MLB Playoff Schedule 2017: Live Stream, Bracket Predictions for Saturday's NLDS

After beating blazing-hot Stephen Strasburg in the first game of the National League Division Series, the Chicago Cubs will try to take a 2-0 lead at Nationals Park Saturday against the Washington Nationals.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers will attempt to take a 2-0 lead in their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks after securng a 9-5 victory Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Cubs will send left-hander Jon Lester to the mound, and while he was the ace of the staff during last year's championship run, he has been somewhat erratic this season. He had a 13-8 record along with a 4.33 earned-run average.

The Nationals will counter with their own lefty, Gio Gonzalez, who had a solid 15-9 record and a respectable 2.96 ERA. Washington would normally have gone with staff kingpin Max Scherzer in one of the first two games, but a hamstring issue has pushed him back until Game 3, which is scheduled for Monday at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs beat Strasburg and the Nats by a 3-0 margin in Game 1 as Kyle Hendricks was dominating in allowing just two hits in seven innings, and the Chicago bullpen closed out the final two innings. 

Kris Bryant had the go-ahead hit for the Cubs, and he knows they have an excellent chance to take charge in the series with a pair of road wins.

"We have to take advantage of the opportunity we have," Bryant said, per Stats TSX (h/t CBS Sports). "We are not always going to be this young. We are here for a reason. We want to win the whole thing."

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Lester received powerful run support in five of his six September starts. The Cubs scored eight runs or more in those games, and 10 or more in three of them.

He responded with some solid performances but was also hit hard by the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays.

The 33-year-old has not recorded a victory over the Nats since 2009, but he had a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings against them this season. Gonzalez was 0-1 against the Cubs this year, but he allowed just two hits and one run in six innings against them.

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The Diamondbacks will send Robbie Ray to the mound to try to even the series against Los Angeles. He will be opposed by Rich Hill, who had a 12-8 mark this year with a 3.32 ERA but had great difficulties against the Diamondbacks. He was 0-3 against them with a 5.03 ERA in four starts during the regular season.

Ray was 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA this season, and he was excellent against the Dodgers with a 3-0 record and a 2.27 ERA.

Ray pitched 2.1 innings during Wednesday's wild card win over the Colorado Rockies, but Arizona manager Torey Lovullo believes he will be ready for a solid effort.

"I talked to him after his throwing program (Thursday)," Lovullo said Friday, per Stats TSX (h/t CBS Sports). "He said he felt fantastic. I had a conversation with him today, and he said he felt even better."

The Diamondbacks hit four home runs in their loss in Game 1, but the Dodgers took charge early with Justin Turner's three-run homer in the first inning. Arizona had to chase the rest of the game and was never able to catch up.

Both NLDS games can be live-streamed at MLB.TV.

Predictions

There is little doubt the pressure on the Nationals is increasing as they prepare for Game 2. The Nats have never won a playoff series since moving to Washington, and their loss in Game 1 was a brutal one because Strasburg had been so hot.

Now it's up to Gonzalez to hold the fort against Lester. 

The key for the Nats is to find a way to get their offense going after being shut out in Game 1. Washington needs Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth to solve Lester.

Lester has a sharp postseason legacy, but he has been somewhat inconsistent this year. Look for the Nats to earn a close victory over the Cubs and square the series.

While the Dodgers got the jump in Game 1, the Diamondbacks have plenty of power, with Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez, and a history of success against Hill.

Arizona has been the better team recently, having beaten the Dodgers in six consecutive games prior to Friday night's defeat.

The Diamondbacks square the series with a convincing victory.