2008 Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs NLDS Highlights

YOU CAN'T RUSH. YOU HAVE TO START SMALL, STARTING IN GAME ONE OF THE NLDS AGAINST THE DODGERS RIGHT THERE AT HOME WHERE THE DODGERS LOST ALL THREE GAMES. THEY'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. THEY BROUGHT OUT THE CLERGY, FATHER KNOWS BEST AND BLESSED THE DUGOUTS. PINIELLA AND TORRE. RYAN DEMPSTER, 2.86 E.R.A. EVERYTHING IS IN LINE AND THEY LOOK GOOD. IN THE FIRST, TOP THIRD WITH ONE OUT. DEMPSTER WALKS DEREK LOWE AND RAFAEL FURCAL ON THE FIRST PITCH. OUTSIDE. MANNY RAMIREZ UP WITH TWO OUTS. RAMIREZ HITS THE GROUNDER TO THE HOLE. RYAN THERIOT MAKES THE DIVING STOP AND THROW TO FIRST IS NOT IN TIME. MANNY HUSTLING AS ALWAYS, AS HE IS ON THIS PLAY ANYWAY. ANDRE ETHIER RUNS THE COUNT FULL. DEMPSTER SHAKES HIM DOWN AND GETS HIM SWINGING. CUBS OUT OF THE INNING. WRIGLEY FAITHFUL. LOOK AT THE REJOICING. DEMPSTER, WILD AGAIN IN THE FIFTH. ONE AWAY. RAFAEL FURCAL, 3-1. YEAH. BALL FOUR, TAKE YOUR BASE. AFTER SECURING THE SECOND OUT, MANNY COMES TO THE DISH AGAIN AND PROMPTLY FALLS BEHIND 0-2 AND GETS IT TO 3-2 AND WALKING. LARRY ROTHSCHILD IS ON THE PHONE. GET SOME GUYS UP. ANDRE ETHIER, BALL FOUR TO YOU. DEMPSTER'S SEVENTH WALK OF THE GAME. ROTHSCHILD COMES TO THE MOUND, QUICK MEETING. SON, OVER THE PLATE. BULLPEN NOT QUITE READY. DEMPSTER STAYS IN TO FACE JAMES LONEY. SWINGS AND MISSES ON THE FIRST. THERE'S STRIKE TWO. THIS LOOKS LIKE STRIKE THREE BUT HE GETS JUST A PIECE OF IT TO STAY ALIVE. DEMPSTER WASTES ONE HIGH AND THE NEXT PITCH, I BELIEVE THAT IS RIGHT DOWN THE PIPE. THAT'S THE KIND OF THING HERE THAT WILL COMMUNICATE. THIRD SLAM IN DODGERS POSTSEASON HISTORY. DODGERS GO UP 4-2 AND SWEET LOU IS NOT FEELING SO SWEET. THIS MAN JUST GOT PEPPERED. DEREK LOWE WITH THE LEAD IN COMMAND IN THE FIFTH. STRIKES OUT ALFONSO SORIANO WHO IS 0-5 WITH TWO K'S. LATER IN THE INNING, DERREK LEE, A LITTLE GROUNDER UP THE MIDDLE. SHORTSTOP WILL HANDLE THAT AND TURN A 6-3 DOUBLE PLAY. LOWE, SIX EARNED AND TWO K'S. MANNY DOWN IN THE COUNT 0-2 AGAIN. THIS TIME HE DOESN'T WORK A WALK BUT BELT AS HOME RUN. DODGERS GO UP 5-2. HIS 25TH CAREER POSTSEASON HOMER. HE HIT A PRETTY GOOD PITCH HERE. DOWN, OUT OF THE ZONE, A CURVEBALL AND YET HE GETS ENOUGH BAT AND TRENTH TO PUT IT INTO THE SEATS. CUBS FANS. MANNY IS HAPPY. HOW ARE YOU DEALING ABOUT -- FEEL BUILDING THIS WHOLE THING? NOT GOOD AND IT'S COLD. DODGERS WIN 7-2 TO TAKE THE 1-0 LEAD. FOURTH TIME IN DODGERS HISTORY THEY'VE WON THE