The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers will clash again in Game 5 of the NLCS on Thursday night, and after four games there is still nothing separating these teams with the series tied at 2-2. Whoever wins this game tonight will have the clear advantage as they will move to just one more win from the World Series.
This massive MLB Playoffs 2016 game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs has a scheduled start time of 8.08 p.m. ET and takes place from Dodger Stadium. The game can be watched on TV on the Fox Sports 1 network or online through live stream via the link below.
This series has now in effect been turned into a best of three contest, with this being the final game being played in this series at Dodger Stadium. The final two contests will take place from Chicago, and that makes this game all the more important for the Dodgers to win tonight.
If the Cubs can win here, they will have two chances to claim the final win needed in front of their home fans. However, if the Dodgers can win tonight, they will still have to win at least one more of the road games at Wrigley Field, and the atmosphere there when the series returns is likely to be electrifying and certainly hostile for the Dodgers.
Coming out onto the mound tonight for the Cubs will be Jon Lester. He has allowed just one run through 14 innings for Chicago in the postseason, and he should ensure that the Dodgers' batters have their work cut out tonight. The veteran pitcher has an amazing record of 0.86 ERA in his three starts, spanning 21 innings, against the Dodgers this year. He will be familiar with their line up and should be confident he can nullify their threat.
For the Dodgers, Kenta Maeda will be out in the middle. The Los Angeles pitcher has not pitched into the fifth of any of his last four starts, and has a poor 9.88 ERA in that spell. He must step things back up tonight if he is to give his team any chance of claiming an all important third win of the series tonight. Maeda is 7-5 at Dodger Stadium, and has a 3.22 ERA at his home field.
There were rumors that Clayton Kershaw could be thrown back out onto the mound tonight on short rest. He even reported that he was ready and willing to go if the team felt it was best for the side. However, it looks like the Dodgers will be saving him for Game 6, which takes place on Saturday, by which time he will be fully rested.
Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts has said ahead of this massive game: "I think that for us thinking through it, the best thing for us is to have [Kershaw] pitch Game 6 and have Kenta to go tomorrow. And tomorrow, with the guys that we have at the back end of the 'pen, I feel really good about the position we're in."
He added, "Well, I think that [Game 5] isn't a deciding game. It's not an elimination game. And I think the accumulation of his usage over the last 10 days plays a factor in our decision. So I think those are kind of the reasons why we're not going with Clayton [Thursday]."
Tonight's big Game 5 between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers can be watched on TV on the FS1 network, with a start time of 8.08 p.m. ET, or online through live stream by clicking here.
