league in Kenley Jansen.
Kershaw starts Game 1 Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
Don't the Cubs have to up their game significantly in this intriguing rematch?
"Yeah, but I think we will," President Theo Epstein said. "We didn't play a really clean game per se. But we always hit eventually. And we got through a series where we didn't always get the big hit, so I think that bodes well that we'll (hit).
"We're going to hit. We have too many talented hitters. We'll raise our game. And this time of year it's outcome. That's what it's all about _ finding a way to win, and that's what our boys did."
They did, despite hitting .180 in the five-game series against the Nationals. Their two big guns, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, each wound up at .200. Javier Baez was hitless in 14 at-bats and Jason Heyward hit .167 (2-for-12). They had 52 strikeouts overall, including 10 for Bryant, and only 27 hits.
Brutal.
How they managed to win a game is a testament to their starting pitching and their willpower.
"We saw three world-class pitchers," manager Joe Maddon said, defending the lackluster offense. "Well, (Stephen) Strasburg twice, (Max) Scherzer once, and then (in relief). World-class pitchers over the course of five games. That's where the offense went, quite frankly.
"So the Dodgers have a method. Totally understand it. They have to execute it, we have to execute our side of it. We'll see what happens."
The big question heading into Game 1 was who would start for the Cubs, but Maddon would say only that John Lackey and Jose Quintana are in the mix.
That decision seems like a no-brainer, though you never know what the Cubs have up their sleeves.
Epstein said Thursday they would "figure it out on the plane before we start drinking," but either they hadn't figured it out by the time the plane finally made it into Los Angeles Friday morning after a long, unexpected stopover in Albuquerque, or they just didn't want to say.
Quintana wants the nod.
"Hopefully, because I'm the guy that's fresh," he said. "I'm ready to go, man."
Give him the ball, Joe.
This is no time for a sentimental journey, no matter how great a teammate Lackey is.
Lackey started Game 4 in Dodger Stadium last year when he was still the No. 4 starter, and was removed after walking the first two hitters in the fifth.
Afterward he went off on the media after the Cubs' victory.
"We won a game," Lackey said. "We were terrible yesterday, now all of a sudden we're great. It's amazing this time of year all of a sudden you guys can flip so quick. It's funny."
No one thought last October the Cubs were terrible, of course, but that's the kind of chip on your shoulder attitude Lackey and his teammates rely on to motivate themselves.
"We were written off the first two months of the season, and we're here," Jon Lester said after Thursday's Game 5 triumph in Washington.
Uh, no one wrote the Cubs off after two months. Even during their darkest days almost everyone believed they would be able to overtake the Brewers.
"Respect me," Rizzo yelled after he was pitched to instead of walked intentionally in Game 3 and blooped the game-winning hit between three defenders.
Everyone respects you, Rizzo. Just start hitting the way you're supposed to and everything will be OK.
It's almost as if the Cubs have to manufacture this narrative of being disrespected to get themselves in the proper mood.
Well, it has worked so far, so keep on keeping on. If they can beat the Nationals looking that awful, maybe the sky's the limit against the Dodgers.
