LOS ANGELES — Anthony Rizzo’s bat shattered into shards, and the ball trickled onto an empty patch of infield grass. The Chicago Cubs’ cleanup hitter scampered to first base in the ninth inning, getting just his second hit this postseason in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series.

In an October of increasing offensive ineptitude, the powerful Cubs are looking for any kind of break to get them going.

“That’s the kind of hit that we needed,” fellow slugger Kris Bryant said. “That’s the hit that can spark a team.”

Except it didn’t. This combustible offense remains quiet and cold — and after a superlative regular season, the Cubs have been shut out in back-to-back playoff games.

With its pitching staff again dominating one of baseball’s best lineups, Los Angeles took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 6-0 victory Tuesday night over Jake Arrieta and the Cubs.

If the Cubs don’t find their offense before they leave LA, the most infamous championship drought in sports will stretch into next year.

Chicago had never been blanked in two straight playoff games before the Dodgers did it. Chicago’s 18 consecutive scoreless innings comprise the longest drought in the team’s postseason history, two more than the 1906 squad.

This 103-win club spent exactly one day out of first place this season, but the Cubs are trailing in the NLCS because their hitters have been silenced ever since that five-run eighth inning in a Game 1 victory.

“I don’t gamble, but I probably wouldn’t have gambled on that one,” Chicago catcher Miguel Montero said.

Including a 1-0 loss in Game 2, Chicago is a collective 6 for 60 with one extra-base hit over the last two games. The Cubs hadn’t been shut out since Aug. 28, but Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill did it with plenty of help from closer Kenley Jansen.

This is highly unusual for the Cubs, who were third in the big leagues with 808 runs during the regular season. They had the majors’ second-best on-base percentage before the postseason, but baserunners have been scarce for most of their seven playoff games, and their team batting average is languishing below .200.

“We’re not hitting the ball hard,” manager Joe Maddon said. “They’ve pitched well. Obviously, I have no solid explanation. We’ve just got to keep working at it. ... There is really no excuse. We just have to pick it up quickly.”

Chicago hadn’t been shut out in consecutive games since May 2014, but the Cubs never really threatened against Los Angeles — and their best hitters realize they bear the responsibility.

MVP candidate Rizzo (2 for 26), Addison Russell (1 for 24), Jason Heyward (2 for 19), Dexter Fowler (5 for 28) and Ben Zobrist (4 for 26) are all struggling mightily in the postseason.

Blue Jays 5, Indians 1

TORONTO — Just in time, Josh Donaldson and the Toronto Blue Jays broke out the bats to save their season.

Now they have a chance to really make things interesting in this AL Championship Series.

Donaldson backed up his fiery pep talk to teammates before the game, hitting a home run and turning in a timely diving stop Tuesday to help the Blue Jays avert a sweep with a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.

The Indians still lead the matchup 3-1, but with a couple of big hits and a strong outing by Aaron Sanchez, Toronto handed them their first loss of this postseason.

“I’m not going to give too much away of what I had to say, but just more so getting everybody’s attention and focus and understanding,” Donaldson said.

Cleveland will try again today to win to earn its first World Series trip since 1997, but the big concern for the Indians coming into the series — an injury-riddled rotation — still lingers. In Game 5, Cleveland will start Ryan Merritt, who has pitched just 11 innings in the majors, against Marco Estrada.

Donaldson’s solo shot to left-center field off Corey Kluber in the third put the Blue Jays ahead for the first time all series. Two innings after that, the star third baseman made an outstanding play to preserve a one-run edge.

Sanchez, the American League ERA champion, allowed a run and two hits in six innings, and the bullpen finished with three perfect innings.

Kluber was starting on three days’ rest for the first time in his career.