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Cubs get to Dodgers' Kershaw early, clinch World Series berth

 
Dodgers rookie leftfielder Andrew Toles drops a fly ball by Anthony Rizzo during the Cubs’ two-run first inning.
Dodgers rookie leftfielder Andrew Toles drops a fly ball by Anthony Rizzo during the Cubs’ two-run first inning.
Published Oct. 23, 2016

CHICAGO — That wasn't so hard after all.

The Cubs vanquished 70 years of pennant-less frustration and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw relatively easily Saturday night, rolling to a 5-0 win and a date in the World Series — their first since 1945 — with the Indians on Tuesday in Cleveland.

Kyle Hendricks gave the Cubs a dazzling start, allowing one hit — a leadoff single to Toles — in the first seven innings then leaving after a second with one out in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman took it from there as the Cubs faced only 27 batters, the only other team to do that since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

The Cubs struck quickly with two runs in the first against Kershaw, a leadoff double by Dexter Fowler, a single by Kris Bryant, a fly ball by Anthony Rizzo that former Rays prospect Andrew Toles botched then a sac fly by ex-Ray Ben Zobrist.

"Obviously that's what you want to do,'' manager Joe Maddon said.

They built on the lead from there against Kershaw, whose heavy postseason workload seemed to catch up to him.

The Cubs got one in the second when Addison Russell doubled and Fowler singled him in, one in the fourth when C Willson Contreras homered and one in the fifth when the red-hot Rizzo homered.

Hendricks said a key was treating it like any other game.

"That was the mindset trying to go into it,'' he said. "A lot of talk, obviously, about the guy on the other side there, Kershaw. Best in the game, lived up to it in Game 2. But my focus was the same as alwasy, make good pitches, simplify as much as I can, and keep my team in the game.''

Cubs ace LHP Jon Lester and 2B Javier Baez were named NLCS co-MVPs.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the Cubs had "a great game plan" against Kershaw, leaving him little margin for error.

"He gave it everything he had,'' Roberts said. "But when he did make a mistake, they made him pay. We asked a lot of Clayton all year long, so again, it's just more you've got to give those hitters credit.''

TOLES TIME: Released from the Rays for personal/disciplinary issues a year after being honored as their top minor-leaguer, Toles spent part of last season working at a Kroger grocery store near his Georgia home.

He finished this one starting in leftfield and batting leadoff for the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the game he was "more impressed" than surprised at how far Toles — who received counseling and sought medication to treat anxiety — has come.

"I think that it's easy to talk about, and to write about, but, really, to live the life that he lived and to accomplish what he's accomplished in such a short time and to be on this stage and really to be unfazed, it's remarkable," Roberts said. "All the credit goes to Andrew."

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MISCELLANY: The Cubs got unexpected good news on OF/C Kyle Schwarber's recovery from April knee surgery and sent him to the Arizona Fall League for additional work to see if he could be an addition to the Series roster as a DH. "I don't know to what extent we would be able to use him or not, but right now we're just trying to explore all the possibilities," Maddon said.