Jon Lester Leads Cubs To 8-4, NLCS Game 5 Win Over Dodgers, One Step Closer To World Series

Jon Lester struck out six batters in seven dominant innings to propel the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 road victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday night.

Jon Lester Leads Cubs To 8-4, NLCS Game 5 Win Over Dodgers

The Cubs no lead the series 3-2, and are one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1945.

“It’d be foolish for us to get ahead of ourselves, because any time you think like that, it never goes the way you want it to,” the Cubs’ Kris Bryant said, echoing his manager’s mantra. “We’ll be ready to go for Game 6.”

So will Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who will start when the NLCS moves to Wrigley Field on Saturday night.

“Our guys will absolutely be ready for the moment — I promise you that,” Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s great. The city of Chicago has got to be buzzing pretty much right now.”

Maddon deadpanned: “I expect a sellout at Wrigley.”

Addison Russell broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning with a home run — the third homer allowed in the series by reliever Joe Blanton– as Lester won his Game 1 rematch with Kenta Maeda. Russell, 22, is the third-youngest shortstop with multiple career postseason home runs, behind the Astros’ Carlos Correa and Dodgers’ Corey Seager. 

“Right there, that situation, just trying not to do too much,” Russell said. “I was just trying to find some gaps. I was looking for something up in the zone to drive. First-pitch slider a little bit low. Second pitch was a slider, but it was elevated and I put the barrel on it, and it kind of went.

“But just rounding the bases, it was pretty exciting. Pumped up. Not only for myself, but for the team, and that little cushion that Jonny had to go forward from that, and I felt really good.”

Lester held the Dodgers to just one run on five hits. Maeda allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts, but was removed in the fourth inning two outs after yielding a double to Javier Baez and hitting Jason Heyward with a pitch to open the frame. Each of Maeda’s three postseason starts have been four innings or less.

The Cubs quickly roughed up Maeda, with a single by Dexter Fowler leading off the game, a one-out RBI double from Anthony Rizzo followed by a walk to Ben Zobrist. 

Los Angeles had runners in scoring position three of the first four frames and tied it in the fourth. Howie Kendrick doubled with one out. Kendrick was awarded a steal of third on a replay overturn after originally being called out. With Chicago’s infield in, Adrian Gonzalez’s one-out tapper was fumbled by Rizzo, who settled for the out at first while Kendrick scored.

Blanton, who tossed a tie-breaking, pinch-hit grand slam to Miguel Montero on an 0-2 slider in Game 1, came on for the sixth inning. He allowed a single to Baez, who stole second base. Heyward struck out, but Russell homered to center on an 0-1 slider to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead.

Chicago added five runs (four unearned) in the eighth on infield singles by Fowler and Bryant and a three-run double by Baez. The Dodgers scored twice in the ninth off Aroldis Chapman. 

“You can run into a guy making a spot start on any given day and he could be the best pitcher in the world on that day,” Rizzo said. “Kershaw is just the most consistent, best pitcher in the world.”

Right-hander Kyle Hendricks will start for the Cubs in Game 6 in Chicago on Saturday. The Dodgers will counter with Kershaw.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 20: Jon Lester #34 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)