Dodgers shut out Cubs for 2-1 NL series lead

[October 19, 2016]  (The Sports Xchange) - Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner homered to back the masterful pitching of Rich Hill as the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the Chicago Cubs 6-0 on Tuesday to take a 2-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

Left-handed starter Hill used his sweeping curve ball to baffle Chicago for six scoreless innings as Los Angeles shut out the visiting Cubs for the second game in a row in the best-of-seven series.

Hill (1-0) allowed just two hits with six strikeouts and two walks to became the only Los Angeles pitcher other than Clayton Kershaw to win a postseason start this month.

Relievers Joe Blanton, Grant Dayton and closer Kenley Jansen combined for three shutout innings to wrap up the win.

Game Four is on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

The Cubs have not scored since the eighth inning of Game One at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Chicago has managed a total of six hits in the past two games.

Grandal was 1-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs, while Los Angeles rookie shortstop Corey Seager went 3-for-4 with a run-scoring single.

Turner led off the sixth with a solo home run to chase Chicago Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and provide the Dodgers with a four-run cushion. Turner, who homered for the second time in the postseason, has reached base in all eight of the Dodgers' playoff games.

Joc Pederson added an RBI single in the eighth and scored on a Grandal groundout for the game's final runs.

Arrieta (0-1), who threw a no-hitter the last time he pitched at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 30, 2015, surrendered four runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in five-plus innings.

Dodgers left fielder Enrique Hernandez (14) celebrates with left fielder Howie Kendrick (47) after beating the Chicago Cubs in game three of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Seager's RBI single brought home Andrew Toles for a 1-0 Los Angeles lead with two outs in the third. It was the first run Arrieta yielded in his past 18 innings against the Dodgers.

In the fourth, Grandal stroked a two-run shot to right-center to make it 3-0. It was the first home run of the postseason for Grandal, who was 2-for-20 in the playoffs before going deep.

Cubs right-hander John Lackey faces Dodgers rookie left-hander Julio Urias, 20, in Game Four.

(Editing by Larry Fine)

[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.