After coming off of a 3-1 series victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, emotions ran high on the north side of Chicago, with hope and excitement surrounding the Chicago Cubs, making their first NLCS appearance since 2003.
So far, things have not broken in the Cubs favor.
After dropping both games at Citi Field to the New York Mets, the Cubs find themselves in an 0-2 hole heading back to Wrigley Field, desperately in need of a win in Game 3. The first two games of the series have been highlighted by stellar pitching performances from young starters Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard, who have shut down the Cubs’ high-octane offense en route to a 2-0 series lead.
As the series shifts back to the Windy City, the Mets will send ace Jacob deGrom to the mound, who has proven to be lethal in the postseason thus far. In two NLDS starts, deGrom stymied the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out 20 in just 13 innings, leading his team to victories in Games 1 and 5, the latter being their ticket to the National League Championship Series.
deGrom has however had his struggles against the Cubs however, scuffling to an 0-2 record with a 6.46 ERA in three career starts. While the postseason presents a new atmosphere and opportunity, deGrom will look to keep the eager, young Chicago bats at bay on Tuesday night.
As for Chicago, 25-year-old right hander Kyle Hendricks gets the call, who went 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs whilst striking out seven in Game 2 of the NLDS. In Hendricks’ lone career start against the Mets, he threw six shutout innings while allowing just three hits en route to a Cubs victory in New York on June 30.
With Game 3 presenting a “must-win” feeling for Chicago, an awakening of their dormant offense would be a necessity to get back in the series, as the Cubs have mustered just three runs in the first two games of this series. Facing deGrom on the mound, this will be no easy task for Chicago.
The Cubs are also hoping for a stellar outing from Hendricks, who has shown flashes of brilliance at several points in the year, and is now needed to make up for the losses from Chicago aces Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta.
In what should be a remarkable atmosphere at Wrigley Field, the Mets will not have it easy in Game 3. Yet with a young Chicago offensive core still adjusting, Jacob deGrom will look to sail to a Game 3 victory, giving the Mets a stranglehold on the series.
Expect Chicago’s bats to make some noise at Clark and Addison Tuesday night, but it may not be enough to counter what has been an outstanding postseason performance from the Mets’ pitching staff. It’ll be closer, and a bit more offensive, but the Cubs won’t be able to overcome deGrom’s performance at the end of the night.