Statis-Pro Cubs Stun Dodgers 10-1 After Kershaw Leaves Early on Z-Play

The Chicago Cubs reset the playoff picture by stunning the Statis-Pro League Leading Los Angeles Dodgers 10-1 to move into a solid 4th seed if the playoffs started today. 

Two Statis-Pro keys to the game. We still use our 1978 Z-Play chart that allows the unusual plays to happen once or so a game. In the second inning we had a huge one when Clayton Kershaw had and unusual two walks in three batters, and under the rare Z-Play he was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Certainly very unlikely an umpire would throw out one of the most revered athletes in the country, but we play the result of the Z-play so could just as easily call it an injury that forces Kershaw out of the game, but the point is the game does force you to sometimes use replacement players and this happened in this game. 

The Dodgers have so many PB 2-8 relievers that they were able to keep a PB 2-8 in the game the rest of the way, and still the Cubs exploded for a 10-1 win. Under our rules, that counts as a 3-game sweep. A key on the pitching side for the Cubs was that Cade Horton qualified for an extra card and as a PB 2-8 temporary card. 

While he didn't pitch in this game, it let us insert him into the rotation which moved Colin Rea from the forth starter to relief. All-Star Matthew Boyd was dominant as usual but can only pitch a maximum of five innings, so Rea took over in the 6th and 7th. Highlights for key players, the tattered Z-play cart from 1978, pictures of the two teams player cards, and the updated playoff pictures and grid of final inter division match-ups appear below.

Pos	LAD	HR	SB	OPS	Notes from Game
DH	Shohei Ohtani	23-31	AA	0.993	1b, sb, r
cf	Mookie Betts	27-32	B	0.885	1b, sb, rbi
1b	Freddie Freeman	33-34	D	0.847
C	Will Smith	31-33	D	0.913
RF	Teoscar Hernández	26-32	C	0.799
2b	Hyeseong Kim	27-31	A	0.768
lf	Andy Pages	24-27	E	0.751
3b	Max Muncy	17-22	D	0.761
SS	Miguel Rojas	28-28	C	0.653
PB	Los Angeles Dodgers	K	MaxIP	ERA	Notes
2'-8	Clayton Kershaw	26-46	6	3.89	1.7 IP, 2 ER Edj
2'-8	Shohei Ohtani	25-41	2	3.75
2'-8	Kirby Yates	22-44	1	3.46	0.7 IP, 4 ER
2'-8	Blake Treinen	24-44	1	3.33
2'-8	Alex Vesia	22-45	1	3.18	1 ip, 1 r
2'-8	Evan Phillips	23-44	1	3.12	1 ip, 1 r
2'-8	Ben Casparius	25-41	3	2.9	0.7 ip, 2 r
2'-8	Brock Stewart	25-41	2	3.23
2'-9	Tanner Scott	22-44	1	3.08
Pos	CHC 11'-26 =Wrigley Field	HR	SB	OPS	Notes
CF	Pete Crow-Armstrong	26-33	AAA	0.825	HR
RF	Kyle Tucker	27-32	AA	0.871
DH	Seiya Suzuki	26-31	C	0.809
LF	Ian Happ	25-27	C	0.774
3b	Michael Busch	24-27	D	0.773	4 walks, 3 runs
SS	Dansby Swanson	26-28	B	0.728
2b	Nico Hoerner	34	A	0.721	rbi-2b, rbi-1b
1b	Willi Castro	27	B	0.716	hit 1st
1b	Jon Berti	28	A	0.673	def replacement
C	Carson Kelly	24-25	D	0.674	3 h, HR, 4 rbi
PB	Chicago Cubs / NL Central	K	MaxIP	ERA	Notes
2'-8	Matthew Boyd	25-47	5	3.93	5 ip, 1 r W
4'-7	Colin Rea	26-41	7	4.44	2 ip, 0 r
2'-7	Caleb Thielbar	24-44	2	3.71	1 ip, 0 r
2'-8	Drew Pomeranz	25-41	1	2.62	1 ip, 0 r

Here are the scoresheets.