Montero: Cubs 'starting to feel a little sexy at the plate'
One win away from their first pennant since 1945, the Chicago Cubs have the unenviable task of facing Clayton Kershaw in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.
So it's a good thing that, per catcher Miguel Montero, the Cubs are starting to get a little more, um, comfortable in the batter's box after being stymied by the Los Angeles Dodgers in Games 2 and 3 of the best-of-seven showdown.
"I believe in my team, I like what I’ve seen the last couple of games," Montero told Mike DiGiovanna and Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. "The confidence is building, and we feel better about ourselves. The hitters are starting to feel a little sexy at the plate, which is great."
Still, even though Chicago exploded for 18 runs and 26 hits in their last two games, there's a good chance that feeling could dissipate Saturday at Wrigley Field. Montero, who clobbered a pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam to lift the Cubs to an 8-4 victory in the series opener, knows all too well what Kershaw can do to a human being, having eked out a .469 OPS while striking out in 13 of his 32 regular-season plate appearances against him in his career.
Frankly, outside of Dexter Fowler and Anthony Rizzo, none of the Cubs' regulars have enjoyed any success against Kershaw. Addison Russell, the sexiest hitter on the team right now (he went yard in each of the last two games), is 0-for-9 with three strikeouts in his career against Kershaw, who held the Cubs to two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings in Game 2.
Career, Regular Season vs. Kershaw
Name | PA | OPS ▾ | HR | BA | K% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dexter Fowler | 51 | .899 | 0 | .383 | 19.6% |
Anthony Rizzo | 15 | .872 | 1 | .231 | 20.0% |
Kris Bryant | 9 | .722 | 1 | .125 | 55.6% |
Miguel Montero | 32 | .469 | 0 | .188 | 40.6% |
Javier Baez | 6 | .333 | 0 | .167 | 33.3% |
Jason Heyward | 12 | .000 | 0 | .000 | 58.3% |
Addison Russell | 9 | .000 | 0 | .000 | 33.3% |
Ben Zobrist | 6 | .000 | 0 | .000 | 16.7% |
So, after being so masterfully contained by Kershaw six days ago, what's the Cubs' plans heading into Game 6? Pray, according to Jon Lester.
"Hopefully he's not the good Kershaw and we get kind of the mediocre guy that gives up a few runs and we’re able to hold them where they're at," Lester told Mike Puma of the New York Post.