Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Strasburg fans 12, Taylor hits slam to force Game 5
CHICAGO — Stephen Strasburg shook off an illness and all doubts about his mettle to pitch seven dominant innings, Michael A. Taylor hit a late grand slam and the Nationals blanked the Cubs 5-0 on Wednesday to send their NL Division Series to a decisive Game 5.
The teams packed up at Wrigley Field and headed back to Washington for a winner-take-all game Thursday night.
Kyle Hendricks will start for the Cubs after throwing seven sharp innings in a 3-0 victory over Strasburg in Game 1. Gio Gonzalez is the likely starter for the Nationals, with Max Scherzer lurking in the bullpen.
Strasburg got sick after his terrific performance in the playoff opener Friday, and the Nationals had planned to go with Tanner Roark even after a persistent rain washed out Game 4 on Tuesday. That led to a flurry of comments and criticism about whether the ace had the stuff to pitch in big moments.
But Strasburg felt better when he woke up Wednesday and told manager Dusty Baker he wanted the ball with the season on the line. That was all Baker needed to hear.
Strasburg struck out 12, allowed three hits and walked two in his first career postseason win. He pitched well enough to win Game 1, too, giving up three hits and fanning 10 in seven innings, but a pair of unearned runs saddled him with the loss.
This time, another Cubs error brought home the Nats’ first run, and Taylor broke it open with a grand slam off Wade Davis in the eighth.
The Cubs wasted a gutsy performance from Jake Arrieta and solid relief by Game 2 starter Jon Lester. Kris Bryant struck out four times, and the defending champs went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Lester left after Daniel Murphy’s two-out single in the eighth, but the bullpen faltered. Carl Edwards Jr. walked two, then threw ball one to Taylor before he was replaced by Davis. Taylor then drove a 1-1 pitch into the basket overhanging the brick wall in right field for his first career homer in the playoffs.