FIRST GAME IN THE POSTSEASON ON THE ROAD. PREVIOUS THREE TIMES THEY WENT TO THE WORLD SERIES. DEREK LOWE NOW 4-0 IN HIS LAST SIX POSTSEASON HROUGH EACH PASSI YEAR. AND 100 YEARS AND SOON TO BE COUNTING. HERE WE GO, LOU AND THE CUBS, HOME AGAINST THE DODGERS AFTER LOSING GAME ONE, AS YOU MENTIONED, WHEN YOU PUT YOUR ACE ON THE HILL, YOU EXPECT HIM TO COME UP BIG IN A TIGHT SPOT. HE GETS A PAUL FROM EMAL AND MANNY TRYING TO SET THE TONE, DOESN'T LIKE THE CALL. HERE'S THE 0-2 PITCH AND ZAMBRANO MAKES THE STATEMENT IN THE HALF INNING OVER TO THE SECOND. AND TORRE PLAYS HIT-AND-RUN. HE DOES THIS MR. BIG SPOTS. AND THERIOT MAY NOT MAKE THE PLAY. AND THROW OUT LONEY, LATER, AND ROUTINE GROUND BALL, DOUBLE PLAY. AND DEROSA, BIT OF A DIZZY HOT. AND HE BOBBLES IT. RUNNERS SAFE. AND E-4, NO OUTS ON THAT ONE. AND 11 ALL SEASON, AND ZAMBRANO GETTING GROUND BALLS BUT NOT GETTING OUT. AND NEXT BATTER, FIRST AND SECOND, CASEY BLAKE, AND LEE CAN'T MAKE THE PLAY. ANOTHER ERROR AND THE BASES ARE LOADED. THE LAST, EXPLODES A BIT ON LEE, BUT THEN HE CAN'T FIND IT. THREE-TIME GOLD GLOVER, ZAMBRANO, HE COULD ONLY SMIRK, NOT GETTING OUT. TWO OUTS, BASES LOADED, GET OUT WITH ONE RUN. AND FURCAL, THE OLD SCHOOL DRAG BUNT, AND DEROSA. AND GETTING OUT OF THE JAM, 2-0, YOU'RE IN IT, BASES LOADED TWO OUTS. THE THREE-RUN PITCH AND DOWN THE MIDDLE AND MARTIN CONNECTS, 8-13 IN THE REGULAR SEASON OFF ZAMBRANO, HE SEES THE BALL WELL AND HE UNLOADS THE BASES. 4-5 RUNS, UNEARNED. AND AGAIN ZAMBRANO, IT IS 5-0, DODGERS IN THE SECOND, TO THE FIFTH. MANNY RAMIREZ IN THE HOUSE. MAN WHY RY RAMIREZ OUT OF THE HOUSE. OVER THE SHRUBRY, NOBODY HAS HUT MORE POSTSEASON HOME RUNS THAN MAN RAN. AND BILL MURRAY TAKING IT WELL-HIS TEAM IS DOWN 6-0. AND CHAD BILLINGSLEY, HE WAS A FIRST RATE NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHER THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT. HE GETS SORIANO, RIGHT THERE, AND THE CROWD STARTING TO LOSE THEIR PATIENCE. THEY CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE SEEING POLL BILLINGSLEY HAS NASTY STUFF, HE HAS RAMIREZ THERE, AND SEVEN STRIKEOUTS ALLOWED JUST ONE RUN, AND KERRY WOOD IN, HE GETS THE WORK IN THE NINTH, 9-1 DODGERS, PRETTY MUCH OVER, AND THE BAD DEFENSE CONTINUES AND THE THROW IS LOW AND EACH INFELTER RESPONSIBLE FOR A THROW. AND WIN A POSTSEASON GAME STILL YET TO WIN UNDER PINIELLA. THIS IS A TEAM WITH FEWER REGULAR SEASON WINS THAN THE MARLINS OR BLUE JAY, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY LOOK