The Chicago Cubs are down bad heading into Wednesday night, and now they’re handing the ball to Kevin Gausman in a game that already feels like a last stand.
Craig Counsell confirmed Gausman will start Game 2 against the San Diego Padres, with the Cubs staring at elimination after Game 1. Gausman’s availability had been in question over the past week because of left shoulder discomfort, but the club’s indication is that he’s healthy enough to go. Still, his own words didn’t exactly sound like a full-throated guarantee.
“It speaks volumes to the training staff here,” Gausman said, “everything they’ve done to get me to this point to be able to go out there tomorrow, and feel good to go out there. I don’t know if we felt this way a couple days ago. That’s always a good sign.”
The Cubs brought Gausman in for nights like this. He was struggling with the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline, and the hope was that a move into a playoff race would bring out the sharper, more battle-tested version of the pitcher who turned back the clock against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series last October.
That hasn’t really been the story. Over nine regular-season starts with Chicago, Gausman posted a 4.83 ERA. The strikeouts did show up, though - his strikeout rate with the Cubs climbed above 27 percent - and that swing-and-miss stuff is exactly what Chicago needs if it wants any chance of slowing down San Diego’s lineup.
The problem is bigger than one pitcher. The Cubs’ confidence looks drained, and after the way they stumbled into October, this whole thing has the feel of a season that never fully found its footing. The Padres were already the hottest team in baseball when the playoffs began, and after Game 1, the uphill climb for Chicago only got steeper.
The Cubs have been here before, and history is not doing them any favors. But for one night, they still get the chance to try to delay the inevitable.
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