Maddon ponders lineup changes against Scherzer
CHICAGO — Cubs manager Joe Maddon added some off-day intrigue to the National League Division Series by hinting he might play musical chairs with his lineup against Washington righthander Max Scherzer for their pivotal Game 3.
“I’m leaning toward that right now,” Maddon said after arranging breakfast on the field for his players during Sunday morning’s practice. “I mean, he’s just so oppressively difficult versus righthanded hitters, I thought it might be wise to get one more lefty out there.”
Maddon didn’t specify which lefthanded bat he had in mind, or even where he might slot it. But he had talked about making the move before Stephen Strasburg was named Washington’s Game 1 starter over Scherzer, who got a couple extra days of rest after tweaking his right hamstring in his final regular-season start.
Game 3 of the deadlocked series already promised plenty of intrigue after a supersized two-run homer by Bryce Harper in the eighth inning Saturday breathed new life into a Washington lineup that had produced just four hits in the previous 15 innings. Ryan Zimmerman added a tiebreaking three-run homer later that inning to complete the Nationals’ U-turn.
Entering Monday, there were also lingering questions about Scherzer’s readiness and how Cubs lefthander Jose Quintana — who came over from the cross-town White Sox in mid-July — would handle his first appearance in the playoff spotlight.
“There’s really no secret to this,” Scherzer said. “If I can execute pitches and keep the ball off the middle of the plate, I know I can have success.”
Diamondbacks turn to Greinke
When the NLDS between Arizona and Los Angeles shifts to Phoenix on Monday for Game 3, the focus will turn to ace Zack Greinke, whose poi- sonous darts represent the Diamondbacks’ last line of defense against a Dodgers team that produced 17 runs on 24 hits in Games 1 and 2 en route to taking a 2-0 series lead.
Greinke, 33, compiled a 13-1 record, with a 2.87 ERA, in 18 regular-season home starts this season. But he has not pitched more than 41⁄3 innings in any of his last three outings, including the Diamondbacks’ wild-card victory against Colorado last week, in which he allowed six hits and four runs in 32⁄3 innings.