October 12, 2017 For Cubs, Game 5 is simple: Score some runs Cubs doomed by another eighth-inning bullpen collapse

Transcription

1 October 12, 2017 ESPNChicago.com, For Cubs, Game 5 is simple: Score some runs ESPNChicago.com, Cubs doomed by another eighth-inning bullpen collapse NBC Sports Chicago, Will Cubs regret playing their Jon Lester card too early? NBC Sports Chicago, Now who s soft? Stephen Strasburg shoves Cubs to brink of elimination NBC Sports Chicago, Joe Maddon went into 'must-win' mode in Game 4, so how will he line up his pitchers for Game 5? NBC Sports Chicago, Why Wade Davis was the only person in the building not surprised by Michael Taylor's home run Chicago Tribune, Cubs face elimination after Stephen Strasburg dominates in Game 4 story.html#nt=oft03a-1gp2 Chicago Tribune, After day of being mocked, Stephen Strasburg pitches a gem for Nationals Chicago Tribune, Uncertainty in air for Cubs after Stephen Strasburg forces Game 5 column.html Chicago Tribune, Veteran left-hander Jon Lester seems right at home in relief role for Cubs story.html#nt=oft03a-1gp3 Chicago Tribune, Cubs' rotation options stretched for potential NLCS Chicago Sun-Times, Lester bullpen move falls short, could throw rotation plans in flux

2 Chicago Sun-Times, Jake Arrieta counting on team to win Game 5, extend his time with Cubs Chicago Sun-Times, TELANDER: It s up to Kyle Hendricks to save Cubs season Chicago Sun-Times, Strasburg rises from mold malady to throttle Cubs, send NLDS to Game 5 5/ Chicago Sun-Times, MORRISSEY: Strasburg overcomes slings, arrows, sickness to beat Cubs Daily Herald, Nationals' Stephen Strasburg dominates Cubs in Game 4 of NLDS Daily Herald, Three questions for Cubs heading into winner-take-all game Daily Herald, Loss has effect on Chicago Cubs' rotation Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' Lester not surprised NLDS moving on to Game 5 Daily Herald, Imrem: Strasburg makes Chicago Cubs' bats look sick Daily Herald, Rozner: Chicago Cubs let Nats, Strasburg off the hook Cubs.com, Cubs face winner-take-all after G4 loss to Nats Cubs.com, Arrieta effective, but Russell's error costly Cubs.com, Lester notches rare pickoff in strong relief stint Cubs.com, Cubs confident with battle-tested Hendricks Cubs.com, Cubs, Hendricks will be ready for Game 5 Cubs.com, Cubs accustomed to playing must-win games

3 ESPNChicago.com For Cubs, Game 5 is simple: Score some runs By Jesse Rogers WASHINGTON The Chicago Cubs' defense of their championship gets its biggest test yet as their National League Division Series goes to a Game 5 on Thursday night. The narrative so far has been pitching, with Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg throwing two gems, the latest while he was battling an illness ahead of Wednesday's Game 4. They have been really good, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. We have been really good.... We've just got to stay in our lane in other words, not chase [pitches]. But again, that's easier said than done. It might be easier without Strasburg on the mound. He has struck out 22 Cubs in two NLDS starts and helped reduce Chicago's batting average in the series to a paltry.159. With Max Scherzer available only out of the bullpen Thursday, the visitors might have an advantage. The Cubs' current ace, Kyle Hendricks, is on the mound with an extra day of rest and a beauty of a Game 1 performance to use as confidence. He s not shy to it, first baseman Anthony Rizzo said of Hendricks. He s no stranger to these situations. We have to score some runs for him. It s that simple. That last point by Rizzo is a big one. The Cubs have scored eight runs in the series' four games, and in a weird twist, over the course of their eight losses in the past two postseasons, they ve been shut out five times, including Wednesday. When the Cubs get into strikeout mode, it can look ugly. We just have to keep grinding and have quality at-bats, and we ll break through, infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist said. We know it's win or go home. The reigning MVP is undoubtedly happy that there is another game in the series so quickly. Kris Bryant set a franchise record with four strikeouts in Game 4, as Strasburg made him chase his patented changeup. That has been Bryant s toughest pitch in his three seasons in the big leagues. But that was Strasburg; nobody else among the Nationals is pitching at his level right now. As long as he s not on the mound, we have a chance, Cubs Game 4 starter Jake Arrieta said. In fact, I like our chances. The Cubs said all along that they would rely on their experience to get them through any tough times. An elimination game on the road would qualify. They won Games 6 and 7 of the World Series last fall in Cleveland, so needing to pull off a Game 5 victory at Nationals Park is nothing new to this team. Just go out and have fun, but let s come out with the win, too, shortstop Addison Russell said. Rizzo added: It s backs-against-the-wall time. We have to go to their place and do it. Relying on experience can help, but stringing some hits together wouldn t be a bad thing, either. Or perhaps a few more free passes. The Nationals walked nine times in Game 4, giving them 16 for the series to the Cubs' 12. Walks are usually Chicago's specialty, but not so far. A change of approach at the plate combined with an ace on the mound is the hope for the Cubs. They know it, too. He pitched a great Game 1, Zobrist said of Hendricks. We need him to stop them again, and now we need to get the bats going. We like that pressure. We ve had that pressure before. We look forward to it and look forward to coming out the victor. Repeating as World Series winners depends on it. There is no tomorrow.

