Dodgers beat Cubs 6-0 to take 2-1 lead in NLCS

Justin Turner his a solo homer in the sixth.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Yasmani Grandal dropped his bat in the dirt and admired his own strength. He watched as his two-run homer disappeared from sight in the fourth inning of this 6-0 Dodgers victory over Chicago in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. Grandal did not sprint out of the box. He knew there was no need.

Such of the confidence of these Dodgers, who now lead this series, 2-1, and reside two victories away from their first World Series berth since 1988. The group weathered some Game 1 thunder and rallied with back-to-back shutouts of this 103-win Chicago club.

The Dodgers bullied Cubs starter Jake Arrieta, charging him with four runs in five innings of work. Corey Seager raked an RBI single in the third inning. After Grandal went deep,Justin Turner followed up with a solo home run in the sixth.

After a pair of abbreviated starts against Washington, Hill rebounded with six scoreless innings. He confined the Cubs to two hits, a pair of singles by All-Star third baseman Kris Bryant. Manager Dave Roberts asked Kenley Jansen to pick up the last four outs. Jansen obliged.

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TOP OF NINTH: DODGERS 6, CUBS 0

Kenley Jansen began by inducing a weak groundout from Ben Zobrist. Next, Anthony Rizzo tapped a broken-bat infield single, Javier Baez struck out, and Chris Coghlan lined out to third baseman Justin Turner.

That was it.

The Dodgers won, 6-0. They dominated this game, and they lead the Cubs, 2-1, in this series. They can clinch a World Series visit without returning to Chicago if they win the next two nights at Dodger Stadium. The World Series begins Oct. 25 in Cleveland or Toronto.

BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: DODGERS 6, CUBS 0

Facing another Cubs left-hander, Mike Montgomery, Adrian Gonzalez flew out to deep center field to begin the eighth. Yasiel Puig followed by swinging at the first pitching and fouling down the third-base side, then singled through the shortstop hole. Joc Pederson, up next, whacked a double down the left-field line to score a sprinting Puig easily.

Pederson next stole third base on Montgomery’s first pitch to Yasmani Grandal. After three more, Grandal grounded a ball to shortstop. If Javier Baez fielded it perfectly, Pederson might have been out at home. But Baez bobbled it and took the out at first base as the Dodgers stretched their lead to six runs.

Howie Kendrick struck out to end the inning. Kenley Jansen will handle the top of the ninth despite his team’s 6-0 lead. The Dodgers don’t have anyone warming in their bullpen.

TOP OF EIGHTH: DODGERS 4, CUBS 0

The right-handed hitting Willson Conteras pinch-hit for Miguel Montero, and Grant Dayton, a left-hander, retired him with a fastball offered at and missed. Right-handed pinch-hitter Albert Almora followed and grounded out to second base.

Next came Cubs leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler, another right-handed hitter. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts left Dayton in the game. Fowler doubled down the left-field line.

In came Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers’ closer, via a double switch with new left fielder Kiké Hernandez. Jansen quickly struck out Kris Bryant to end the inning and will need to record just three more outs, with three runs to spare, to give the Dodgers a lead in this series.

BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: DODGERS 4, CUBS 0

Andre Ethier, pinch-hitting, flew out to left field. Chase Utley next struck out swinging. Corey Seager slapped a single to center field, but Justin Turner grounded out to end the inning.

Left-handed Grant Dayton will begin the eighth inning for the Dodgers. Closer Kenley Jansen is warming behind him in the bullpen.

TOP OF SEVENTH: DODGERS 4, CUBS 0

Miguel Montero hit a grand slam off Joe Blanton in Game 1. He loomed fourth as Blanton began the inning, but Blanton retired Javier Baez, Chris Coghlan and Jason Heyward in order, so Montero did not bat.

On a tapper to first base, Coghlan slid head-first into first base and was initially ruled safe. After replay review, the call was reversed.

