Kritik und Lob » has now won just one of its last six home games, wh

LOS ANGELES -- After striking out in his first two at-bats, Anthony Rizzo needed something to bust his slump. He found it in teammate Matt Szczurs bat.Using the borrowed lumber, Rizzo homered and ended a postseason skid with three RBI. The rest of the Chicago Cubs hitters broke out equally as big in routing the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-2 on Wednesday to even the NL Championship Series at 2-all.I know Szczurs bat has a lot of hits in it, Rizzo said. Ive done it a few times this year, just switching up the bat, switching up the mindset.Addison Russells two-run homer highlighted a four-run fourth that stopped Chicagos 21-inning scoreless streak and ensured the NLCS will return to Wrigley Field for Game 6 on Saturday.Its definitely a sigh of relief to have a big night, Russell said.Kenta Maeda is set to pitch for the Dodgers in Game 5 on Thursday against Jon Lester. Manager Dave Roberts said he will not start Clayton Kershaw on short rest after the Los Angeles ace threw a bullpen session Wednesday.Its not an elimination game, Roberts said.Following consecutive shutout losses, the Cubs rapped out 13 hits on an 80-degree night with the warm Santa Ana winds fluttering the flags in center field.Rizzo used Szczurs bat on Tuesday night and got a broken-bat single. Szczur, left off the NLCS roster, didnt mind. He wrapped another one for Game 4, figuring Rizzo might want to use the bat that is the same weight and size but a different model than his.I just saw him walking up with my bat, and I started laughing, Szczur said. And then he hits a homer with it.Rizzo and Russell had three hits each. Chicagos 3-4-5 hitters -- a combined 2 for 32 in the first three games -- busted out. Every Cubs starter got at least one hit except Kris Bryant, who walked twice and was hit by a pitch.Its contagious, just like the lack of it is contagious, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. When you start hitting, its contagious, defense, this whole game really follows itself.Los Angeles was limited to six hits and made four errors in a game that dragged on for 3 hours, 58 minutes.It happens, but we havent had a game like that in a long time, Roberts said . Youve got to brush off and get ready for tomorrow.Mike Montgomery won in relief of John Lackey, removed after consecutive walks opening the fifth. Four days shy of his 38th birthday, Lackey allowed two runs, three hits and three walks.I thought we put ourselves in a position to get to Lackey, but he escaped, Roberts said.At 20 years, 68 days the youngest postseason starting pitcher in major league history, loser Julio Urias gave up four runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings. He was the third consecutive left-hander to start for Los Angeles.I wish I had taken advantage of this outing, he said through a translator.Chicago rattled off three straight hits to open the fourth, sparked by Ben Zobrists leadoff bunt single to third.With the way that our bats were swinging it at the beginning of the game, we just had to do anything we could. That was my thought process, Zobrist said. I felt like if he threw a strike, I could get one down in a good spot and was able to do it.He took second on Javier Baezs single to left, and Willson Contreras followed with a single to nearly the same spot in shallow left, scoring Zobrist.Baez moved to third and Contreras took second on left fielder Andrew Toles errant throw to the plate that skidded all the way to the backstop.Jason Heyward hit a run-scoring groundout , and Russell followed with his first extra-base hit since Sept. 30 and his first homer since Sept. 19. He jubilantly pumped an arm as he rounded the bases on his two-run drive, which put the Cubs ahead 4-0.Rizzo homered off Pedro Baez leading off the fifth, snapping his 0-for-11 skid in the series. Rizzo had entered 2 for 26 in the postseason.Los Angeles closed to 5-2 in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Justin Turners likely double-play grounder caromed off Montgomerys glove and Russell, who scrambled on all fours at shortstop as the ball went into left-center field for a two-run single.If he just gets his glove out of the way, he gets out of the inning, Maddon said.Chicago tacked on five runs in the sixth off relievers Ross Stripling and Luis Avilan. Dexter Fowler singled in the first run, Rizzo added two more on a bases-loaded single and Javier Baez hit a sacrifice fly , with a second run scoring on an error by center fielder Joc Pederson.By then, attention started turning to Thursday.Its about confidence, Maddon said, and I want to believe theyre going to show up tomorrow with a lot more confidence than they showed up with today.YOURE OUT ON REPLAYDodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez was tagged out at home to end the second. A sliding Gonzalez stretched his left hand toward the tip of the plate as catcher Contreras applied the tag with his left hand near Gonzalezs upper left arm.Weve got plenty of still frames that prove I was safe, Gonzalez said. Usually they say the play stands, but they said there wasnt enough evidence, which means