4 ESPNChicago.com Cubs doomed by another eighth-inning bullpen collapse By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO The one Achilles' heel for the Chicago Cubs in their second-half march to the postseason reared its ugly head in their Game loss to the Washington Nationals: free passes. The Cubs walked nine batters on a night when hitting was at a premium. With temperatures in the 50s and a howling wind blowing in off Lake Michigan, Cubs pitchers especially the arms out of the bullpen did everything they could to help the Nationals. No excuses, Carl Edwards Jr. said after walking two batters before being pulled in the eighth inning. Edwards has been the poster player for an inconsistent relief staff since the All-Star break. The Cubs compiled the highest walk rate in baseball in the second half, which led to the second-worst eighth-inning ERA in the National League. Once again, it was the eighth that did them in Wednesday, when Jon Lester pitching in relief walked a batter, followed by Edwards' two walks. Fortunately, Lester picked his guy off, but Edwards wasn t so lucky. He was pulled with the bases loaded and a 1-0 count on Michael Taylor. Closer Wade Davis was then asked to clean up the mess. He didn t, as Taylor hit a grand slam on a 1-1 pitch to turn a slim 1-0 game into a five-run cushion. The Cubs put two runners on base in the bottom of the inning, so who knows what could've happened if the bullpen had kept it close. Just didn t execute pitches, Davis said. Tried to go down and away and left it middle, up.... It stinks. You made a bad pitch. Kind of put us in a big hole, but definitely have to get ready for tomorrow. To win the series, the Cubs will have to win Game 5 on Thursday in Washington, and manager Joe Maddon might want to hope for a complete game from Kyle Hendricks to get it done. His moves to the bullpen so far haven t panned out well, especially the middle-inning appearances by his relief staff. In Game 1, Hendricks gave way to Edwards and then Davis, with the latter two pitchers coming into the game to start and finish an inning. Everything went smoothly in the 3-0 victory. But in Game 2, Mike Montgomery entered in the eighth inning, of course, with a man on base and promptly gave up two hits, including a three-run home run to Ryan Zimmerman. In Game 3, Maddon pulled starter Jose Quintana mid-inning, only to see Pedro Strop give up a run-scoring double. In Game 4, Lester was pulled after 3 2/3 innings with only a walk and a single off of him. Then came the implosion by Edwards and Davis. Perhaps staying away from the dirty inning might suit Maddon best when it comes to his bullpen. The relievers simply have too many bad tendencies starting with those walks. I m over it already, said Edwards, who also gave up a home run in Game 2. Go out there tomorrow, and deliver like we ve been doing all year as a team. Lester added: He s [Edwards] had a couple rough ones, but we all do.... Everybody in this clubhouse has every one of our backs. We have each other s backs. He s not out there on that island by himself. Edwards wants the ball again in Game 5, as does Davis, who gave way to Brian Duensing in that fateful eighth inning before he threw too many pitches. We re good, Davis said. We have one of our best pitchers out there tomorrow.

5 Hendricks also needs to go as deep as possible considering that Lester, Edwards and Davis were used in Game 4. Quintana will back up Hendricks, but recent history says it might be best to bring him in to start an inning. Inherited runners haven t been the Cubs' strength in this series, as they have helped the pitching staff to a eighth-inning ERA. Apparently, some things do carry over from the regular season. We have to forget about it and want the ball again, Edwards said. That s how we have to be in the bullpen. You can t shy away.... It s win or go home. No one wants to go home. NBC Sports Chicago Will Cubs regret playing their Jon Lester card too early? By Patrick Mooney Instead of spraying champagne all around the Wrigley Field clubhouse, Jon Lester had a gaudy 2016 World Series ring on his right hand as he placed a Miller Lite can on the ledge of an empty locker and began talking with the waiting reporters. Instead of wearing goggles and a soaking-wet, officially-licensed T-shirt on Wednesday night, Lester had already showered and changed into a gray windowpane jacket and dress pants for the business trip to Washington. Whatever happens next to the defending champs, it s out of his hands. Will the Cubs regret playing their Lester card too early against the Nationals? Who knows? That s the nature of unpredictable playoff baseball and the barroom banter manager Joe Maddon likes to reference after growing up in Pennsylvania s blue-collar, coal-mining region. But Lester emerging from the bullpen in the fifth inning and getting 10 straight outs sure looked like a statement on how much the Cubs wanted to end this National League Division Series and avoid Thursday night s Game 5 at Nationals Park. I don t know, Lester said after a 5-0 loss. I just do what I m told. I don t even know what today is, what, Wednesday? I asked Monday night if they wanted me in the pen on Tuesday and we got rained out. They came to me yesterday and said: Hey, you re in there tomorrow. Like I said, I don t ask questions. I don t really read into things. They wanted me down there, and Joe called my name, so you got to try to go out there and do your job. I was able to keep us in it there until the end. Exactly one year to the day the Cubs pulled off a stunning ninth-inning comeback at AT&T Park to eliminate the even-year San Francisco Giants and avoid a bad-vibes elimination game against Johnny Cueto at Wrigley Field Maddon felt the sense of urgency to use Lester as a $155 million lefty reliever. The Cubs took into account their Game 5 alignment Kyle Hendricks (1.98 ERA in eight career playoff starts) with Jose Quintana (zero relief appearances in the last five seasons) waiting in the wings plus Jake Arrieta seeing his first action since Sept. 25 as he recovered from a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. Arrieta battled, needing 90 pitches to get through four innings on a day where Stephen Strasburg drew all the pregame attention. Arrieta worked around five walks and allowed only one unearned run when Ryan Zimmerman s two-out chopper bounced off the heel of shortstop Addison Russell s glove in the third inning. I was in the bullpen, so you never really know, said Lester, who didn t get the clean inning Maddon promised against the Cleveland Indians in that World Series Game 7. Any time you have a plan, just like last year when you re in the pen, it never really goes according to plan, so you make adjustments. We made adjustments and ended up out there a little bit sooner than we all thought.

