Dodgers: The Keys to Success Against the Chicago Cubs

Willson Contreras

Perhaps one of the most outwardly emotional players on the team, Contreras came up huge late in the series against Washington. His pick-off alone at first base will probably play on highlight tapes all the way up until the end of October. And last October he came up big against the Dodgers with four hits in 14 at-bats, including a clutch home run off of Kershaw. This year, the team really needs to be careful with him.

On the season, Contreras hit .276 with 21 home runs. He rates as an above average defender and has picked off quite a few base runners over his first two years in the big leagues.

Versus the Dodgers’ current pitching staff, Contreras is a lifetime .360 hitter. Shutting him down early is key for Los Angeles, especially with the emotion and energy he shows throughout games. If they can defeat him, there is a good chance the Cubs have trouble getting their offense going.

Javier Baez

Baez is a lot like Contreras and has been clutch against Los Angeles throughout his career. He is also one of the emotional leaders of the team and really knows how to get the team going late in games. Baez did not have a hit in the Division Series this year but continue to play his usual excellent defense throughout. Last year, he hit over .270 in the teams’ playoff run that resulted in a championship.

Over the 2017 season, Baez matched his 2016 output with a .273 batting average while hitting nine more home runs. The power may be worrisome, but his success against Los Angeles pitching is even more frightening. Baez has a lifetime .333 average against Kershaw, who will obviously be crucial to the Dodgers’ success.

If they want to win this series, they will need to neutralize Baez early on. Keeping the ball out of his general direction might also be for the best in this series.

Starting Pitching

Perhaps the most worrisome part of the Cubs’ roster, their starting pitching once again carried them through the first round of playoffs. Between the four starters used, they combined to throw 22 2/3 innings across five games.* In those games, the starters only gave up five earned runs, good for an earned run average of 1.99. But this shouldn’t be as huge an issue for Los Angeles, an offense that fired on all cylinders all season long, September excluded.

Arrieta, Quintana, Hendricks and Lester were all dominant in this series. And three of those four guys were fairly successful against Los Angeles last playoffs (Quintana was added on this year).

Despite their success, they did show a weakness which the Dodgers are sure to exploit. The starters walked 12 batters in their series with the Nats, and the staff allowed 16 free passes overall. The Dodgers were the most patient team in baseball this season, leading everyone in walks.

Next: Key Players to Step Up

Keys to Success: Jump on the starters early, but be patient enough to wait for openings.