they know I was safe.The Dodgers challenged Angel Hernandezs decision, and the video review let the call stand. That drew online scorn from Washington star Bryce Harper.He was safe! Replay system still broke..Same thing all year long! (hashtag)DontMessItUp, Harper tweeted.SCULLY RETURNSHall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will attend Thursdays game, his first time back at Dodger Stadium since calling his last home game on Sept. 25. The 88-year-old ended his 67-year career this month with the regular-season finale at San Francisco.FACES IN THE CROWDAshton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis announced the Dodgers starting lineup . Also on hand were Rob Lowe, Charlie Sheen, George Lopez, Larry King and Mary Hart.UP NEXTLester allowed one run in six innings of Game 1 in the series, getting a no-decision in Chicagos 8-4 victory. ... Maeda has a 9.00 ERA in two postseason appearances. He allowed three runs and four hits in four innings of the NLCS opener and didnt factor in the decision.Fake Shoes Black Friday . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. Discount Shoes Black Friday . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday Free Shipping . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court.HANNOVER, Germany -- Two quick-fire goals earned Germany a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland to put the defending champions in control of World Cup qualifying Group C on Tuesday.Early goals from Julian Draxler and then Sami Khedira maintained Germanys perfect start after three games with no goals conceded and moved it two points clear of Azerbaijan, which settled for a scoreless draw against the Czech Republic in Ostrava.We completed the job, said Joachim Loew, who equaled Sepp Herbergers record of 94 wins as Germany coach. It wasnt quite so easy because they defended deep and made space scarce.Only the group winners automatically qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and Loew kept faith with the same starters from Saturdays 3-0 win over the Czech Republic, forcing Ilkay Gundogan to be patient with Khedira preferred to partner Toni Kroos in the center.It went so well against the Czech Republic that I thought wed play a half like that again. I figured wed score one or two goals and then we could give players a rest, Loew said.Mario Goetze was first to test visiting `keeper Michael McGovern, and Jonas Hector fired over after Khedira and Draxler were blocked as Germany made an impressive start.The reward arrived in the 13th minute when Thomas Mueller set up Draxler to let fly inside the right post from edge of the penalty area for his third international goal.Khedira doubled the lead four minutes later, heading in from close range after Mats Hummels headed on a corner. It was Khediras first goal for Germany since the 7-1 win over Brazil at the 2014 World Cup and it looked like another rout was on the cards with the German attack looking ominous.But the visitors recovered and enjoyed a good spell afterward, asking questions of the German defense and working hard to maintain possession. Jamie Ward had a chance though Germany No. 1 Manuel Neuer never looked in trouble.Goetze thought hed scored but the effort was ruled out as the ball went out of play before Mueller pulled it back. Thenn Josh Magennis tested Neuer at the other end.ddddddddddddJerome Boateng brought Corry Evans down right on the edge of the penalty area and Oliver Norwood fired the resultant free kick just over as the visitors finished the half strongly.Gundogan came on for Mesut Ozil at the break, when it was clear Loews words had had an effect on the energized home side for the second half.Again Germany dominated possession, as it had early in the game, and again the visitors were forced to defend in numbers.McGovern made a good save to deny Khedira from making it a third successive 3-0 win late on.The steam ran out a bit in the second half, but it was a fair result, Khedira said.Heres a look at the other matches in Group C on Tuesday:---CZECH REPUBLIC 0, AZERBAIJAN 0Azerbaijan, which already had two wins in a World Cup group for the first time, maintained its excellent start to qualifying by frustrating the home side. The Czechs had 17 attempts on goal to the visitors eight -- only one of which was on target.The draw means the Czech Republic has now won just one of its last six home games, while qualification has yielded just two points from three games.Unbeaten Azerbaijan is second in the group.---NORWAY 4, SAN MARINO 1Norway claimed its first points in the group with a win in Oslo, though the visitors, ranked 201st in world football, celebrated their first away goal in World Cup qualifying since 2001 after Mattia Stefanelli had equalized nine minutes into the second half.Davide Simoncinis early own goal, against his twin brother Aldo Junior in the San Marino goal, put the hosts ahead, before Stefanelli set off wild celebrations with the visitors only shot on target.It looked to be enough for a draw but Norway hit three late goals in seven minutes through Adama Diomande and Martin Samuelsen, both substitutes, as well as Joshua King to spare the home sides blushes. ' ' '