Oct. 03--There aren't many ballparks that can contain Kyle Schwarber's power.
So to get as much impact out of their lineup as possible, the Cubs are thinking of playing the prized rookie in right field against the Pirates at PNC Park in the National League wild-card game Wednesday night.
They experimented with him in right during Friday night's 6-1 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park.
"I want to make sure he got some work out there," manager Joe Maddon said before Jake Arrieta cruised to his 22nd victory. "It's something you can see."
Schwarber, a catcher by trade who has played left field primarily since Aug. 7, took a few short steps before catching Domingo Santana's line drive for the first out of the second inning.
That was Schwarber's only fielding opportunity as Arrieta (22-6) strengthened his credentials for the NL Cy Young Award as he threw 72 pitches of two-hit ball over six innings while striking out seven.
Arrieta finished the regular season with a 1.77 ERA and 236 strikeouts in 229 innings. He became the first Cubs' qualifying pitcher to finish with a sub 2.00 ERA since Grover Cleveland Alexander posted a 1.91 ERA in 1920.
In his last 20 starts, Arrieta was 16-1 with an 0.86 ERA with 147 strikeouts, and his 0.75 ERA in the second half is a major-league record.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Arrieta's 0.41 ERA since August is the lowest earned-run average since ERA became an official statistic.
But there's plenty for Maddon and multiple Cubs decision makers to consider with a low-scoring game expected between starters Gerrit Cole of the Pirates and Arrieta in the wild-card game.
The left-handed hitting Schwarber is 1-for-5 lifetime against Cole. Kris Bryant, who started in left field for the fourth time Friday, is 3-for-9 lifetime against Cole and can cover more ground in left at PNC than Schwarber. Right field there is less spacious.
Before Friday's game, Schwarber had played only three innings in right field. But he played the eighth inning there in the first game of a doubleheader at PNC Park on Sept. 15 and said he felt comfortable, although he didn't receive any fielding chances.
"The angle (in right) is a little bit different, a different view," Schwarber said before the game. "But all I need are some reps, and we'll go from there.
"The fly balls I caught at Cincinnati (in right on Wednesday) weren't bad."
This marks the first time as manager that Maddon has had extra time to employ various combinations in preparation for a playoff game, and he continued his tinkering by starting left-handed hitter Tommy La Stella at third base.
La Stella, a second baseman by trade, charged and made bare-handed stop and throw to retire Hernan Perez in the fifth.
"The whole thing is to maximize what we were able to do at one particular moment, and I don't want to just throw guys into situations without giving them some kind of work in advance of the moment," Maddon said. "I thought it was a good time to (play Schwarber in right).
Maddon also was mindful of a potential overkill of information, especially because the Cubs have played the Pirates 19 times.
"Our game requires an open free mind to play," Maddon said. "And if you're bogging it down with stuff, it can only get in the way."
mgonzales@tribpub.com