Blanton’s spot is due up first in the bottom of the inning, so the Dodgers will debut a new reliever shortly.

BOTTOM OF SIXTH: DODGERS 4, CUBS 0

Justin Turner began the half-inning by smashing a home run to left-center, stretching the Dodgers lead to four runs and ending starter Jake Arrieta’s night.

Cubs Manager Joe Maddon brought in left-hander Travis Wood, and Adrian Gonzalez struck out. Yasiel Puig pinch-hit for Josh Reddick and singled in the infield. Next up, Joc Pederson popped out to third. Yasmani Grandal worked a walk.

When Howie Kendrick pinch-hit for Andrew Toles, Maddon removed Wood for right-hander Justin Grimm. He got Kendrick to ground out sharply to end the inning.

Right-hander Joe Blanton is going to relieve Hill for the top of the seventh.

TOP OF SIXTH: DODGERS 3, CUBS 0

Dexter Fowler grounded out to third leading off the inning before Kris Bryant snapped a single to left. Ben Zobrist followed with a pop-out in foul territory, as right-hander Ross Stripling joined Grant Dayton in the bullpen.

Rich Hill remained in the game and fell behind 3-and-1 to Anthony Rizzo before plopping a curveball for a strike and then inducing a missed swing on a high fastball. The inning, and perhaps Hill’s night, is over. The Cubs continue to trail, 3-0.

BOTTOM OF FIFTH: DODGERS 3, CUBS 0

Rich Hill, batting to begin the inning, tried to bunt for a hit. It did not work. Chase Utley followed by flying out to center field, and Corey Seager struck out swinging.

Hill will handle another inning, but there’s action in the Dodgers’ bullpen in between innings here. It looks like left-hander Grant Dayton.

TOP OF FIFTH: DODGERS 3, CUBS 0

Rich Hill retired Addison Russell and Miguel Montero on lineouts, then struck out pitcher Jake Arrieta. Hill has faced little trouble since the second inning. Overall, he has struck out five, walked two, and allowed one hit, a single. He’s thrown 80 pitches. There’s still no action in the Dodgers’ bullpen.

Yasmandi Grandal celebrates after hitting a two-run home run.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

BOTTOM OF FOURTH: DODGERS 3, CUBS 0

Adrian Gonzalez lined out to center field, but Josh Reddick followed with an infield single deflected by Jake Arrieta and then stole second. On Arrieta’s next pitch, Joc Pederson struck out.

Up came Yasmani Grandal, who has struggled this postseason. He fell behind 0-and-2, then took the third pitch of the at-bat for a ball — a wild pitch, in fact, that allowed Josh Reddick to take third base.

Grandal continued to battle Arrieta, fouling a bit of the seventh pitch off to get one more. And on the eighth, he turned on a fastball on the lower edge of the strike zone and hammered it out to center field for a two-run home run.

Andrew Toles flew out to end the inning. The Dodgers lead, 3-0, through four.

TOP OF FOURTH: DODGERS 1, CUBS 0

Anthony Rizzo began by flying out to right field. Javier Baez continued with a popup to third base. Jorge Soler finished with a called strikeout on a late call by home-plate umpire Gary Cederstrom.

Rich Hill is veritably cruising through this game. He has thrown 68 pitches in four scoreless frames.

Andrew Toles is congratulated by manager Dave Roberts after scoring Dodgers first run.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

BOTTOM OF THIRD: DODGERS 1, CUBS 0

Andrew Toles snapped a single into left field. Rich Hill, up next, showed bunt, which brought the Cubs’ infield in. But he pulled his bat back, swung away, and hit a nubber down the third-base line. It effectively served as a bunt.

With Toles on second, Chase Utley popped up. But Corey Seager lined a two-out single into right field to score Toles, and took second on the off-line throw that followed from Jorge Soler.

