Seager more than first-inning threat
Corey Seager had three hits in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against Chicago on Tuesday, but the big news was that two of them came after the first inning.
The Dodgers rookie entered the game four for seven in first-inning playoff at-bats, 0 for 23 thereafter.
His single to right field in the third inning scored Andrew Toles with the Dodgers’ first run. It was his first hit in nine postseason atbats with a runner in scoring position.
“He’s had some struggles recently, but every time he gets in the box I expect something good to happen,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said of Seager. “That twoout hit was huge to get us on the board.”
Foul play?
Left-hander Julio Urias, the Dodgers’ Game 4 starter, led the major leagues this season with six pickoffs in only 77 innings across 18 games.
Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said there is a good reason: Urias’ deceptive move to first base is often a balk.
“When you see it on TV, it’s pretty obvious,” Maddon said, “it’s not even close.”
After issuing a two-out walk to Bryce Harper with two outs in the fifth inning in Game 5 of the division series, Urias picked off Harper to end the inning.
Maddon thought Urias broke the plane between the mound and first base with his front foot during his leg kick, which is considered a balk.
Expect Urias’ pickoff move to be a topic of conversation between Maddon and the umpires before Wednesday’s game. Urias’ move, Maddon said, “is balking 101 for me.”
Left-handers rule
The Dodgers’ season-long struggles against left-handers are well documented, but the Cubs have recently had their own problems
Chicago is batting .152 (17 for 112) against left-handers during the playoffs, with 31 strikeouts and seven walks.
No ’pen for Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw did not throw a bullpen session Tuesday, casting doubt on the possibility of his starting on three days of rest in Game 5 on Thursday.
Roberts said he did not know if Kershaw would skip the bullpen session altogether to save some stamina for his left arm.
“Clayton will be ready to pitch when he’s asked to pitch,” Roberts said. The Dodgers would prefer to use Kershaw on regular rest in a potential Game 6.
The Dodgers have announced Kenta Maeda as the starter for Game 5, though Roberts has said that could change.
Closing time
With the Dodgers holding a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning Tuesday night, Roberts summoned closer Kenley Jansen after Dexter Fowler’s two-out double. Jansen struck out Kris Bryant to end the inning.
The Dodgers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth for a 6-0 lead, but Roberts wasn’t tempted to pull the heavily used Jansen, who threw 51 pitches in Game 5 of the division series and 18 pitches in Game 2 against the Cubs on Sunday night.
Jansen gave up an infield single in a scoreless ninth and needed 21 pitches to get the final four outs Tuesday night. That shouldn’t affect his availability for Game 4, but it could prevent the cut-fastball specialist from throwing multiple innings in Games 4 and 5.
“I think this was an important game for us to have,” Roberts said. “We had him in there, we had him hot . ... I didn’t want to change the momentum at all.”
Chicago shuff le
While the Dodgers deployed the same starting lineup in Game 3 as they did in Game 2, the Cubs made some significant adjustments.
Addison Russell dropped from fifth to seventh in their lineup, with Javier Baez ascending to take his place. Catcher Miguel Montero earned his first start of the series, hitting eighth. And, most notably, $184-million free-agent signee Jason Heyward sat in favor of Jorge Soler.
“More than anything, just to give them a different outlook, a different mind-set,” Maddon said before the game. Heyward struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. He is two for 18 in the playoffs, one for seven against the Dodgers.
Maddon also flip-flopped his third and fourth hitters, moving down Anthony Rizzo for Ben Zobrist.
Rizzo entered the game with a single and three walks in 26 playoff plate appearances, and just a walk to show for his nine plate appearances in the first two NLCS games.
He had a walk and a hit Tuesday, though the hit was a roller so slow that Dodgers second baseman Howie Kendrick couldn’t make a play on it.
Back at the park
Tommy Lasorda returned to Dodger Stadium for the first time since being hospitalized for 11 days because of blood issues, and he was in fine form.
“It’s a great day for baseball,’’ said Lasorda, 89. “I had to get out here and check this out.’’
Lasorda was the manager when the club last won a World Series title in 1988. He said he has recognized similarities between those unlikely champions and the current overachieving Dodgers team, especially when starter Kershaw came out of the bullpen to save the clinching game of the division series against Washington.
Orel Hershiser did the same thing in the 1988 NLCS against the New York Mets, with Lasorda allowing him to pitch when others in the dugout thought he was crazy.
“I was watching Kershaw and the announcers are talking about [Dave Roberts’] decision and I thought, ‘I did that first!’ ” Lasorda said.
Short hop
Tuesday’s game was the 2,093rd between the Dodgers and Cubs. The Dodgers lead the series, 1,0451,034-14. Yes, 14 ties. They used to have those back in the 1800s and early 1900s, according to Joe Jarek of the Dodgers publicity staff.