Cubs Hope to Avoid World Series Hangover as Playoffs Get Underway

They got a great outing from Stephen Strasburg and still found a way to lose – obviously, not an ideal start for a team that’s never won a postseason series.

Cubs: Lester makes the 20th postseason start of his career, which includes three World Series titles and an NLCS MVP award previous year.

“I can run, sprint, throw, I can lift, I can do a lot of different things on the leg you wouldn’t think I’d be able to do, but the injury is tied to my pitching mechanics and how I deliver the ball”, he said. “But still that’s a lineup that can do magic one through nine, so you have to respect it, whoever they put out there”. This is a game. They need Scherzer at 100 percent, but we won’t know how he is until we see him on that mound.

The playoffs are not about revenge for Turner, who hit.284 with 11 homers this year.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Friday that he’s wagering beer, sausage and steaks. He scored the first of two unearned runs off Strasburg when Bryant singled in front of right fielder Bryce Harper to break up the right-hander’s no-hit bid.

“It was determined that we would be better if we waited till Game 3”, Baker said. “Speed in general is important in the playoffs”. He allowed one earned run on two hits with eight strikeouts and five walks over six innings in a loss to the Cubs earlier this season.

“We haven’t made the decision of when we’re going to pencil him in yet, as far as where he’s going to pitch in the rotation here in the playoffs”.

Washington general manager Mike Rizzo grew up in Chicago. It seems the Cubs aren’t the favorites, but we’re all fine with that. “He’s been our horse”, Rizzo said. So it’s been like that way for a long time.

“He matured and felt more comfortable in the big leagues”, Rizzo said.

It is not lost on Strasburg or Gonzalez, or probably every starting pitcher for the Nats, the influence Wieters has had on making them better this season and getting the most out of each of their starts. This left Hendricks to take the ball in Game 1. I’m the kind of guy who is watching basketball at 7 PM and then watching tennis at 1 A.M.

Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks will start the best-of-five NLDS against dominant Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg. This matchup is scheduled for Monday, October 9, at 4:08 p.m. EST. The Game 1 starter likely would have been 2015 Cy Young victor Jake Arrieta, who had a terrific second half himself, but he’s still recovering from a hamstring injury and is targeted for Game 4 – assuming there is one. Gonzalez threw a bullpen session Thursday.

“Somewhat independent”, Hendricks said when asked about his own thought process as it related to Strasburg.

“I just want our guys to go out and continue doing what we’ve been doing since the All-Star break”, he said. Scherzer has been dealing with a sore right hamstring.

Harper – wearing shoes with “Pray for Las Vegas” written on the side following the recent mass shooting in his hometown – was 1 for 4 as he tries to regain his timing after returning last week from a 42-game injury absence. Lester has struggled since returning from his injury September 2, having allowed 14 runs in 21.1 innings through four starts.