Chicago Cubs fall flat in Game 3, face do-or-die on Wednesday at Wrigley

After Kyle Schwarber hit a first-inning home run, the Chicago Cubs fell silent as Yu Darvish pitched into the seventh in a Los Angeles Dodgers win in Game 3.

For the third-consecutive game, the Chicago Cubs jumped out to an early lead thanks to a home run. And, for a third-straight night, the Los Angeles Dodgers came roaring back to win the ballgame, pushing the Cubs to the brink of elimination in the National League Championship Series.

Los Angeles starter Yu Darvish looked shaky in the first. In fact, Chicago matched its entire offensive output (one run, three hits) from Game 2 in that inning alone. But from there, the former Texas right-hander took control.

Darvish pitched into the seventh, allowing one run on six scattered hits and one walk. He struck out seven before giving way to Tony Watson in the bottom of the seventh. Kyle Hendricks, the Cubs’ counterpart, missed with location a few times and Los Angeles made him pay.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

After Kyle Schwarber went oppo-taco in the first, Andre Ethier answered back with a line shot off the ribbon board to tie things in the second. In the top of the third, Chris Taylor – who homered in Game 2, went deep again – hitting what proved to be the game-winner.

Taylor added a run-scoring triple down the third-base line in the fifth, but things didn’t really get frustrating until the sixth. After an error and a single chased Hendricks, Joe Maddon went to Carl Edwards Jr. After inducing a soft grounder back to the mound, he walked Austin Barnes.

A Joc Pederson fly-out to right kept things loaded with two away, bringing Darvish to the dish. You’d think this gave Edwards an easy way out of the jam, but you’d be wrong. The right-hander issued a four-pitch walk to the Dodgers starter to force in a run. He followed that with a three-pitch strikeout of Taylor to end the inning.

Los Angeles tacked on some insurance runs in the eighth – but, by that point, it really didn’t matter.

Next: Looking back on the fond memories of a World Series title

What’s Next

Chicago looks to avoid their second NLCS sweep in three years on Wednesday behind Jake Arrieta. Left-hander Alex Wood takes the ball for the Dodgers, looking to clinch the pennant.

First pitch is at 8:00 p.m. CT. from Wrigley Field.