6 Just before 5 p.m., Jason Aldean s Gonna Know We Were Here started blasting on the Wrigley Field sound system, the warm-up signal for Lester s country hardball. Now batting: Bryce Harper, who chucked his bat toward the visiting dugout after lifting a harmless flyball to shallow left field. Lester retired the first 10 batters he faced until giving up a walk to Zimmerman in the eighth inning. Lester got so far outside of his comfort zone that he made two pickoff throws to first base, the first one getting mock cheers a recognition of the yips and the second one leading to a standing ovation after Anthony Rizzo dropped the tag on Zimmerman s left foot and a Cub challenge overturned the call on the field. Lester tipped his cap when he walked off the mound and back to the dugout, leaving a runner on for Carl Edwards Jr. with two outs in a one-run game. Things quickly got out of control, with All-Star closer Wade Davis taking over in the middle of an at-bat in a bases-loaded situation and giving up a grand slam to Michael A. Taylor. If the Cubs find themselves in another emergency situation on Thursday night, they can t realistically expect to use one of the best big-game pitchers of this generation. I have no idea, I haven t talked to anybody, Lester said. I don t know how many pitches I threw (55), but I would imagine I m probably not involved. We ll see tomorrow. I ll do whatever I can to be ready and to be available. But I would imagine that s probably an argument that I won t win. This is probably the ending Cubs vs. Nationals deserves. Both sides if that side s honest over there thought this would be a good series, Lester said. Nobody thought it was going to be a three-and-done-type series. It s two heavyweights going at it. And we re going to the last round. It should be exciting TV. Lester will be watching, just like the rest of us. NBC Sports Chicago Now who s soft? Stephen Strasburg shoves Cubs to brink of elimination By Patrick Mooney A system-wide failure led to Stephen Strasburg s manhood getting called into question and forced Mike Rizzo and Dusty Baker into damage-control mode, making the entire Washington Nationals operation come across as unprepared, tone-deaf and thin-skinned. Whatever communication issues between a $175 million pitcher and his bosses and pressure points within the organization led to a totally unnecessary, completely avoidable situation, the on-field Nationals ran with military precision between 3:10 and 7:07 p.m. on Wednesday in this National League Division Series. Out of that sideshow came the main event: An absolutely dominant performance that should kill the narrative that Strasburg is soft, because he just shoved the Cubs to the brink of elimination. This could be the last scene for the defending World Series champs in a half-empty Wrigley Field, the Nationals lining up for high-fives after a 5-0 win. After all the drama within the last 24 hours, did you feel like you had something to prove? Not to you guys, no, Strasburg said in the interview room. No, you guys create the drama. (But) I have faith in every other guy in this clubhouse and I know the coaching staff feels the same. So we re in it together, and when one guy goes down, you have to trust that the other guy is going to pick up the slack.

7 After the mixed messages coming out of Tuesday s rainout Baker initially signaled Tanner Roark would remain the Game 4 starter as planned and partially blamed Strasburg s illness on the mold in Chicago it would be difficult to engineer a tougher environment for hitters. It was a bone-chilling 59 degrees at first pitch, with rain misting sideways across the old stadium, the winds whipping in from center field at 16 mph and Strasburg showing no signs of feeling under the weather. Strasburg unleashed a 95 mph first pitch to leadoff guy Jon Jay for a called strike, unloaded 106 pitches across seven scoreless innings and forced 22 swings-and-misses, including 15 on his changeup. You just kind of figure they re going to go with him, said outfielder Jason Heyward, who has great career numbers against Strasburg and got plugged into the lineup when the Nationals made the IV-fueled switch late that morning. We don t care about the stories, whatever. We all know what we would have done in that situation if we got asked to have a part in the game. Everybody in here s going to say, Yeah. And that s what he did. A 24-hour news cycle is an eternity during the playoffs, when so much momentum shifts from one moment to the next. Joe Maddon looked like a genius for deploying $155 million lefty reliever Jon Lester against the heart of the Washington lineup and getting 10 outs in a row. And then Maddon seemed to get a little cute when he pulled Carl Edwards Jr. with the bases loaded and a 1-0 count in the eighth inning. What was left of a crowd of 42,264 went silent once Michael A. Taylor s grand slam off All-Star closer Wade Davis landed in the right-field basket. I had to prepare for my job today, Lester said, so I don t really care what Strasburg had to do, or what he didn t do, and what Dusty did or didn t do, or whoever s under the weather. We ve got to worry about our jobs. I don t pay attention to the other side. Strasburg won t be much help after striking out 12 of the 25 hitters he faced and allowing only three hits and two walks, but Washington can flip the script again on Thursday night at Nationals Park. This is still largely the same group of Cubs players who beat the Pittsburgh Pirates at a blacked-out PNC Park in the sudden-death 2015 NL wild-card game and dug out of a 3-1 hole against the Cleveland Indians in last year s World Series. The Nationals also have a lot of muscle memory, from never having made it out of the divisional round after winning 98, 96 and 95 games in 2012, 2014 and I don t really think anybody likes having their back against the wall, but I think that s just our personality in this clubhouse, Lester said. We got a bunch of grinders. Even the guys that you consider superstars are still grinders. They grind out at-bats, grind out pitches. Nobody ever likes to have their back against the wall. Nobody ever likes playing Game 5s or Game 7s, but we re in that situation. We re going to show up tomorrow. We re going to be prepared. And at the end of the day, that s all you can really do. After four games like this in a series that has absolutely lived up to the hype, who wouldn t want to see a fifth? Baker wouldn t immediately say if Roark or Gio Gonzalez would get the ball first, but Max Scherzer should be available out of the bullpen. Let s get weird. We ll have fun, Heyward said. That s what all these games are. Honestly, it s fun. NBC Sports Chicago Joe Maddon went into 'must-win' mode in Game 4, so how will he line up his pitchers for Game 5? By Vinnie Duber Jon Lester is warming up in the Cubs bullpen.