Justin Turner struck out swinging. Still, the Dodgers lead, 1-0, one-third of the way through this game.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

TOP OF THIRD: DODGERS 0, CUBS 0

After Rich Hill’s 30-pitch second inning that ended in him slamming his glove to the dugout bench, he rebounded to record an easy third inning. Jake Arrieta struck out and Dexter Fowler lined out to right field. Kris Bryant singled to center for the Cubs’ first hit, but Ben Zobrist grounded into a forceout to end the inning.

Hill has thrown 55 pitches.

Cubs’ Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler collides on a fly ball hit by Josh Reddick.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

BOTTOM OF SECOND: DODGERS 0, CUBS 0

Josh Reddick led off with a fly ball that approached the warning track in right-center. The Cubs’ Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler collided in pursuit of it, but Fowler secured the ball. Next, Joc Pederson struck out swinging and Yasmani Grandal struck out looking. Onto the third inning.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

TOP OF SECOND: DODGERS 0, CUBS 0

Rich Hill’s second inning did not go as well as his first. He began it by walking Anthony Rizzo, then threw consecutive balls to Javier Baez. He did get Baez to pop up on a 3-and-2 count, but then walked Jorge Soler while Rizzo stole second base.

Catcher Yasmani Grandal walked to the mound, presumably to give Hill a new set of signs. Grandal told The Times after the Dodgers’ Game 2 victory that he was “paranoid” about the Cubs stealing signs from second base. Grandal then let a pitch pass him by for a passed ball, as both Cub runners advanced. Addison Russell soon struck out.

With two men in scoring position and two out, Miguel Montero tapped a baseball to second baseman Chase Utley, who fielded it cleanly and threw to first to end the inning. This game remains scoreless.

BOTTOM OF FIRST: DODGERS 0, CUBS 0

Chase Utley took four consecutive pitches from Jake Arrieta to begin the Dodgers’ half of this ballgame. The count at 2-and-2, Utley swung at the fifth and fouled it off. He then grounded the sixth to second base for an easy out. Corey Seager subsequently snapped an Arrieta fastball into left field for a single.

It was Seager’s fifth hit in his eight at-bats that began his playoff games this month. Justin Turner popped up a 2-and-0 fastball to Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, Adrian Gonzalez soon flew out to right, and Arrieta escaped the inning.

TOP OF FIRST: DODGERS 0, CUBS 0

Rich Hill required only 11 pitches to work his way out of the first inning this evening. He induced a lazy flyout from Dexter Fowler, struck out Kris Bryant looking on a middle-middle fastball, and then induced a standard-issue flyout from Ben Zobrist. He relied primarily on his fastball in this inning. It’ll be compelling to see when he begins to work in the curveball on which he depends.

Adrian Gonzalez crosses home plate after homering in Game 2.

(Stacy Revere / AFP/Getty Images)

Last year’s National League Cy Young Award winner, Jake Arrieta, did not quite repeat the dominance this regular season, but he still logged a tremendous 1.08 WHIP while striking out 190 opponents. He threw six smooth innings during his lone NLDS start against the San Francisco Giants last week. This will be Rich Hill’s third game of the postseason, after his Game 2 outing against Washington and short-rest start in Game 5. In total, he’s allowed five runs in seven innings. He has not been as sharp as he was during the regular season, hanging a few curveballs that have proved costly.

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(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

The mid-October late afternoon sun won’t produce the intense shadows in Chavez Ravine that it does in late August, and that should provide a degree of comfort for Dodgers hitters in Tuesday’s National League Championship Series game against the Chicago Cubs.

The last time Jake Arrieta started a 5 p.m. game in Dodger Stadium, on Aug. 30, 2015, the Cubs right-hander threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts.

There were virtually no shadows in the Dodger Stadium infield at 5 p.m. on Monday, when the Dodgers began their off-day workout in advance of Game 3 in a best-of-seven series that is tied, 1-1.

But Arrieta, who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2015 and went 18-8 with a 3.10 earned-run average this season, could still benefit from twilight conditions in the first few innings.

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