Schedule and 2017 Results
Regular Season Records: Los Angeles Dodgers 104-58, Chicago Cubs 92-70
Game 1 on Saturday, 14 October: Chicago Cubs lose at Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-runs-2
Game 2 on Sunday, 15 October: Chicago Cubs lose at Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-runs-1
Game 3 on Tuesday, 17 October: Los Angeles Dodgers win at Chicago Cubs, 6-runs-1
Game 4 on Wednesday, 18 October: Los Angeles Dodgers lose at Chicago Cubs, 3-runs-2
Game 5 on Thursday, 19 October: Los Angeles Dodgers win at Chicago Cubs, 11-runs-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: The Los Angeles Dodgers visited and bested the Chicago Cubs 11-runs-1 to complete a 4-games-1 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1351 victory. With the series 1351 win, the Los Angeles Dodgers improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record to 7-9 overall and 2-5 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1351 loss, the Chicago Cubs see their best-of-7 MLB playoff series record fall to 4-12 overall and 1-4 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Los Angeles Dodgers in series 1351 was WWWLW: Series 1351 thus becomes the second MLB Semifinals-round series, the fifth MLB series (all rounds), and the 91st MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. For the sixth consecutive Dodgers best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Los Angeles Game 1 outcome matched the Los Angeles series outcome. For the first time in their history, the Chicago Cubs fail to win consecutive best-of-7 MLB Finals, given their ouster prior to the 2017 MLB Finals in series 1351. In series 1351, the Los Angeles Dodgers outscored the Chicago Cubs by 20 total runs, which ties a record for the biggest run differential in a best-of-7 MLB playoff series lasting five games since series 6 (in which the old Philadelphia Athletics outscored the Chicago Cubs 35-runs-15 in the 1910 MLB Finals).

After Game 4: The Chicago Cubs hosted and bested the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-runs-2 to stave off a four-game sweep and reduce the Los Angeles Dodgers best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1351 lead to 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a series record of 2-0 and a Game 5 record of 1-1. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Chicago Cubs have a series record of 1-5 and a Game 5 record of 3-3. The sole series victory by the Chicago Cubs upon trailing 3-games-1 occurred in their last such series, against the Cleveland Indians in series 1319 (the 2016 MLB Finals).

After Game 3: The Los Angeles Dodgers visited and defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-runs-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1351 lead of 3-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 4 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Chicago Cubs have a series record of 0-4 and a Game 4 record of 1-3. The Chicago Cubs have become the 351st team to fall into a 3-games-nil deficit in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, and will attempt to become the sixth team to achieve a 4-games-3 series victory in the wake of such a deficit. The Los Angeles Dodgers led a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 3-games-nil once before, wherein they won series 158 Game 4 to sweep the New York Yankees in the 1963 MLB Finals.

After Game 2: The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted and defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-runs-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1351 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a series record of 2-2 and a Game 3 record of 1-3. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Chicago Cubs have a series record of 0-5 and a Game 3 record of 1-4. With their series 1351 Game 2 victory, the Los Angeles Dodgers improve their best-of-7 MLB playoff series Game 2 record to 5-0 upon having won Game 1. In the history of best-of-7 MLB Semifinals series, teams taking a 2-games-nil series lead irrespective of site have a 25-3 series record: One of the three series losers in that situation was the Los Angeles Dodgers, having led 2-games-nil but lost 4-games-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals in series 456 (the 1985 National League Championship Series). So it is that the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals set a favorable precedent for the Cubs in the 2017 National League Championship Series.

After Game 1: The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted and defeated the Chicago Cubs 5-runs-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1351 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a series record of 2-2 and a Game 2 record of 4-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Chicago Cubs have a series record of 1-9 and a Game 2 record of 5-5. With their series 1351 Game 1 victory, the Los Angeles Dodgers break a four-Game 1 losing streak in best-of-7 MLB playoff series. Trailing a best-of-7 MLB playoff series 1-game-nil, the Chicago Cubs have a 1-9 series record - the sole victory occurred in the Cubs' last such series (the 2016 MLB Finals, over the Cleveland Indians for the 2016 MLB championship).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2017 MLB regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers finished twelve games ahead of the Chicago Cubs. From 1905 through the 2016 MLB Finals round, when MLB teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by twelve regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 5-2 (.714) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1351 is the 16th best-of-7 MLB playoff series for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the 16th for the Chicago Cubs. In best-of-7 MLB playoff series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have an all-rounds series record of 6-9 with an active four-series losing streak, a Semifinals-round series record of 1-5 with an active four-series losing streak, and a Game 1 record of 4-11 with an active four-Game 1 losing streak, while the Chicago Cubs have an all-rounds series record of 4-11, a Semifinals-round series record of 1-3, and a Game 1 record of 5-10. Series 1351 is the second best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. The Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in their only previous best-of-7 MLB playoff series meeting (in series 1318, in the 2016 National League Championship Series).