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There were several factors that led to John Lackey pitching in the ninth inning in Game 2 of the NLCS for the Chicago Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jon Lester was only capable of getting 14 outs, the Cubs offense only mustered up one run, but that doesn’t make Joe Maddon’s reason to not use Wade Davis in a 1-1 game inexcusable.
We all know how Game 2 of the NLCS ended, as Justin Turner launched a walk-off, three-run home run to center field off Lackey, who was making his second straight relief appearance against the Dodgers. Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop and Brian Duensing had already been used by Maddon out of the Cubs bullpen, but with two outs in the ninth and a couple right-handed hitters due up, Lackey was called upon to get the game into extra innings.
Chris Taylor walked and Turner won the game.
It's a walk-off! Justin Turner crushes a game-winning 3-run HR! The Dodgers move to 2-0 in the series. #NLCS #MLBonTBS pic.twitter.com/NWifbaeMNL
— TBS Network (@TBSNetwork) October 16, 2017
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Why wasn’t Cubs closer Wade Davis summoned from the bullpen to face the Dodgers’ most dangerous hitter?
— ⓂarcusD (@_MarcusD2_) October 16, 2017
If Maddon liked Lackey against Taylor, why didn’t he like Davis in that spot even more?
— ⓂarcusD (@_MarcusD2_) October 16, 2017
Needed him for the save? The Cubs were in no spot to hold their best reliever in case there would be an eventual save opportunity for them Sunday night. The simple fact is that Maddon has to put the Cubs in the best spot to win and not using Davis in the ninth inning wasn’t putting the Cubs in the best position to win.
Just a terrible decision by Maddon. It doesn’t matter if Davis could only go an inning. It’s better to get that to not give the Cubs a chance in extra innings to grab the lead and then you worry about who gets a save opportunity.
With all that being said, the Cubs offense has been atrocious through the first two games of the series. Three runs in 18 innings? Awful. However, let’s not go into full panic mode yet because you only have to go all the way back to last year against the Dodgers to see that the Cubs can turn it up in a blink of an eye.
As always, you’re not going to win games with no offense and a bad bullpen, however, say whatever you want on the value of managers and wins, they still have to come up with the best position to have their players succeed. Saving your closer for what could have been a save situation and using Lackey instead just wasn’t the best decision Maddon could have made.
Yet again, if there’s something wrong with Wade Davis, and that’s the reason he wasn’t used then the Cubs are screwed anyway.