8 Come again? That was a surprising announcement to hear over the speaker in the middle of Game 4 of this NLDS, a game in which the Cubs season was not on the line, a game in which the score was a razor-thin 1-0 in the fifth inning. Lester, of course, pitched in relief last postseason, when he relieved Kyle Hendricks in Game 7 of the World Series. This time, though, manager Joe Maddon wasn t calling on Lester to save his team with a championship on the line. He called on him to take the baton from Jake Arrieta and prevent a return flight to Washington for a Game 5. Of course, that s not how it played out. Lester was mostly terrific in his 3.2 innings of work, going nine up, nine down through three frames before getting two outs including a pickoff at first base that had Wrigley Field exploding in the top of the eighth. But lifted before getting out of that inning, Lester was relieved by Carl Edwards Jr. and Wade Davis. Edwards issued back-to-back walks to load the bases, and Davis served up the grand slam to Michael Taylor that landed in the right-field basket and flipped this NLDS on its head. Despite what came after he left, it was the kind of performance Maddon was looking for out of Lester, one of the best postseason pitchers ever. The fact that he was available, Maddon said when asked why he turned to Lester as the first man out of the pen to relief Arrieta. We could have done him or (Jose) Quintana, but he pitched before Q, so we went with him first. We didn't know exactly where Jake was going to be tonight, so we talked about that in advance. Now, when that showed up, if this score was like we're losing 4-0, (Lester) would not have pitched tonight. It would have been (Mike) Montgomery and the rest of the bullpen. But that part of ballgame, I felt strongly about it. It was the fact we predetermined that he's going to back up Jake tonight, and then Q would back up Kyle (Hendricks) tomorrow night because we're able to do that. That was it. As Maddon alluded to, we could see a similar scene play out Thursday night in the do-or-die Game 5 in Washington. Hendricks will get the start, but Quintana, who started and pitched wonderfully in the Cubs Game 3 win on Monday, figures to be the first guy out of the chute. You've got obviously starting, Kyle, and then Quintana will play the role of Jon Lester tomorrow if it's necessary, Maddon said. We talked about that pregame. If, in fact, it was really close, which it was that was a good spot for Lester tonight and then tomorrow, just everybody's available tomorrow. So it will start with Kyle, and Q is ready tomorrow to back up like Jon did tonight and the entire bullpen. We'll be fine tomorrow. Earlier Wednesday, it was Nationals manager Dusty Baker talking about the all hands on deck approach to Game 4, his team a loss away from being eliminated from the 2017 postseason. Now, the Cubs are in the same boat. It seems they used the all hands on deck approach a night early, with Lester relieving Arrieta, whose performance coming in was a bit of a mystery given the long layoff while dealing with a hamstring injury. But now that approach spins into Thursday, too. And while Quintana has been terrific for the Cubs, he ll be the only piece of this postseason rotation available to help out Hendricks because Arrieta and Lester likely won t be available. And this is all without mentioning John Lackey, who s yet to be used in this series. The aforementioned Montgomery has faced just four batters. And what becomes of Edwards, who has had two disastrous outings in this series? The Cubs know Hendricks will pitch tomorrow. It sounds pretty likely that Quintana will, too. While some folks might instantly start thinking what the heck this all means for the NLCS, pump the brakes. The Cubs need to get there first.

