1. Get an early lead
This will be easily the biggest game of his life for rookie McCullers, who began this season pitching in Double-A. He has the stuff and the ability to dominate, and getting him an early lead and taking some of the pressure off will be key. McCullers has no shortage of confidence, and that figures to increase if he pitches with a cushion.
2. Start from the top
The top five hitters in the order went a combined 3-for-17 in Game 3, with Carlos Gomez (sixth), Chris Carter (eighth) and Jason Castro (ninth) providing much of the damage down low.