2017 NLCS: To have a chance, Cubs need Bryant and Rizzo to step up
The Chicago Cubs are down 0-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. In order for Chicago to have any chance in this series, they need to get more production out of the middle of their order, namely Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.
There are many things the Chicago Cubs need to do in order to come back from their 0-2 NLCS deficit. The starting pitching must continue to perform well, they also must find a legitimate bridge between said starters and closer Wade Davis and Joe Maddon needs to start managing as well as we all know he is capable of. While these are all important, none of this matters if Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant cannot get going.
The Cubs have an impressive collection of position player talent. Guys like Ben Zobrist, Willson Contreras, Addison Russell and Javier Baez certainly bring a lot to the table. That being said, this offense is clearly centered around the big bats of Bryant and Rizzo in the middle.
Chicago rode Rizzo and Bryant to a World Series championship last season. Through the 17 games of the 2016 postseason, Bryant hit an impressive .308/.400/.523, seemingly always coming through with a big hit when the Cubs needed him the most. Rizzo had a slow start to last year’s postseason but he eventually caught fire, finishing the playoffs with a .277/.373/.492 slash-line.
With Bryant and Rizzo putting up that kind of production in the middle of the order, the Cubs’ offense was incredibly dangerous. We saw more of the same during the 2017 regular season. Unfortunately, we are not seeing more of it during this October.
Rizzo got off to a hot start in the NLDS against the Washington Nationals, making his .242/.337/.440 slash-line respectable. However, he has not had a single hit in the Cubs’ last four games. This is obviously an extremely small sample size, but that’s how the playoffs work. Chicago simply cannot afford to have Rizzo continue going 0-4 every night.
Through the seven postseason games that the Cubs have played, Bryant is hitting an ugly .179/.207/.250, striking out in 13 of 28 at-bats. The Cubs can survive if one of Bryant or Rizzo is struggling, but with both slumping against the talented Dodgers, they don’t even have a chance.
Next: Joe Maddon to blame for Cubs' Game 2 loss
Down 0-2, the Chicago Cubs undoubtedly have their backs against the wall. We know that this is an extremely resilient team that can come back from this, but in order to do so, they need the owners of the Bryzzo Souvenir Company to step up. If they cannot turn their performances around, this series is as good as over.