9 NBC Sports Chicago Why Wade Davis was the only person in the building not surprised by Michael Taylor's home run By Dan Hayes Wade Davis may have been the only person at Wrigley Field who wasn t alarmed when Michael Taylor s fly ball found the basket on Wednesday night. Several minutes after Jon Lester converted the Friendly Confines into a madhouse with his pickoff move, Taylor turned the aged venue on its side with a back-breaking grand slam that sealed a 5-0 Game 4 victory for the Washington Nationals over the Cubs. Taylor s homer through the heavy wind and persistent mist that enveloped Wrigley surprised even his own manager. But Davis said he wasn t the least bit dazed when Taylor s opposite-field blast scooted over the fence and sent both teams scrambling to prepare for Game 5 on Thursday in Washington, D.C. I don t think I m ever surprised when someone hits one good, Davis said. That s just usually what happens. Cubs fans likely found the entire scenario shocking. Davis has been the stalwart in the Cubs bullpen all season. Sure, he d surrendered more homers (six) this season than any other since he moved to the bullpen. But that has been the trend baseball-wide. Despite serving up a few extra round-trippers, Davis converted 31 of 32 saves for the Cubs. With the Cubs down by a run in the eighth, Davis was viewed as the potential lifeline. In a matter of minutes, the crowd had transformed from a frenzied state after Lester s get-me-over pickoff move nabbed Ryan Zimmerman into a nervous ball of energy when the Nationals loaded the bases with two outs. Lester yielded a two-out single to Daniel Murphy and Carl Edwards Jr. walked two consecutive batters and fell behind in the count 1-0 to Taylor when Cubs manager Joe Maddon made the call for Davis. But only two pitches later, Taylor defied the odds when he drove a 95-mph fastball out to right on a day when home runs seemed next to impossible. The result of the 393-foot, opposite-field drive caught Nationals manager Dusty Baker off-guard, particularly after the wind and rain had knocked down Addison Russell s drive in the second inning. Yet much to Baker s surprise, the same elements that afforded Washington an opportunity to start Stephen Strasburg on regular rest after a Tuesday rainout were still in a giving mood. The round-tripper was the first Davis had yielded in the postseason in 107 batters as a reliever and broke open a tightly-contested ballgame. I really didn't know, Baker said. Fortunately for us, the elements are on our side because Russell's ball would have been way up in the stands and maybe even on the avenue. That ball was blowing back in because that ball was hit a ton. I've played many games here, managed many games here, and everybody talks about, you know, how the ball flies here. But I think the time that I was here, I think the stadium takes away more homers than it gives. And tonight, it gave us one. Davis was down 1-0 when he took over for Edwards, whose wild streak had loaded the bases. But the free-agentto-be said the hitter s count didn t affect how he planned to approach Taylor. Davis evened the count when Taylor fouled off a first-pitch fastball but left the next one over the middle. Even the 16-mph winds that knocked down Russell s blast weren t going to slow down Taylor s drive.

10 I felt pretty good about the at-bat, Davis said. Just that particular pitch, tried to go down and off and obviously I threw it almost down the middle. It was a bad pitch. It was down the middle and he put a really good swing on it. Definitely if I could have it back, but we ve got to get ready for tomorrow. Chicago Tribune Cubs face elimination after Stephen Strasburg dominates in Game 4 By Mark Gonzales Faced with a win-or-go-home game Thursday night, there's some relief for the Cubs in knowing they won't face Stephen Strasburg and his devastating changeup. "It's probably like you going to Sluggers and trying to hit," Anthony Rizzo joked to a reporter. Rizzo and his teammates flailed away against Strasburg on Wednesday as the ailing Nationals starter struck out 12 of them in seven innings. His 5-0 triumph forced a fifth and deciding game of the National League Division Series in Washington. In a challenging season with several twists, the Cubs now must hope mild-mannered craftsman Kyle Hendricks can help them take the series after disappointing a damp crowd of 42,264 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs believed Strasburg, who initially was ruled out of Game 4 because of illness, eventually would start. Now their offense, which has been limited to seven hits in 201/3 innings against Max Scherzer and Strasburg, must find a way to beat either left-hander Gio Gonzalez or Tanner Roark, who was slated for Game 4 but bypassed after Strasburg told manager Dusty Baker he was well enough to pitch. "It's not ideal," said Game 4 starter Jake Arrieta, who was pulled after walking five while throwing 90 pitches in four innings in his first start since Sept.26. "We like our chances as long as Strasburg isn't on the mound." After trying to pull out all the stops from employing Game 2 starter Jon Lester in relief for 32/3 innings to summoning closer Wade Davis in the eighth the Cubs now place their trust in Hendricks, who started Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and beat Strasburg in Game 1 of this NLDS. "Nobody likes to have their backs to the wall," said Lester, who was told Tuesday he might pitch in relief. "Nobody likes playing Games 5 or 7. We're in that situation. We'll show up and be prepared. That's all you can do." Strasburg was responsible for three of Kris Bryant's four strikeouts, and he completed his 106-pitch effort striking out the side in the seventh. Unlike their Game 3 victory in which they committed four errors, the Cubs learned there is no margin for error. Shortstop Addison Russell, whose bid for a two-run home run in the second was knocked down by a 16 mph gust from the northeast, committed a two-out fielding error on a Ryan Zimmerman grounder that allowed the Nationals to take a 1-0 lead in the third. "I have to do a better job slowing the game down," Russell said. Carl Edwards Jr.'s control problems after two walks prompted Maddon to summon Davis with a 1-0 count on Michael Taylor, but Taylor muscled a 1-1 pitch through the teeth of the wind and into the basket in right field as Ian Happ looked up helplessly. "It was a bad pitch," Davis said. "It was down the middle and (Taylor) put a good swing on it."

