In Game 5 of the National League Division Series, the Cubs are entrusting left-hander Drew Pomeranz with the ball to open the winner-takes-all contest.
“We’ve got 11 pitchers to figure out how to get 27 outs,” manager Craig Counsell said Friday, before the Cubs revealed their starter. “And that’s how we’re treating it. We’re certainly going to need the bullpen formula that we’ve used. We’re going to have to get half the outs from not those five guys.”
Every Cubs pitcher on the roster other than Game 4 starter Matthew Boyd will be available, Counsell said. So, Pomeranz, who has yet to allow a hit this postseason in five relief appearances, is just the first step in that equation. But in this series especially, the first inning has proven to be pivotal.
“The first inning is a big inning in the game — probably underestimated how big the inning is,” Counsell said. “But this series, it has been way past that.”
Left-handed Shota Imanaga was lined up for Saturday, and still could throw impactful innings. But he’s been in a rough patch since late August.
In his last six starts of the regular season, he posted a 5.97 ERA. He then pitched in Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Padres, after an opener, and surrendered a two-run home run to Manny Machado as his only runs allowed in four innings.
In Game 2 of the NLDS, the Brewers roughed up Imanaga to the tune of four runs and two homers in 2 2/3 innings.
