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Chicago Cubs won’t go down without a fight in NLCS as they return to Wrigley

By Nicholas D. Blazek

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Cubs return home as they look to rally from 2-0 deficit

Down 2-0 in the NLCS? Play some Rocky theme music, play in front of fans ready to erupt at Wrigley Field, and don’t panic. The Chicago Cubs recipe for a comeback, and I think I actually believe it will work. The Cubs will send Kyle Hendricks to the mound as they hope he can help fuel the comeback. He’ll battle against the Mets Jacob deGrom as he looks to claim his third victory in the playoffs. He did, however, lose twice to the Cubs during the regular season.

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The fans at Wrigley Field haven’t seen an NLCS game since 2003. Needless to say, they’ll be ready to go as the Cubs look to eliminate the two-game deficit with three in Chicago. 22 of 25 teams that have taken the 2-0 lead have gone on to win the LCS. But there’s no panic, as Theo Epstein was part of one of those teams–the 2004 Red Sox that rallied back to beat the Yankees.

Talk has centered around the Cubs pitching, but the offense is what will need to find its way at home. The task won’t be easy against the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year, but they’ve beat him twice while the Mets haven’t won at Wrigley since May of 2013.

They’ll need Dexter Fowler and Kyle Schwarber to find the stroke they had at the plate in the NLDS and help jumpstart the offense. The Mets are starting the Cubs hitters with a strike in 43 of 68 at-bats in New York. A very patient team, the Cubs began to get out of their routine and swing at pitches they generally wouldn’t. The strike zone did seem a bit varied at times, but that’s nothing they can control.

Jorge Soler will return to the lineup after sitting out Game 2. His hot start against the Cardinals at the plate in the NLDS was critical in that series, and Maddon will need his bat again to help cut this to a one-game advantage.

First pitch is scheduled 7:00 p.m. CT at Wrigley Field. TBS will have the TV coverage while WBBM 780 will have the radio broadcast.

Here are the lineups for Game 3:

Next: Cubs should still be confident heading into Game 3

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