11 Perhaps the most urgent issue for the Cubs, aside from hitting reset on an offense that has struggled against tough Nationals pitching, is helping Edwards regain consistency. Edwards hung a curve that Bryce Harper smacked for a game-tying homer in Game 2, and he walked Anthony Rendon and Matt Wieters before falling behind on Taylor. "Sometimes you get thrown into the fire and figure it out on your own," Lester said. "We all have each other's backs. (Edwards) should know he's not on an island by himself. We all have sucked at some points. It's part of the game. He'll be fine. His stuff is too good not to be fine. "I hope the situation arises where he's right back in there, and succeeds." Chicago Tribune After day of being mocked, Stephen Strasburg pitches a gem for Nationals By Paul Sullivan After four games of the National League Division Series between the Cubs and Nationals, we hold these three truths to be self-evident: The Nationals are not going to "crumble," as Cubs board member Todd Ricketts boldly predicted last summer in a conversation with President Donald Trump. Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg is not "as bad as it gets as a teammate," as former Cub David Ross, a special assistant to President Theo Epstein, suggested on ESPN when it looked like Strasburg opted out of Game 4 with an illness. And it's time for non-essential Cubs employees to stop trash-talking the Nationals and give them the respect they deserve. The Nationals forced a Game 5 on Thursday in Washington with a 5-0 triumph over the Cubs on a cold, drizzly Wednesday at Wrigley Field, riding the back of a pitcher who was criticized widely Tuesday for not wanting the ball in an elimination game. Strasburg dominated for seven innings, and Michael Taylor sealed the deal with an eighth-inning grand slam off Wade Davis into the right-field basket. "I'm glad for whoever invented the basket," Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper said. But the real story of Game 4 was Strasburg's recovery from an illness that led to an all-out assault on his character. After taking a higher dose of antibiotics Tuesday, Strasburg woke up Wednesday feeling better and told pitching coach Mike Maddux he was good to go. After replacing Tanner Roark in the morning, Strasburg struck out 12 and threw seven shutout innings while allowing only three hits in the afternoon. With 22 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA in his two NLDS starts, it's hard to question Strasburg's guts now. "Games like this, you have to give it everything you have, whatever it is," Strasburg said. "I called 'Mad Dog' in the morning and just said 'Give me the ball.' And that's what he did." The Strasburg controversy was the talk of the sports world for 24 hours. He was mocked in the media, including by "Grandpa" Ross himself. Ross suggested Strasburg was a bad teammate for letting "sniffles" prevent him from starting. And when Nationals manager Dusty Baker brought up the Chicago mold as a factor in his illness, Baker also was ridiculed.

12 "Maybe the rain helped him (recover) and helped us," Baker said. "I said my prayers, and I said 'Hey man, just let the rain try to help us.' I know I talked to some Hawaiian buddies of mine. They were saying, 'Hey, sometimes it's a blessing from the sky.' They call it mana. I believe in that." No one in baseball is a bigger believer in metaphysical momentum, and now it's time to find out if Baker and the Nationals finally can win the big one against a Cubs team that has thrived on overcoming adversity. The Cubs are hitting only.159 and have scored only eight runs in the series, but they send Kyle Hendricks to the mound in Game 5. They never did anything easy in last year's postseason, so why start now? Strasburg called his illness a "blessing in disguise," saying his energy wasn't "through the roof," making it easier to manage. When he struck out the side in the seventh with a 1-0 lead, it looked like he could go on forever. "I was surprised I was able to hang in there," he said. Strasburg sidestepped a question asking if his teammates texted him to make the start, saying he went to sleep early and didn't feel he had anything to prove. "Not to you guys," he said of the media. "You guys create the drama. But I have faith in every guy in this clubhouse, and I know the coaching staff feels the same. "So, we're in it together, and when one guy goes down you have to trust the other guy is going to pick up the slack." Maddux called the criticism of Strasburg "unfair," adding he didn't think Tuesday night Strasburg would be ready. "No, but that was last night," Maddux said. "He posted up today and gave us a great ballgame. That was fun to watch. His 'velo' was a tick down, but he spotted it up well, had finish on the fastball, down low and up top. The curveball and changeup were just vintage. That's what he does." Harper said Strasburg's face on Tuesday was the color of the artificial surface in the visitors batting cage. "For him to be able to cowboy up and do his job shows how much of a great teammate he is," Harper said. "He's just a warrior, to throw that gem." Closer Sean Doolittle said Strasburg "has the respect of everybody in the clubhouse" adding "something was lost in the communication" of the pitching plans. "He answered a lot of questions and he quieted all those whispers and rumors," he said. "There was enough pressure on him as it was. Even if he was aware of that stuff (in the media), "I've never seen him fazed one way or another about what was said about him. He stepped up in a big way. Awesome." It has been an awesome series, and now it's on to Game 5, where the Cubs will try to add another chapter to the Nationals' sad postseason history and prove again they're at their best with their backs to the wall. Chicago Tribune Uncertainty in air for Cubs after Stephen Strasburg forces Game 5 By David Haugh By the time Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor crossed home plate after his gargantuan grand slam in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the Cubs, fans noticeably had started fleeing to the Wrigley Field exits.

