Chicago Cubs lose heartbreaker in game 2 against Dodgers

The Chicago Cubs lost game 2 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers in stunning fashion on Sunday Night.

Wow.

In heart breaking fashion, the Chicago Cubs lost game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on a walk off 3 run homer by Justin Turner.

The game started off as a pitching duel between the two starting pitchers, Jon Lester and Rich Hill. Both teams were scoreless through the first four innings. Hill was by far the better pitcher in this ball game, only needing 79 pitches to get 8 strikeouts. If this were the regular season, he likely would have been given another inning or two. However given the highly volatile Cubs offense on deck and the nature of these MLB playoffs so far, it was clearly the smart decision.

Jon Lester was less sharp, needing 103 pitches to get through only 4 and two thirds of an innings. Control is another thing that Lester was lacking on the night, giving up 5 walks. 48 out of the 103 pitches thrown were out of the strike zone. In Lester’s entire career, he has been the epitome of the starter to depend upon when things get rough.

The Chicago Cubs offense once again decided not to show up in the playoffs, outside of an Addison Russell home run off of Hill in the 5th inning the team only had 3 total hits. One of those hits was a lead off hit by Jon Jay. For the Cubs to have any hope in this series, the bats must come alive at Wrigley Field.

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As the game wore on, Cubs fans were thinking the best, but expecting the worst. All season long, I have cringed any time that the bullpen comes in. Time and time again they gave up run after run, turning easy wins into devastating losses. This loss just so happens to come at the worst possible time.

One question many fans will be asking is, “Where is Wade Davis?”. We understand he just pitched one of the biggest games of his career in Game 5 of the NLDS, but Carl Edwards Jr is pitching in basically every game in this postseason, as Joe Maddon is intent on riding his young bullpen arm. If Edwards Jr can get ready night in and night out, why can Wade Davis not be ready after three whole days off?

Another question will be, “Why John Lackey?”. Since coming over from the rival Cardinals after the 2015 season, Lackey has become a fan favorite and a key piece at the back end of the Cubs rotation. In the 2017 regular season, it was clear that Lackey had lost a step, and the team no longer trusted Lackey, as they traded for Quintana. That trust was put into even further question as the team moved him to the bullpen for the postseason. After not pitching at all in the series against the Nationals, they threw him to the wolves in game 1, where he pitched a scoreless inning and two thirds.

So, he just pitched game 1, there is no way that he comes out again for game 2 right? Think again, Joe Maddon inexcusably used him in the bottom of the 9th in the biggest spot of the season. What does he do? Gives up the game winning homer to Justin Turner.

From a fans standpoint, this loss stings more than anything in team history. Maybe even more than the 108 year World Series drought. Okay, we are exaggerating just a tad bit there, but this is not a good start for a team looking to become back to back World Series Champions. The Chicago Cubs return home back to Wrigley Field on Tuesday Night, first pitch is at 8:01 P.M. CT. Don’t forget to tune in and root for the believed Cubbies.