LIKE AN ELITE TEAM. GAME THREE, SATURDAY NIGHT, IN L.A. 10:00 EASTERN, 7:00 PACIFIC, THE STORY OF GAME TWO, BAD CUB DEFENSE, GOOD DODGER OFFENSE AND JOE ANOTHER WINTER OF DISCONTENT. >>> TITLE DROUGHT, THE CUBS WILL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ONLY ONE TEAM HAS DONE BEFORE. COME BACK TO WIN A BEST OF FIVE SERIES AFTER LOSING THE FIRST TWO AT HOME. NOT A GOOD START. MANNY RAMIREZ. BASE HIT TO LEFT. RUSSELL MARTIN HAD TO GO BACK TO SECOND AND THEN WENT TO THIRD. AND VERY CLOSE TO BEING CALLED OUT. BUT JIM REYNOLDS CALLS HIM SAFE. TWO BATTERS LATER, JAMES LONEY. TAKES THE RICH HARDEN PITCH AND SENDS IT INTO THE RIGHT FIELD CORNER. ONE RUN WILL SCORE. WILL MANNY RAMIREZ SCORE? YES. LOOK AT LARRY BOWA. FORMER "BASEBALL TONIGHT" ANALYST. HE'S A LITTLE INTENSE. LOOK AT HIM. WOO-HOO. >> HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE BOXMENT >> AFTER THE BALL'S IN PLAY HE CAN RUN WHEREVER HE WANTS. 2-0 DODGERS. THEY THREATEN EARLY THE CUBS DID BUT ARAMIS RAMIREZ, CAN'T GET IT DONE THERE. JIM EDMONDS GROUNDS OUT. SO HIROKI KURODA IN SOME TROUBLE BUT KEPT GETTING OUT OF IT. AGAIN, MAN ON THIRD, ONE OUT. MARK DEROSA GROUND OUT TO THIRD. THEN AFTER RYAN THERIOT WAS INTENTIONALLY WALKED TO GET TO THE PITCHER, THAT'S A BIG ADVANTAGE IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE. KURODA WHO WAS GETTING GROUND BALLS GOT A SWING AND MISS THERE. BOTTOM FIVE, 2-0, DERREK LEE. NORMALLY COOL, CALM, COLLECTIVE. NOT HERE. DERREK LEE COMPOSING HIMSELF. NORMALLY GOOD. BUT THE FRUSTRATION OF THE CHICAGO CUBS GOT THE BEST OF HIM, GOT THE BEST OF CUB NATION. AS THE DODGERS TAKE A 3-0 LEAD. RUSSELL MARTIN BRINGS HOME RAFAEL FURCAL. KURODA, STILL CRUISING. IN THE SIXTH, GEOVANY SOTO SWINGING. JIM EDMONDS, CHECK SWINGING. JOE TORRE PULLS KURODA IN THE TOP OF THE SEVENTH WITH ONE OUT, CORY WADE COMES IN. ALFONSO SORIANO, HIS POSTSEASON NUMBERS CONTINUE TO PLUMMET. HE FLIES OUT TO RIGHT. THEN MIKE FONTENOT. PUT A GOOD CHARGE INTO THIS ONE. BUT MATT KEMP JUST GETS HIS GLOVE UP IN TIME AND WADE GETS OUT OF THE JAM. TO THE NINTH, JONATHAN BROXTON. CAME ON AND ALFONSO SORIANO STRIKES OUT. AND THE DODGERS SWEEP THE CUBS. THE DODGERS WIN THEIR FIRST PLAYOFF SERIES SINCE WIN, THE 1988 WORLD SERIES. IT'S THEIR FIRST SERIES SWEEP OF ANY KIND SINCE THE 1963 WORLD SERIES WHEN THEY SWEPT THE YANKEES. THIS IS JOE TORRE'S FIRST POSTSEASON SERIES VICTORY SINCE THE 2004 ALDS WHEN THE YANKEES KNOCKED OUT THE TWINS IN FOUR GAMES. THAT WAS JUST BEFORE THE YANKS