Wire Taps: Trea Turner can still be key to NLDS; Max Scherzer ready to go; Tanner Roark gets Game 4

Alright. Today, the Nats start a best-of-three where they’ll start Max Scherzer, Tanner Roark, and Stephen Strasburg. Strap in folks. This should be fun heart-wrenching.

Here’s what’s new in Wrigleyville.

Trea Turner, 0 for 8 and looking lost, could still be Nationals’ key to this series
Trea Turner has struggled -- actually, that's an understatement, but there's no better word for it -- this series. Luckily, his teammates bought him some time to improve and change the game.

Scherzer fired up, ready to go for Game 3
"I needed a couple extra days to get this right," the reigning NL Cy Young award winner said.

Adam Lind lit the fuse for Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman's playoff fireworks
Lind's postseason average: 1.000 (1-1).

Max Scherzer always wants the ball, and will get it today under the lights of Wrigley
Well, more the shadows. Regardless, Scherzer is determined to pitch, and has built up as much endurance in his hamstring as he possibly can entering today's game. Now, all that's left? Toe the rubber.

Nats will start Roark in Game 4
Tanner Roark will get the ball on Tuesday, regardless of what happens at 4:08 PM today.

Cubs-Nats a classic in the making
Nobody really knows what to expect from Max Scherzer or Jose Quintana, or even Jake Arrietta, today and tomorrow. Nobody knows if the Nats' offensive outburst was a one-time thing or if it was more sustainable. What everyone does know: This is the most exciting division series in baseball, by a country mile.

Soak in the playoffs while they're still here
The playoffs are more emotional and enjoyable than any other part of the season, and you never know if you'll be back. So, soak it in.

Cubs "W" flags run afoul of Nats policy
Some Chicago rooters were taken aback when they had to check their flags, but the policy isn't new.

WS title would complete circle for Jayson Werth
Jayson Werth has enjoyed watching the Nats go from cellar-dwellers to perennial contenders. However, ending his tenure with the team with a ring would be the perfect way to go, at least in his mind.

Dusty Baker returns to Wrigley, still looking for a ring of his own
Baker managed the 2003 Cubs, inches away from reaching the World Series. Now, he looks for his own ring as he also awaits a new contract.

Pokemon themed video shows Cubs winning NLDS
This is actually very impressive but nobody tell the creator of this video that

Maddon ponders changes against Scherzer
The Cubs' manager decided that he may play some lineup musical chairs due to the overwhelming dominance of Nationals' ace Max Scherzer.

Dusty Baker legacy changed by Chicago years
Dusty Baker spent a good amount of time as the manager of the Chicago Cubs, before it all unraveled in front of him and he was shown the door. Those days still shape who he is as a manager today.

Scherzer confident as he takes mound in Game 3
Max Scherzer has no worries (or, at least, very few health-related worries) as he heads into today's matchup with Chicago.

CUBS BEAT:

Okay, let's talk about those Cubs' eighth inning bullpen decisions
Was it the right call to leave Carl Edwards Jr. in there to face Harper? Or should've Joe Maddon said "to hell with the splits" and gotten Mike Montgomery in there?

Early Game 3 Cubs lineup rumors, Cubs bullpen talk, and more
A roundup of all things Cubs heading into this afternoon's game.

Here's what the Cubs should be thinking about with Max Scherzer
Scherzer looked a-okay on the field yesterday, so the Cubs need to turn their attention not to if the stuff will be there but instead if the command and location will be there.

Cubs spend Sunday right with brunch and football
After a stressful night in Washington, the Cubs got what every Chicagoan deserved yesterday: Brunch and football.

If the Cubs lose this series, it won't be because of any curse
The Cubs are long past the days of Dusty Baker -- when a night like last night's would've prompted talk of billy goats and Steve Bartman. Instead, they're a team that knows they can win, and the game will only be about that.

Just how bad is it to blow a two-run lead in the eighth?
C'mon, it's probably not *that* bad. Right? Maybe?

Controlling the moment key for Jose Quintana, White Sox pitching coach says
Don Cooper, who coached Quintana the last five seasons, thinks that to succeed, Quintana will have to keep himself under control against the Nats.

Scherzer thinks he can throw 100 pitches, Cubs can hope that he's not fully recovered
Scherzer thinks he's good to go, which is probably true -- but if he isn't, the Cubs need to pounce on him immediately.

Cubs are ready as knotted up NLDS moves to Wrigley
Joe Maddon thinks his team is still relaxed, and still ready to go entering the next two games of the NLDS at Wrigley Field.

Quintana ready for Game 3
On his first day as a Cub, Jose Quintana came up to Joe Maddon and talked to him about one thing: Pitching in the playoffs. Today, he gets that chance.

Gritty Cubs are up to the task in tight NLDS
The Cubs haven't taken the easy road to get to the top of the league in years past -- but they made it there. Was anyone expecting anything different this season?

Today’s Game: Nationals vs Cubs — 4:08 PM (TBS)
Probable Pitchers: Max Scherzer vs Jose Quintana