MILWAUKEE -- When left-hander Matthew Boyd takes the mound on Saturday afternoon in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the rival Brewers, the Cubs will be asking him to do something he hasn’t all season.
Boyd, who tossed 58 pitches across 4 1/3 innings on Tuesday in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, will be pitching on short rest. Because of that, manager Craig Counsell wanted Boyd to throw during Friday’s workout and make sure he was OK afterwards before announcing his starter.
“He's going on three days, he's going on a small number of pitches,” Counsell said. “We wouldn't make this decision, this would not be a decision on a six-inning start or a 90-pitch start. We would not be considering this. But, yeah, I think he had his head on it, probably when he got in the dugout. Yeah, and he's asked repeatedly about it.”
The last time Boyd pitched on three days’ rest was on Oct. 1, 2022, and the last time it was a start was on Aug. 22, 2017. In three total instances, he has a 4.70 ERA (15 1/3 IP, 8 ER) and a 1.304 WHIP.
During the ninth inning of Thursday night’s 3-1 clinching victory over the Padres at Wrigley Field, Boyd was warming up in the bullpen as part of his in-between-start side session. At the same time ...
“He was willing to take the ball yesterday, so that tells you,” Counsell said.
The way Counsell has managed his staff, Cubs pitchers are used to -- and amenable -- when it comes to their roles.
If Boyd has a short leash, the Cubs’ relief corps will be ready to provide multiple innings. Ben Brown and Colin Rea, in particular, are options to follow Boyd. While Brown wasn’t on the Wild Card Series roster, Rea tossed 1 2/3 scoreless relief innings in Game 2.
"I think everybody is considered a multiple-inning guy,” Counsell said, when asked about late-inning arm Daniel Palencia being used midgame. “I don't think there is a one-inning pitcher. Everybody is considered a multiple-inning guy. The playoffs kind of moves up leverage. Every out is leverage. There's no such thing as a non-leverage out. In the regular season, we think about it totally differently."
Added Rea: “I feel like I always go back to just the group that we have here. I feel like you put anyone in that role, and they would be able to do the same thing, even, like Matt Boyd was ready to come out of the bullpen last night. So I think it's just the group of guys we have here.”
After Sunday’s off-day, Chicago is likely to line up lefty Shota Imanaga to start Game 2 on Monday night on normal rest. The Cubs used an opener on Wednesday in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series before turning to Imanaga for the bulk work (4 IP, 2 ER).
Right-hander Jameson Taillon would be Wednesday’s Game 3 starter at Wrigley Field, and the Cubs could send Boyd back out on normal rest for Game 4 on Thursday night.
Someone who will not be in the mix is rookie righty Cade Horton, who is not on the NLDS roster due to a right rib fracture.
“I think our staff does a great job of preparing us to have success when the time comes, whatever role we're in or whatever the opponent,” Boyd told MLB.com before he was announced as the starter. “They do an amazing job in preparing us to get to where we need to go.”