The match 4 of the National League Division Series between the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals, scheduled for Tuesday evening in Chicago, was postponed to Wednesday (10 p. m. CEST) due to bad weather.However, the installation will have no effect on the planned pitching rotation.Chicago leads in the 2-1 series and would enter the NLCS with a win.
The weather was not good on Tuesday, so the match, which was due to start at 11.30 p. m. CEST, was postponed to the following day.A move to 19 or 20 CEST would probably not have put the game at risk, as it hadn’t rained at that time, but according to MLB and the broadcasting TV station TBS, this was never an issue.
The decision of Nationals manager Dusty Baker to hold on to his rotation, instead of Ace, Stephen Strasburg, is already in Game 4, which will cause even more surprise.Strasburg had already pitched match 1 and would have been in the normal rhythm after a four-day break.Instead, as initially envisaged, right-hander Tanner Roark will start the race, but he has had a rather mixed season (4.67 ERA, 166 SO in 181 1/3 IP).
“We’re betting on Tanner as planned,”Baker explained at a press conference on Tuesday, explaining the health of Strasbourg and others:”Many in my team are unwell because of the weather, the air-conditioning in the hotel and here at the ball park.It’s just the time of year for mold here in Chicago – I think it’s mold, because I have it too.”
Strasburg has a 0.86 ERA since the All-Star Game, the second lowest ever in the second half of the season (after at least ten starts).He also dominated Game 1 on Friday, scoring only three hits and three unearned runs, as well as collecting ten strikeouts.
More confusion arose from Baker’s statement that Strasburg had thrown a bullpen session on Tuesday, which would have ruled him out for Wednesday.But a team spokesman made it clear a little later that Strasburg’s Bullpen session had already been on Monday.It could therefore be used on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta will start for the Cubs and will try to finish the series early.The right-hander stabilized after a weak start to the season and pitched 67 innings to a 2.28 ERA in the second half of the season.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.
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