Alex Wood could not contain Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, the lineup could not defuse the effective wildness of Chicago starting pitcher Jake Arrieta and the Dodgers could not topple Cubs closer Wade Davis as they missed a chance to sweep in the National League Championship Series, falling 3-2 in Game 4 in front of 42,195 fans at Wrigley Field.
Baez drilled a pair of solo home runs off Wood, who gave up three in all. Arrieta walked five and hit a batter, but permitted only three hits while striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings. It was the lengthiest, most effective outing by a starting pitcher against the Dodgers in this postseason, and it prevented the club from securing their first berth in the World Series since 1988.
The Dodgers will turn to ace Clayton Kershaw with a 3-1 series lead for Game 5 on Thursday. He gave up two runs in five innings in a Game 1 victory. It will be a rematch with Cubs starter Jose Quintana, who matched Kershaw’s line last week. It is unclear if Davis will be available. He threw 48 pitches in two innings of work, escaping despite allowing a homer to Justin Turner to start the eighth.
The early evening batting practice felt like preparation for a Dodgers coronation. Roberts chuckled with David Ross, the beloved, retired Cubs catcher. Dodgers owner Mark Walter made a rare appearance. Yasiel Puig flicked a baseball in the bread basket of hitting coach Turner Ward.
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