Jameson Taillon took the ball for the Chicago Cubs on April 24 as they opened a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs entered as +135 underdogs, while the Dodgers were favored at -160.
Taillon came in 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA, 21 strikeouts and a 1.28 WHIP. Across the diamond, Emmet Sheehan started for Los Angeles with a 2-0 record, a 5.85 ERA, 18 strikeouts and a 1.40 WHIP.
The matchup carried extra weight because both teams arrived atop their divisions. The Cubs were 16-9 and first in the NL Central, while the Dodgers were 17-8 and first in the NL West.
The game was set for a 56,000-seat ballpark with the roof open and grass on the field, and it was available on + and MLB.TV. For Taillon and the Cubs, the assignment was straightforward: try to take an early edge against a division leader on the road and make a short series feel much bigger than three games.
