Did Stephen Strasburg just get guilt-tripped into starting an elimination game? Were the Washington Nationals Twitter-shamed after taking so much heat for the decision to stick with Tanner Roark after Tuesday night’s rainout? Are any of your pitchers under the weather?
“Everybody is, actually,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “Theoretically, everybody’s under the weather.”
The Cubs received a Game 4 lineup card with Strasburg’s name on it late Wednesday morning, and no one could think the Nationals were trying to conduct psychological warfare.
Strasburg and super-agent Scott Boras never would have signed off on it — allowing a $175 million pitcher’s reputation to get dented like this — and now a National League Division Series could leave a black eye for the entire organization in Washington.
This was a self-inflicted wound, manager Dusty Baker trying to cover for Strasburg, confusing his bullpen days and blaming it on the temperature change, hotel air-conditioning units and how: “It’s just this time of the year for mold around Chicago.”
“Being an allergy sufferer myself, I know it’s uncomfortable sometimes,” Maddon said. “I didn’t even know that was the issue why he was not going to pitch, so whatever they choose, that’s fine. That’s their prerogative. We just have to be ready. And we’ll be ready.”
While Washington dealt with the fallout from RainoutGate on Tuesday night, Maddon took his wife, Jaye, to see Bill Murray perform with classical musicians at the Chicago Symphony Center and went to dinner at Velvet Taco in the Gold Coast neighborhood, knowing Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta wanted to throw the first pitch at 3:08 p.m. (weather permitting).
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“Honestly, it doesn’t bother me,” Maddon said. “I mean that sincerely, because it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t matter. It comes down to playing the game. Our guys will be ready to play.
“We feel really strongly about Jake today, also, and this whole series has been really well-pitched. I’ve said it: Their pitching staff, to me, their starters, are as good as anybody’s. All five of them. Roark’s no walk in the park, Strasburg, of course not, Gio (Gonzalez). You saw what (Max) Scherzer did with a bad leg the other day.
“Whatever they choose to do, that’s fine. We just have to go out there and play. It’s about us. It’s about Jake pitching Jake’s kind of a game. And if he does that, we’ll be in good shape.”
Strasburg became a lightning rod within the industry for the way the Nationals shut him down in September 2012, a controversial move that could be interpreted as a forward-thinking approach with a Tommy John survivor or a sign of entitlement/arrogance, expecting to be in the playoffs year after year after year.
Strasburg took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of a Game 1 loss last week at Nationals Park, the victim of two unearned runs. After this switcheroo, the Cubs subbed in Jason Heyward (15-for-37 in his career vs. Strasburg) for Kyle Schwarber and moved Ben Zobrist from right to left field, hoping to avoid a return flight to Washington and move on to the Los Angeles Dodgers and a third consecutive trip to the NL Championship Series.
“I have no idea what’s going on or how bad Strasburg felt,” Maddon said. “But, again, it doesn’t matter. For me, none of that matters. It’s Jon Jay, Kris Bryant, (Anthony) Rizzo, etc., playing our game today, and Jake pitching his, and that’s all that really matters. Control what you can control. That’s probably the best way to go about your business.”