Joe Maddon explains why he used Aroldis Chapman so much in Game 6
The Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians 9-3 in a Game 6 that was never in much doubt for the Cubs, and there will now be a Game 7 in Cleveland on Wednesday for the title.
After such a lopsided game, you wouldn't expect there to be a hot-button topic, but that's what we have after Game 6 with most of the baseball world asking the same question: Why did Cubs manage Joe Maddon use closer Aroldis Chapman, and why so long?
With two outs in the seventh inning and the Cubs leading 7-2, Maddon brought Chapman in with two runners on base. Chapman got out of that jam and then pitched the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, the Cubs scored two more runs to make it 9-2, and Chapman still stayed in the game to start the ninth despite tossing 2 2/3 innings on Sunday night and a Game 7 looming on Wednesday.
Should Maddon have used Chapman in Game 6 at all? Should he had pulled him after the seventh (especially when he appeared to tweak his leg stepping on the first base bag to get the third out)? The answer to those questions will come in Game 7 when we see how effective Chapman is, but for now here is Maddon's reasoning for the decision he made in Game 6:
On bringing Chapman in during the seventh
With two runners on and the heart of Cleveland's lineup coming up -- No. 3 hitter Francisco Lindor, following by Mike Napoli and Jose Ramirez -- Maddon thought that was the most important moment of the game.
"That's the part of the order he had to get out," Maddon said. "You do not want the game to get away from you at that particular moment ... I thought the game could have been lost right there if we didn't take care of it properly. If you don't get through that, there is no tomorrow."
On sending Chapman out for the ninth
Maddon said he wanted to take Chapman out once Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer to make it a 9-2 game, but it happened with two outs in the top of the inning and therefore Maddon had very little time to get a reliever warmed up. So he decided Chapman would face only one hitter, regardless of outcome, and then Pedro Strop would enter the game.
"That's why he went out for one hitter only -- hitter out or drawing the walk, he's still out of the game," Maddon said.
On if Chapman will be affected tomorrow
In short: Maddon isn't worried about Chapman at all in Game 7.
"I really anticipate a lot of the same, I do," Maddon said. "He's a very strong young man. I'll talk to him later today and tomorrow, but I think he's gonna be fine honestly."
