LOS ANGELES – If the road to the World Series goes through Los Angeles, consider the Cubs stuck in traffic trying to get to October.
Not even their hottest starting pitcher and another quick strike in the first inning were enough to prevent another loss Friday night for the Cubs on a two-city road trip out west – this time 5-3 to the Dodgers.
“We’re coming out hot, and then we’re letting them back in, and they’re just holding on,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We have to continue to churn out runs game in progress. I think we lose patience during the game. I think we have to maintain our patience.
“I like the way we’re starting the games. We just have to finish them off, especially on the road. On the road it’s been very difficult.”
That’s back-to-back losses to the National League-best Dodgers in the four-game series, dropping the Cubs to 1-4 to start the trip through Colorado and Los Angeles – 2-9 in their last 11 road games overall.
The loss snapped a personal six-game winning streak for Kyle Hendricks (7-5) – who had a 1.99 ERA in his previous eight starts before failing to pitch out of the fifth inning Friday (five earned runs allowed).
It was his first loss since April 26.
“The lineup did a good job of getting me the early lead, and I just didn’t make enough good pitches today,” said Hendricks, who gave up two homers for the first time since his first start of the season. “Mentally felt all right. Everything felt all right. Too many bad pitches, deep counts, and they took advantage of it.”
The Cubs are stopping short of calling the season’s last series of meetings against the Dodgers a litmus test or statement series. But they also remember facing the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series in 2016 and ’17 — and know they could see them in October for the third time in four years.
“We’ve gone through them before, and they’ve gone through us [to get to the World Series],” said Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, who singled twice and homered Friday.
“It’s always fun playing them,” said Bryant, who homered and walked twice in Thursday’s series opener. “You want to beat the best, and they’ve certainly been the best, as well as us, the last couple years.”
One night after jumping to a 3-0 lead against Clayton Kershaw in what turned into a 7-3 loss, the Cubs jumped former Cub Rich Hill for two quick runs in the first on Bryant’s single and Anthony Rizzo’s ensuing home run.
After Dodgers rookie Matt Beaty tied it in the second with his first career home run – a two-run shot to right – Bryant gave the Cubs the lead again with his homer in the third.
It lasted just long enough for Justin Turner to homer to left-center with two out in the bottom of the inning.
A Beaty double in the fourth turned into the go-ahead run on Hill’s two-out squib grounder through the left side of the infield.
Kimbrel update
Newly signed closer Craig Kimbrel is scheduled to throw a second live batting practice session Saturday, which could put him in line to join Class AAA Iowa as a next step in his “spring training” process.
He’s not expected to need more than five appearances with Iowa – including a set of back-to-back games – before being ready to join the Cubs’ bullpen.
Notes: Starters Cole Hamels, who was hit on the ankle by a pitch Wednesday, and Jon Lester, who was hit on the foot by a line drive Thursday, were fine by Friday, and neither was expected to miss his next scheduled start. ...Reliever Steve Cishek, who was carted off the field before Wednesday’s game after being hit on knee while playing catch with teammate Brandon Kintzler, was available to pitch by the time the Dodgers series opened Thursday night. ... Centerfielder Albert Almora banged his head on the wall making a highlight-reel catch with the bases loaded to end the seventh. He lay on the ground for a few moments after the catch and did not return to the game but said afterward that he was fine. “Time and time again he sacrifices himself for us,” Rizzo said. “He kept us in the game there big time. It’s fun to watch him play centerfield.”
