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It’s time for a pair of a Game 4s in the National League Division Series after the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies avoided getting swept out of the MLB playoffs.

Will the Cubs and Phillies, on Thursday, force decisive Game 5s — or will the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers move on to the NLCS?

We’ve got you covered with pregame lineups and keys along with takeaways after the final out of each game.


Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers (6:08 p.m. ET)

Los Angeles leads series 2-1

Game 4 starters: Cristopher Sanchez vs. Tyler Glasnow

How the Phillies can even the series: The Phillies have the edge in the starting pitcher comparison, with Game 1 starter Sanchez, coming off a regular season in which he was one of the top five starters in baseball and an excellent outing in Game 1, going on four days of rest vs. Glasnow, who hasn’t pitched much the past two-plus weeks and battled some control issues down the stretch (and walked two of the eight batters he faced in a Game 1 relief appearance).

Thanks to Ranger Suarez’s great effort on Wednesday, the bullpen will be in good shape as well, so the path to victory is a shutdown effort from Sanchez and then the high-leverage relievers (with a better performance than they provided in Game 1). No doubt, the offensive game plan will be to get Glasnow to run up his pitch count and then get the soft underbelly of the Dodgers’ bullpen into the game earlier than Dave Roberts would like. Oh, and a Bryce Harper home run mixed in there will help as well. — David Schoenfield

Lineups

Phillies

1. Trea Turner (R) SS
2. Kyle Schwarber (L) DH
3. Bryce Harper (L) 1B
4. Alec Bohm (R) 3B
5. Brandon Marsh (L) CF
6. J.T. Realmuto (R) C
7. Max Kepler (L) LF
8. Nick Castellanos (R) RF
9. Bryson Stott (L) 2B

Dodgers

1. Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
2. Mookie Betts (R) SS
3. Teoscar Hernandez (R) RF
4. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
5. Tommy Edman (S) 2B
6. Will Smith (R) C
7. Alex Call (R) LF
8. Enrique Hernandez (R) 3B
9. Andy Pages (R) CF


Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (9:08 p.m. ET)

Milwaukee leads series 2-1

Game 4 starters: Freddy Peralta vs. Matthew Boyd

How the Cubs can even the series: With their pitching leaning closer to shambles than full-go, the Cubs’ best bet to even the series is by scoring more runs than they have in any of their first six postseason games. They finally got to four runs for the first time this October — all coming in the first inning of Game 3 — then stopped there. In fact, they haven’t scored a run from the second inning on in either of the last two games. After using all their top relievers on Wednesday, there’s no guarantee they’ll be as sharp on Thursday, so a few innings with crooked numbers on the board offensively could make the difference for Chicago. — Jesse Rogers

Lineups

Brewers

TBD

Cubs

TBD

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Follow live: Cubs aim to force Game 5 vs. Brewers

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Dodgers advance to NLCS after Kerkering’s error

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Dodgers advance to NLCS after Kerkering's error

LOS ANGELES — Orion Kerkering made a wild throw past home instead of tossing to first after mishandling Andy Pages‘ bases-loaded comebacker with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 Thursday to win their NL Division Series 3-1.

Kerkering hung his head and put hands on knees after his throw sailed past catcher J.T. Realmuto as pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim crossed the plate, advancing the Dodgers to the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee.

Realmuto had pointed to first when the broken-bat, two-hopper hit off Kerkering’s glove and rolled just in front of the mound.

Kerkering picked up the ball and in one motion made a sidearm throw, 46 feet from the plate. The ball sailed up the third-base line, past Realmuto’s outstretched mitt, and fans in the crowd of 50,563 at Dodger Stadium erupted after spending the final three innings on their feet.

“It’s brutal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s one of those things that it’s a PFP, a pitcher’s fielding practice. He’s done it a thousand times. And right there he was so focused, I’m sure, on just getting the hitter and just sort of forgot the outs and the situation.”

Phillies manager Rob Thomson wrapped an arm around Kerkering when the distraught reliever reached the dugout.

“He just got caught up in the moment a little bit,” Thomson said. “I feel for him because he’s putting it all on his shoulders.”

This was the second postseason series to end on a walk-off error, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. A wild relay throw by Texas second baseman Rougned Odor on a potential double-play grounder allowed Josh Donaldson to score and give Toronto a 7-6, 10-inning win and a three-game sweep of their 2016 AL Division Series.

Los Angeles ended a postseason series with a walk-off win for the third time after Bill Russell’s single against the Phillies in Game 4 of the 1978 NLCS and Chris Taylor‘s homer in the 2021 NL wild card game.

Nick Castellanos‘ RBI double in the seventh off Emmet Sheehan had put the Phillies ahead but Jhoan Duran walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded in the bottom half, forcing in the tying run.

Tommy Edman singled off Jesús Luzardo with one out in the 11th and took third on Max Muncy‘s two-out single that eluded diving shortstop Trea Turner.

Kerkering walked Enrique Hernández, loading the bases. Pages, in a 1-for-23 postseason slide, hit what appeared to be a routine grounder, the type every pitcher practices gloving from spring training on.

Philadelphia, wearing its powder blue throwback uniforms on the road for the second straight day, was knocked out in the Division Series for the third straight season while the defending World Series champion Dodgers reached the LCS for the eighth time in 13 years.

Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki, averaging 99.5 mph his his fastball, threw three innings of hitless relief, combining with Tyler Glasnow, Sheehan and winner Alex Vesia on a four-hitter.

Glasnow allowed two hits and three walks in six innings with eight of the 12 strikeouts by Dodgers pitchers.

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QB Mateer probable to play for OU against Texas

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QB Mateer probable to play for OU against Texas

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was upgraded to probable Thursday on the SEC availability report, a signal he’s set to attempt to play against Texas on Saturday, just 17 days after surgery on a broken bone in his throwing hand.

Mateer’s push to return Saturday has continued this week, with sources telling ESPN that he has practiced and progressed enough to be in position to attempt to play. Sources told ESPN earlier Thursday that Mateer was on track to attempt to play Saturday.

The ambiguity over Mateer’s ability to play is expected to extend until kickoff, as sources told ESPN that Mateer’s pain level and ability to grip the ball will be watched closely.

A return to the field against Texas would be in line with the most aggressive timelines of a potential comeback.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Monday that he assumed Mateer wouldn’t be available. OU listed Mateer as questionable on the first SEC availability report Wednesday, and Venables has remained evasive on Mateer’s availability.

Mateer emerged as a Heisman favorite in the first month of the season. He injured the hand in the first quarter of a 24-17 win over Auburn on Sept. 20. He played the rest of the game and threw for 271 yards.

He has missed just one game since surgery Sept. 24, as OU had a bye and blew out Kent State 44-0. Michael Hawkins Jr. started in the Kent game and threw three touchdown passes.

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