Dodgers’ bulletproof bullpen finally allows hits

Reporting from Chicago —  Alex Avila, a backup catcher, succeeded Tuesday where 31 consecutive Cubs had failed.

He got a hit off a Dodgers relief pitcher.

Dodger relievers had retired 29 out of the 31 batters they faced in the National League Championship Series before Avila lined a single off Ross Stripling leading off the bottom of the ninth inning.

Albert Almora followed Avila’s hit with a ground-rule double to left field, ending Stripling’s outing after two batters.

At that point, manager Dave Roberts turned to old faithful, Kenley Jansen, and the next three Cubs were retired in order — the final two by strikeout.

Before Avila’s hit, the only two Cubs to reach base off the bullpen were Anthony Rizzo, who was hit by a Jansen pitch in Game 2, and Kyle Schwarber, on a walk issued by Brandon Morrow in the eighth inning Tuesday.

Barnes is the choice

Austin Barnes made his fifth consecutive start at catcher as Yasmani Grandal was relegated to the bench, even with the Cubs starting right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks.

Roberts indicated Grandal is expected to be in the lineup in Game 4 when the Cubs start Jake Arrieta, another right-hander. Grandal hit a home run off Arrieta in last year’s NLCS.

Roberts acknowledged Grandal’s frustration with his diminished role.

“He’s handled it as well as anyone who had been the starter the whole year,” Roberts said. “But it’s just more about each individual game that you look at, you have to look at it like ‘Who gives us the best chance in that particular spot?’”

Barnes spent most of the season as the primary catcher against left-handers. He began to siphon away playing time against right-handers when Grandal’s production waned as October approached.

Barnes finished the season with a .902 on-base plus slugging percentage against right-handed pitchers. Grandal hit 22 homers in 2017, but his OPS against right-handers was .790. Grandal possesses a stronger and more accurate throwing arm, but the Dodgers trust Barnes’ game-planning behind the plate more than Grandal’s.

“Defensively, they’re very comparable,” Roberts said. “Yaz throws better. But as far as the game-calling, the blocking, they’re very, very comparable. We have two elite catchers.”

Deja vu for Arrieta

Arrieta, the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner, will oppose Alex Wood on Wednesday.

Arrieta can file for free agency this fall. Before he faced the Washington Nationals in the division series, he said he would try to take in all the sights and sounds of Wrigley Field in case that start turned out to be his last with the Cubs.

Here we go again, eight days later, this time with the Cubs facing elimination.

“It is a repeat,” he said. “Very similar situation, but still optimistic, and looking forward to making a couple more here.”

Seager working

Back in Los Angeles, shortstop Corey Seager worked out doing some drills inside the weight room, Roberts said.

Seager has not been cleared to swing a bat or run the bases. The Dodgers hope he can play catch Wednesday.

“How he responds tomorrow from that extra work, we’ll find out tomorrow,” Roberts said. “But I think today was certainly a positive for Corey.”

Baez benched

Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, the co-MVP of the 2016 NLCS against the Dodgers, was benched Tuesday in favor of Ben Zobrist.

Baez appeared as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning when the Dodgers brought in left-hander Tony Watson. Baez popped out to first base, leaving him 0 for 6 in this series and 0 for 20 in the playoffs.

Mike Hiserman contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

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