LOS ANGELES -- The Cubs lost Game 1 of the NLCS to the Dodgers, 5-2, on Saturday night Dodger Stadium, but there was one bright spot for the defending World Series champs. It was starting center fielder Albert Almora. 

The Cubs struck first in this one, thanks to Almora's two-run shot off Clayton Kershaw. Here it is. 

What an impressive shot for the youngster. Almora is but 23 years old with 440 career regular-season plate appearances. 

He feels comfortable and isn't phased by the big stage. 

"I'm not trying to do too much," he said after the game. "I have confidence in myself, I have confidence in the guys behind me. I'm just trying to get a pitch to hit. I'm trying to get deep into counts."

"In that first at-bat, I wasn't getting strikes and I was kind of excited in that situation because you want to do so well, but after that I kind of settled back in. I don't usually feel uncomfortable in the box. It's the same game in October, it's just now you're on national television every game." 

Almora kills lefties, too. 

In 125 plate appearances against left-handers in the regular season, Almora hit .342/.411/.486 with four doubles and four home runs. He faced Kershaw three times and had collected two base hits. It's not a huge dossier, but he clearly feels comfortable in the batters box, even against southpaws as imposing as the future Hall of Famer Kershaw. 

He's getting it done in a big way in the playoffs, too. Remeber Game 3 of the NLDS against the Nationals, where the Cubs pulled off the unlikely 2-1 come-from-behind win? Cubs manager Joe Maddon inserted Almora as a pinch hitter for the hulking Kyle Schwarber -- already a Cubs postseason legend -- against lefty Sammy Solis. Almora came through with the clutch, game-tying knock in the seventh inning. 

In Game 5 of the NLDS, that crazy Game 5, Almora singled and walked against lefty Gio Gonzalez. 

We then witnessed Saturday night in L.A. the continuation of the theme with Almora. He clubbed a two-run shot off Clayton freaking Kershaw to break a 0-0 tie. 

"Albert hits lefties," Maddon said afterward. "He really does a nice job of that. He's been swinging the bat really well. Bully for him. If you look at his numbers during the course of the season, he's pretty much been that guy. Though he's gotten better against righties recently. He's playing at a high level. He's slowed the game down." 

"Albert, moving forward, is going to be a really good everyday Major League Baseball player."

For now, Maddon employs Almora strictly to mash lefties. 

Look ahead at the Dodgers starters, in the series, too. Sure, power right-hander Yu Darvish gets Game 3 which means Almora sits there, but lefty Rich Hill goes in Game 2 and lefty Alex Wood goes in Game 4. Then, if necessary, Kershaw is Game 5 and Hill is Game 6. 

Yes, the Cubs lost Game 1, but the Dodgers really needed this one more and the Cubs got a positive takeaway with Almora's shot and continued mashing of lefties. 

With his success against lefties and the Dodgers possibly starting lefties six of seven games, there's a real possibility that Almora becomes the X-factor this series for the Cubs. It got off to a good start in Game 1.