Kuroda KO's Cubs, Dodgers Advance to NLCS

Anybody for some yummy bear stew? The Dodgers have just finished cooking up a large cauldron of the tasty treat, chopping up 25 young Cubs and one salty old bear keeper named Lou.

Pour in a couple of kegs of Old Style beer for breaking down the tendons and adhesions. Finish by tossing in a couple of goat-skinned infielder gloves for seasoning. Stir for three games and serve. Delicious!

Los Angeles has advanced to the second round, triggering another celebration by Torre’s Terrors, complete with bottled booze showers and high fives with the fans. In a show that just doesn't get old, the Dodger celebration at advancing to the next stage now needs a new dance partner to fill out the ticket.

Milwaukee has forced a fourth game after beating Philadelphia in a game that ended during the Dodger game’s first inning.  This sent the start of the contest against the Cubs from TBS over to TNT.

While no Dodger would choose a preferred opponent after dispatching the Cubs, if the Brewers advance, Los Angeles would enjoy home field advantage. The Phillies would own the home field if they prevail.

Hiroki Kuroda dominated the Chicago Cubs for a third time this season, pitching into the seventh inning and tossing 101 pitches before tiring. The Japanese star has enjoyed a quality season, even though his record of 9-10 would indicate otherwise. Lack of bullpen support and some shaky defense cost Kuroda about five victories.

Throughout a series in which Cub hitters were dominated by Dodger pitching, LA's catcher Russell Martin played an important role in each of the three games. With two doubles, a run, and a RBI Saturday, Martin's offensive work helped push the Dodgers into the NLCS.

An All-Star the last two seasons, Martin is a workhorse who never wants to sit out a game, almost requiring to be lassoed and hog-tied to keep him out. Last season with Grady Little, and this year with Joe Torre, many critics have opined Martin's being overused to the detriment of his offense—particularly at the end of the season.

It took a pinch-hit single on the last day of the season to raise Martin's average to .280 for the year. Martin's home runs, RBI, and batting average are all down from last year. A few days rest going into the playoffs seems to have given Russell a chance to catch his second wind:  Four extra base hits, five RBI, and a slugging average of .769 can attest.

The leadoff hitter of any lineup is a vital element to his team's success. Ask any Cubs fan about Alfonso Soriano, who hit .071 for the series.   Conversely, the Dodger fans are overjoyed to have Rafael Furcal back at the top of their order.

Returning to action after four months on the disabled list with back problems, Furcal sparked the Dodgers' sweep of the Cubs with four hits, three walks, and an on-base percentage of .467. The Dodger MVP at the start of the season, his return adds yet another solid veteran to the lineup.

Furcal, Casey Blake, and Manny Ramirez are veterans who have been in multiple playoff series. Martin, James Loney, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp are the young guys who are coming into their own. Each has made some sort of contribution in the sweep of Chicago.

Only Blake DeWitt, who supplanted the sore-kneed veteran Jeff Kent at second base, is a true rookie. And after 117 games, the rookie label really means finishing his first year as opposed to being wet behind the ears.

After being the weak link of the last few editions of Dodger squads, the current starting lineup has grown into a major force. Meanwhile, the pitching staff continues to perform at a high level, with quality sprinkled throughout the five starters and at every level of the bullpen.

Of the starters, Derek Lowe is a veteran ace and Chad Billingsley is the ace-in-waiting. Kuroda filled an important spot in the middle of the rotation. The back end consists of Clayton Kershaw—the latest Dodger prodigy—and wily vet Greg Maddux, of multiple Cy Young awards.

Any team advancing in the playoffs with these five starters has to feel very confident of its chances.

At their best, the Dodger relievers take a back seat to no other bullpen. The continuing rehabilitation of closer Takashi Saito warrants close observation. Of late, Jonathan Broxton and Cory Wade have been excellent. Joe Beimel, Chan Ho Park, and James McDonald did not see action against the Cubs, but each has enjoyed great success this year.

Dodger fans have every reason to feel they can continue through the NLCS, whether against the Phillies or Brewers, and advance to the World Series. The production of their players continues to skyrocket, their confidence is buoyed, and their management has been turning up aces for a while now.

Championships have been the Dodger’s manifest destiny, a destiny they have not fulfilled for too long. We look for that to change before the year is through. 

Photo Credit: Associated Press, Kevork Djansezian.