13 Suddenly, something odd was in the air and not the allergens Nationals manager Dusty Baker believed weakened ace Stephen Strasburg and his teammates. A sense of uneasiness mixed with strong wind and persistent mist to create an atmosphere of uncertainty over the gloomiest day on the Cubs' 2017 calendar. The Nationals never have advanced past the first round of the playoffs, and Baker spent a whiny off day making excuses about mold and changing hotels, yet the Cubs allowed a 97-win team to return home hopeful about making history. You can say experience gives the Cubs an advantage in Game 5 on Thursday at Nationals Park, but the truth is this captivating National League Division Series has been too close to feel confident making any assumptions. "We've been here before," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, referring to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. But how did the defending champions get in this spot against a dysfunctional Nationals team that was following a familiar script to a first-round exit? Blame it on the rain, if you wish, because postponing Game 4 until Wednesday allowed the Nationals to start Strasburg, baseball's hottest pitcher. Or simply credit Strasburg for producing a gem that altered his legacy. A player not exactly known for having tenacity to match his elite talent came through with a clutch performance likely to change perceptions of him as a competitor. The right-hander who was expected to miss his start because of an illness again dominated, giving up three hits and striking out 12 in seven scoreless innings. That's nothing to sneeze at. Strasburg's fastball climbed as high as 96 mph, but his changeup was the pitch that made Wednesday night a sleepless one for the Cubs. Batters never really looked close to touching Strasburg except for Addison Russell's second-inning shot that appeared headed for Waveland Avenue until a 16-mph wind reduced it to a warning-track out. Except for a Ben Zobrist double, the Cubs whiffed weakly at almost everything Strasburg threw. How hard was it to hit Strasburg's slider, Anthony Rizzo? "Probably like you going to 'Sluggers' (batting cage) and trying to hit,'' Rizzo said. Imagine if Strasburg was healthy. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo revealed before the game that Strasburg experienced flu symptoms bad enough to require intravenous fluids and antibiotics Tuesday. During a radio interview Wednesday morning, Rizzo said he planned on Tanner Roark starting instead of Strasburg. Rizzo's narrative was consistent with the bleak picture Baker painted Tuesday explaining Strasburg had succumbed to an illness, perhaps related to "mold in Chicago." The Nationals' clumsy portrayal of Strasburg sounding unwilling to pitch through pain and discomfort caused an uproar in the baseball community, with everyone from David Ross to Wade Boggs openly questioning the pitcher's toughness. Perhaps the last time a professional athlete encountered such widespread national scrutiny over his intestinal fortitude, Maurice Jones-Drew was tweeting about Jay Cutler during the 2010 NFC championship game. But when Strasburg walked into the Nationals clubhouse after a good night's sleep, he went straight to Baker's office. "I could see the focus and determination in his eyes," Baker said. The Cubs saw the same thing in so many overmatched at-bats. Maddon called the blustery conditions a "pitcher's paradise," and Strasburg made it hell for hitters. Only Strasburg's stuff was sick, as the kids say. "Games like this you have to go out and give everything you have," Strasburg said. Jon Lester epitomized that approach for the Cubs.

14 Lester reprised his role as Mr. October with a relief stint as sensational as it was surprising. Saturday's Game 2 starter replaced Jake Arrieta, who labored through four innings in his first start since Sept. 26 because of a hamstring injury. When Lester took over, the Nationals clung to a 1-0 lead courtesy of a Russell error. Retiring the first 10 Nationals he faced, Lester kept the Cubs close by giving up only a meager single in 32/3 innings. Lester's biggest ovation came in the eighth when he picked off Ryan Zimmerman words seldom written. To see Lester overcome his quirky aversion of throwing to first base, under these circumstances, was like watching a therapy session in front of 42,264 people. It punctuated an outstanding performance, all for naught. Everything began unraveling when Maddon pulled Lester with two outs in the eighth after Murphy singled on his 55th pitch instead of letting the lefty finish the inning. Reliever Carl Edwards Jr. proved ineffective again, wildly walking the bases loaded. Then Maddon's decision to bring in closer Wade Davis with a 1-0 count backfired when Taylor became the unlikeliest of villains with a 393-foot home run into the right-field basket. "That ball had to be absolutely crushed,'' Maddon said. Crushed also describes the way Cubs fans felt seeing the Nationals celebrate. Faith still exists in Game 5 starter Kyle Hendricks, who will oppose either Roark or Gio Gonzalez, but the specter of Max Scherzer also looms. "We'll be fine,'' Maddon said, smiling. How fitting that a Cubs season full of so many fits and starts, amid so much inconsistency, now comes down to an outcome impossible to predict. Chicago Tribune Veteran left-hander Jon Lester seems right at home in relief role for Cubs By Chris Kuc Jon Lester has a simple philosophy when it comes to the way Cubs manager Joe Maddon uses him in the postseason. "I just do what I'm told," Lester said after the Cubs' 5-0 loss to the Nationals in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. "They came to me (Tuesday) and said, 'Hey, you're in (the bullpen) tomorrow.' I don't ask questions, I don't really read into things. They wanted me down there and Joe called my name. You have to go out there and do your job, and I was able to keep us in it until the end." In the longest relief outing of his career, the veteran left-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced to keep the Cubs in the game while Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg was mowing down hitters. Lester went 32/3 innings and yielded a run on one hit with a walk and three strikeouts. Not bad for a guy who makes his living as a starter. "It's more of kind of controlling the emotions than anything," Lester said of altering his mindset as a reliever. "You run out on that field and you're in a different part of the ballgame than when you get to start it. The biggest thing is being able to breathe. Sometimes that sounds really easy, but you get into situations where the heart rate gets up and you start looking around and you forget to breathe. It's kind of taking a step back and just relaxing and worrying about executing pitches." In his first start since suffering a hamstring injury, Jake Arrieta held the Nationals to one run through four innings but began laboring and Maddon replaced the right-hander after 90 pitches. Maddon had some options but called for Lester.

