Manager David Ross trusts Kyle Hendricks wholeheartedly, even when he’s gotten himself into a tough jam and that’s what happened in the seventh inning of Game 1.
Hendricks had to battle from the first pitch on Wednesday and up to the seventh, he gave the Cubs all they could ask for.
While his shortstop is known as “El Mago”, it was Hendricks who had to be the magician over his first six innings. The Cubs right-hander didn’t have his best stuff, in fact, he didn’t get a curveball or changeup for a strike until the fifth inning.
But despite the close calls in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, Hendricks held a 1-0 lead and appeared to be in a position to turn things over to the bullpen.
“Kyle pitched his tail off today,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.
Hendricks came back out in the seventh, looking to attack the bottom of the Marlins’ order and got a quick out to start the frame.
However, things took a quick turn as Miguel Rojas and Chad Wallach hit back-to-back 102-mph singles and with trusted reliever Jeremy Jeffress warming, likely signaled the end of Hendricks’ outing.
“When you’re looking at it before the inning starts, you’re gonna give him through Wallach,” Ross said. “Then you start to look at Dickerson and start to talk through the lefty-righty matchup, but with the three batter minimum now, how far do you want maybe one of your lefties to go with Dickerson and then with Marte sitting behind him and then some big boys if things don’t work out?”
Ross had an important decision to make in his first game managing in the postseason: Let Hendricks face Corey Dickerson – who was 0-for-2 up to that point – or bring in Jeffress, who’s known for getting groundballs in those situations.
But despite the hard contact, Ross chose the former, putting his faith in Hendricks that he could get a big out. The decision loomed large in the Cubs’ 5-1 loss in Game 1 of the NL wild-card round.
Corey Dickerson ambushed Hendricks’ 106th pitch of the game, lining it into the left-field seats to give the Marlins their first lead of the game and putting the Cubs on their heels.
“In the seventh, I felt great,” Hendricks said. “I felt really strong, just like my previous outings. Kind of got better as the game went along. Just a good swing by Dickerson, really. Jumping on the first pitch there and put a good swing on it. So just got to tip your cap, nothing you can do there.
“I’ve been feeling so strong at the end of games. I was making good pitches, and I’d made good pitches to Dickerson all day long. That wasn’t a bad pitch. He just jumped on it. You know he’s sitting on it. He didn’t miss it.
Ross would then bring in Jeffress, who allowed a single and two-run shot to Jesus Aguilar, making it a 5-1 game and seemingly putting things out of reach.
“You trust in the guy that got you there,” Ross said. “And trusting all year long he’s done nothing but perform.”
Starting pitching was going to be what led the way for the Cubs this postseason and with Hendricks not having his best, it’s now up to Yu Darvish to keep their playoff hopes alive on the brink of elimination in Game 2.
Darvish was one of the best starters in baseball this season, but if there was ever a time to pitch like an ace, that time is right now.
“No panic,” Hendricks said, who allowed three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. “We got the guy we want on the mound tomorrow for us. So we just gotta go out there and win a ballgame.”
