CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs had one moment -- just one -- against all-world pitcher Clayton Kershaw on Sunday night in Game 2 of the NLCS.

Four right-handed batters made good contact against the Los Angeles Dodgers ace in the fifth inning, though only two reached via base hits -- the Cubs' first of the game. Down 1-0, would Cubs manager Joe Maddon let lefty Jason Heyward bat or ask one of his three right-handers to pinch hit?

By now, you know the decision -- and the result. It's one we've seen often this year from the Cubs' right fielder.

Heyward popped out, and the Cubs never threatened again.

"[Kershaw] dropped his arm angle and threw harder," Heyward said afterward. "Not going to get too many chances against an ace."

It was a frustrating 1-0 loss for the Cubs, one that tied the series 1-1, but just how damaging it really was depends on your perspective. Either the Cubs' offense is looking vulnerable, or Sunday's defeat can be chalked up to an October date with the best pitcher of this generation. Kershaw stymied the Cubs at the plate, but some players were struggling even before he took the mound. The team's .193 postseason batting average is the worst of any playoff team.

Is it time for changes?

"No, you have to continue to play through the bad lie," Maddon said. "That's just -- it is what it is. You stay with your guys. Dodgers have good pitching. Cubs have good pitching. I'm sure they're saying the same thing about some of their guys right now too."

A Cubs fan doesn't care about the Dodgers' struggles -- only about Addison Russell and his .045 postseason batting average.

"I'm seeing the ball fine," Russell said after going 0-for-3 Sunday. "I'm not striking out. I'm out in front of a few balls. Pitchers are trying to adjust to me. I'm seeing a lot of pitches on the outside."

Russell has only three strikeouts in the playoffs, but such light contact is almost as bad as if he weren't making any at all. That's 95 regular-season RBIs stuck in neutral.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo isn't doing much better, though he's starting to take a few walks, and he provided a moment of hope with a deep foul ball against Kershaw. That doesn't make up for his .043 postseason batting average, but it's something.

"I feel like I saw it well," Rizzo said. "Put a good swing. Results just aren't there right now ... . I feel like we put some good swings on him. We just couldn't string some things together."

Outfielder Chris Coghlan summed up the night after he watched teammate after teammate come back to the dugout without producing.

"The guy is the best pitcher in baseball," Coghlan said. "You just want to hold him. The whole time, we think we're going to win. Just get to the bullpen. It didn't work out, but that's what you do against the great ones. Grind it out, grind it out, hold him and scratch out as much as you can. That's how you win. You don't just boat race all the time ... You try to steal one. We couldn't pull it off."

Which brings us back to where things go from here: If you're a glass-half-full kind of person, you'll chalk Sunday up to Kershaw and move on to Game 3. If you're more of a pessimist, you'll note that the Cubs have scored 12 runs in the eighth inning or later this postseason -- and very few before that. Those innings count, but is that a formula you can rely on when facing the best bullpen in baseball?

"It's very nice to be in this moment with young players," Maddon said. "It's really nice two consecutive years to be in the Championship Series with a very youthful group. Again, putting your scout's cap on, it bodes well for the future. Of course, I want it to happen right now and get to that next round. But we have young guys. They [the Dodgers] got some really interesting, young people also. That's just the nature of the game right now."

Maddon has made this point before. His team is still young, especially his position players, so getting schooled by Kershaw is no big surprise. That happens to veteran teams as well. But the Cubs can't wait to gain experience to help them right now.

Perhaps lineup changes are in order. As much as the Cubs manager wants to keep things the same, we know there is a sense of urgency in October. See his handling of his bullpen for evidence.

In any case, we have plenty of time to speculate what Maddon might do before the Cubs take the field Tuesday night in L.A., but right now, let's gauge the mindset of the team. Does Rizzo think he's pressing?

"I can't," he said. "I don't think that's fair to everyone. [If] I'm trying to get six, seven hits at one time, I've done that before in my career. It doesn't work. You just go about the process and keep grinding."

The Cubs were anything but panicky after Sunday's loss. The long trip to California was on their minds more than Kershaw or even an umpire -- Eric Cooper -- who a couple players thought gave the Dodgers' lefty too much of the inside portion of the plate.

"Game over when they do that with him," one said.

Even so, that was seen as a moment of frustration -- not a seething anger. Russell didn't have his normal smile on his face, but he wasn't sulking in the corner or hiding from the questions.

"Tomorrow is a new day," he said. "We'll get back to some fundamentals and back to having fun."

Added Rizzo: "No one is talking about the previous games and what you've done. On Tuesday, we'll all be fresh and ready to go."

There was plenty of that philosophical kind of talk in the locker room, instead of the frustration you sometimes see from a team. That could change if the Cubs get down in the series, but right now, it's about seeing the bigger picture and keeping a positive attitude. When it comes to hitting, that's all you can do.

"The bottom line is have fun," Heyward said. "Do what you've been doing. Do what you feel like feels right. Take a deep breath, and slow down. If you blink, you miss it."

Another blink or two at the plate, and the Cubs could be missing the World Series, but there's enough time to find the offense and kick it into high gear again. There was no panic or worry for the Cubs -- just a simple thought by those struggling the most.

"Now it's a race to three," Rizzo said.