15 "We didn't know exactly where Jake was going to be (Wednesday), so we talked about that in advance," Maddon said. "If this score was like we're losing 4-0, (Lester) would not have pitched. It would have been (Mike) Montgomery and the rest of the bullpen. But that part of ballgame, I felt strongly about it." It marked Lester's first relief appearance since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series when Maddon used him in a similar fashion. Lester said that experience didn't play much of a factor against the Nationals. "If you're not used to the bullpen, I don't know if you're ever really comfortable down there," Lester said. "It's a weird experience, especially when you're used to starting. You know when you're going to pitch, you know when you're going in (and) you know what you have to do. You set the tone. You just kind of have to fall back on your game plan and try to figure things out as you go." Lester said he'd be willing to pitch in relief again in Thursday's deciding Game 5 in Washington but acknowledged, "that's probably an argument that I won't win." With Jose Quintana first in line to replace Kyle Hendricks if needed in Game 5, it remains to be seen who would get the starting nod in Game 1 of the NLCS if the Cubs get that far. First, they have to get past the Nationals. "It's two heavyweights going at it," Lester said of Game 5. "Hopefully, we play a good baseball game and we come out on top." Chicago Tribune Cubs' rotation options stretched for potential NLCS By Mark Gonzales Manager Joe Maddon said the Cubs hadn't discussed their rotation for a potential National League Championship Series before losing Game 4 of the NL Division Series, and his decisions Wednesday leave him with few choices. With left-hander Jon Lester throwing 3 2/3 innings and 55 pitches Wednesday, that leaves left-hander Jose Quintana as the Game 1 starter Saturday night against the Dodgers only if Kyle Hendricks can help the Cubs to a deciding victory Thursday night in Game 5 of the NLDS at Nationals Park. Lester retired 10 consecutive batters in relief of Jake Arrieta on Wednesday. Maddon is aware the Dodgers are less vulnerable against left-handed pitching than they were last season. "They've gotten a lot better," he said. The Dodgers were in games against left-handed starters this season and batted six points higher against lefties (.253) than right-handers. In 2016, they batted.214 against lefties and.264 against righties. Should the Cubs advance, John Lackey would be available to pitch Game 2. Hope for Heyward: After Jason Heyward showed minor improvement with an adjustment in his batting stance this season, 2018 could be a better indicator of his progress. "I would like for him to stay on the same path," Maddon said of Heyward, who lowered his hands in an effort to make more solid contact. "I'd like to think he's growing into this adjustment that he's made." Heyward is 2-for-8 in the NLDS. "Next year will be a pretty good indicator where he's at. He'll have another offseason to really try to fine-tune that. So when you see him next year, you'll find out exactly where he's at."

16 Heyward, 28, devoted last offseason to the adjustments and raised his batting average by 29 points to.259, hit four more home runs (11) and drove in 10 more runs (59) despite playing in 16 fewer games. "Some guys maybe are so hardheaded that they're unwilling to adapt or adjust," Maddon said. "He was not. He was looking for answers. He found some new things. When you make adjustments like that, you're always wanting to see that instant gratification. He had a tough spring training but came out of it the latter part of the season. "But give it some time, and this can continue to get better because he's so committed, such a good athlete, so strong. Now he's starting to feel his hands that he had not for a while." Chicago Sun-Times Lester bullpen move falls short, could throw rotation plans in flux By Gordon Wittenmyer It was like Game 7 of the World Series Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Except it was Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs, and the Cubs led their Division Series against the Nationals two games to one. That didn t stop Cubs manager Joe Maddon from managing with enough urgency to call on ace Jon Lester for three-plus innings of relief when starter Jake Arrieta needed 90 pitches to get through four innings, trailing just 1-0. But the gamble didn t work, despite a strong performance from Lester. If the score was, like, we re losing 4-0, he would not have pitched tonight, Maddon said. But that part of the ballgame, I felt strongly about it. Lester did his job and then some, retiring 10 consecutive batters before issuing a walk to Ryan Zimmerman in the eighth then picking off Zimmerman. He gave up a soft single to Daniel Murphy with two outs and was lifted. But all the emotion and buzz created by the pickoff and ovation Lester got upon exiting was washed away when, two walks and a grand slam later, the Cubs trailed 5-0. Now Lester is unavailable as a piggyback to Game 5 starter Kyle Hendricks in a loser-out game in Washington on Thursday. Game 3 starter Jose Quintana is on deck for that duty, Maddon said. What s that say about what the Cubs thought about Game 4 in the scheme of this series? I don t know. I just do what I m told, said Lester after his fourth career postseason relief appearance. He pitched three strong innings of relief of Hendricks in the Cubs Game 7 victory in the World Series last year. I asked Monday night if they wanted me in the pen on Tuesday, and we got rained out. They came to me yesterday and said, Hey, you re in there [Wednesday], Lester said. I don t ask questions. I don t really read into things. They wanted me down there, and Joe called my name. So you try to go out there and do your job, and I was able to keep us in it there till the end. If the Cubs advance, the move could put a Game 1 pitching decision in doubt for Saturday s NLCS opener in Los Angeles. Lester threw 55 pitches; Game 2