Roberts: Maeda can pitch back to back
CHICAGO — After recording three outs in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series with the Chicago Cubs, Kenta Maeda did not pitch for the Dodgers on Sunday night. He was warming up as Justin Turner’s game-winning homer cleared the center-field fence.
Maeda had never been a reliever before this postseason, but manager Dave Roberts indicated the team was ready to use the righthander on consecutive days, despite his lack of experience.
“His arm is resilient,” Roberts said. “Depending on how he’s used in a particular game, the back to back, we’re not concerned about.”
Maeda has retired all nine batters he has faced this postseason. The team wants to deploy him against right-handed batters; he held them to a .647 on-base-plusslugging percentage during the regular season.
The addition of Maeda to the bullpen has fortified the bridge to closer Kenley Jansen.
Jansen has three saves and a victory, and appeared in all five playoff games. Right-hander Brandon Morrow also has pitched in every game, giving up two hits and a run over 61⁄3 innings.
Seager doesn’t travel
Shortstop Corey Seager has not resumed baseball activity, and his sprained lower back kept him from traveling with the team for Tuesday’s Game 3 of the NLCS.
Roberts indicated Seager has experienced “continuing improvement” since receiving a painkilling epidural last week. Even so, Roberts does not expect Seager to meet the team at Wrigley Field at any point over the next three games.
Seager has not been cleared for activities such as running or swinging a bat.
“We’ve got to get him in a place where physically he feels like he can play in a big league game, and endure those conditions, as far as weather,” Roberts said. “To be able to come back after a game and play the next day. Right now, I wouldn’t say we’re close to that point yet.”
Seager was injured sliding into second base during Game 3 of a division series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was left off the roster for the NLCS.
The Dodgers hope Seager can be ready if they advance to the World Series, which is scheduled to start Oct. 24.
Charlie Culberson, Seager’s replacement, has contributed in both Dodgers victories over the Cubs. Culberson is two for five with two doubles, a run batted in and two runs.
They call him A-Gon
Roberts provided a further explanation for why veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has not been with the team. Roberts cited the organization’s policy that players who will not be activated, as Gonzalez would not, do not travel with the team during the postseason.
“That’s an organizational policy that he respects,” Roberts said.
TV ratings up in L.A.
TBS said Sunday’s NLCS Game 2 generated a 12.3 average household rating in the Los Angeles market, up 14% from a year ago, when the game was televised on FS1. Game 1 was up 29%, to 11.0.
In Chicago, Game 2 had a 19.3 rating, a 19% decline from last year. The Game 1 rating was 18.1, down 14%.
The overnight Game 2 household rating among the nation’s top cities was 4.5, down 10% from last year.
Cubs offense is offensive
The Cubs are hitting .162 in their seven playoff games, .133 in their two NLCS games.
The top batting averages belong to starting pitchers Jose Quintana and Jon Lester, each of whom is one for two. One hit apiece ties them for the team lead.
The Nos. 2, 3 and 4 batters in the Cubs order are a combined two for 22, with 11 strikeouts. In Game 2, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras were 0 for 11, with seven strikeouts.
Second baseman Javier Baez is 0 for 5 in the series and 0 for 19 in the playoffs. He was co-MVP of the 2016 NLCS against the Dodgers, in which he batted .318 with four doubles and five RBIs.
andy.mccullough@latimes.com Twitter: @McCulloughTimes Times staff writer Mike Hiserman contributed to this report from Los Angeles.