Cubs facing rare offensive adversity vs. LA

LOS ANGELES — Consider it a case of Déjà Blue for the Cubs, whose offense has gone mostly missing once again with a spot in the World Series at stake.

After fading quietly while being swept out of the National League Championship Series last October, the Cubs have dug themselves into another NLCS hole after a 6-0 loss to the Dodgers in Game 3 on Tuesday. Their scoring drought has reached 18 innings — longer than any such stretch they endured in the regular season — and concerns about the suddenly silent bats have ticked up a notch now that Chicago finds itself trailing for the first time this postseason.

• NLCS Game 4: Today at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on FS1

“Just based on what we’ve done this year, sure, it’s surprising,” said Kris Bryant, who had one of Chicago’s four hits on Tuesday. “It’s happening at the wrong time, but we have more games to play, more times to get that confidence back and figure things out. I’m sure we will. We’ve done it all year. We’re here for a reason. Belief is very powerful, and I think we all have that here.”

Game Date Time Matchup TV/Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 15   CHC 8, LAD 4 Gm 2 Oct. 16   LAD 1, CHC 0 Gm 3 Oct. 18   LAD 6, CHC 0 Gm 4 Oct. 19 8 p.m. CHC @ LAD FS1 Gm 5 Oct. 20 8 p.m. CHC @ LAD FS1 *Gm 6 Oct. 22 TBD LAD @ CHC FS1 *Gm 7 Oct. 23 TBD LAD @ CHC FS1 * If necessary | All times listed ET  • NLCS coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Dodgers

The Cubs had never been shut out twice in the same postseason, but they are now the first team since the 2012 Tigers to be blanked in consecutive games. In fact, the last time the Cubs shouldered back-to-back shutouts at any point in a season, Joe Maddon was still managing the Rays.

What Maddon is seeing now is reminiscent of what stung his club last fall, when it couldn’t tally more than six hits in any of its …

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