Cubs reclaim home-field edge with G4 rout

With a 10-2 win over the Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, the Cubs evened the best-of-seven series at two wins apiece. The series now comes down to a best-of-three for the NL pennant, with Game 5 at Dodger Stadium tonight, and Games 6 and 7 (if necessary) at Wrigley Field this weekend.

The Cubs will have left-hander Jon Lester taking the mound in Game 5, and the Dodgers will counter with right-hander Kenta Maeda. Each started Game 1 of the series, an 8-4 Cubs victory.

• NLCS Game 5: Tonight at 8 ET on FS1

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   CHC 10, LAD 2 Gm 5 Oct. 20 8 p.m. CHC @ LAD FS1 Gm 6 Oct. 22 8 p.m.  LAD @ CHC FS1 *Gm 7 Oct. 23 8 p.m. LAD @ CHC FS1 * If necessary | All times listed ET  • NLCS coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Dodgers

“Big, big, big win for us tonight with Jonny going [in Game 5],” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We’ve got to get him some runs early and really put the pressure on.”

For Game 6 on Saturday, the Dodgers will hand the ball to ace Clayton Kershaw at Wrigley Field.

“We come out to win [Game 5], then we got Kershaw and [Rich] Hill behind us,” said Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. “We like where we’re at and are going to come out [Thursday] looking for the series lead.”

“We’re going to out there and give [Maeda] 100 percent support,” Gonzalez added. “We know he’s a great pitcher and we know he’s going to give us a great outing. We just have to put up some runs against Jon.”

There have been 17 best-of-seven series in postseason history in which the road club pulled even in Game 4 to reclaim home-field advantage for the rest of the series. In eight of those series — which include six LCS and 11 World Series — the team with home-field advantage over the final three games won, while the road club in Games 6 and 7 won the other nine:

• In the 2013 World Series, the Red Sox won Game 4 over the Cardinals in St. Louis to even the series. Boston then won Game 5 at Busch Stadium and Game 6 at Fenway Park to win its third championship in a decade.

• In the 2011 NLCS, the Brewers beat the Cardinals in St. Louis in Game 4, but lost Game 5 …

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