TheNew York Metsand Chicago Cubs will be starting the National League Championship Series tonight in a matchup that no one predicted back when the season started. The Mets are coming off an NLDS victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a thrilling five game series, while the Wild Card game winning Cubs dispatched their NL Central division rival St. Louis Cardinals in four games.
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This will be a series that even themost casual of baseball fans will be drawn to. Not only are two big market teams pitted against each other, both have a ton of young talent breaking into the major leagues for the first time. What makes this matchup so fun is that the young players will be going head-to-head against each other; the Mets feature an abundance of riches on the mound, while the Cubs lineup is loaded with youngsters carrying them.
The first of those arms that the Cubs will be facing off against will beMatt Harvey. Harvey has been in the spotlight recently for all the wrong reasons, as his agent came out and said that he will be on a strict innings limit. That talk has quieted down a bit, but there are still some uncertainties around him; such as,will he only start Game 1and then not be seen again during the series?
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Taking the mound against him will be the Cubs big money free agent signing,Jon Lester. Unlike his Mets starting pitching counterparts, Lester has no shortage of postseason experience, making 13 career playoff starts; that is more than the Mets playoff starting rotation combined. His struggles with attempting to pick off runners has been well documented, but it has not stopped him from dominating teams during the postseason.
This will be a different Mets team the Cubs will be facing off against in the NLCS than they saw in the regular season. The Cubs were sweeping the Mets prior to the MLB Trade deadline, so they will be seeingYoenis CespedesandMichael Confortofor the first time, whileTravis d’ArnaudandDavid Wrightare now healthy and returned from injuries.
The bullpens could be a deciding factor in this series.Terry Collinshas not been happy with the performance of his, turning toNoah Syndergaardin Game 5 vs. the Dodgers instead of veteransTyler ClippardorAddison Reedas a bridge toJeurys Familia. That will not be something he can do constantly in this series, as Collins will have to find someone he trusts down there to bride to their closer.
On the other hand, the Cubs have taken players such asFernando Rodney,Trevor CahillandClayton Richardoff the scrap heap and turned them into a solid bullpen.
It will be one of the many things to keep an eye on during the series. Not sure where you can watch this series? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Here is all the information you need to watch or listen to the first game of the NLCS Saturday night.
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Where: Citi Field
When: October 17th, 2015
First Pitch: 8:07 PM ET
Television: TBS
Live Stream: TBS.com, Watch TBS App, MLB.com
Radio: WOR 710
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