After falling behind in NLCS, Cubs’ pennant hopes rest with slumping offense

LOS ANGELES—Baseball managers can be difficult to read sometimes, but when the Cubs’ Joe Maddon says, “We’re not hitting the ball hard,” I think he means they are not hitting the ball hard. For supporting evidence, we present the last two games of the National League Championship Series. The Cubs lost both. They have not scored in 18 innings. If they don’t score in the next 18 innings, they will fly home in a coffin.

Whoops. Got a little too serious there. Miguel Montero would like me to remember that this is a game—me, you, and most importantly, his Cubs teammates.

“I think we’re trying to do too much,” Montero said. “We need to be ourselves. We just need to calm down and take one pitch at a…