Oct. 19--NEW YORK -- Jason Hammel's hold on the third spot in the Cubs rotation seemed firm on July 8, when he took the mound in a National League Central showdown against the rival Cardinals.
But after his second pitch, the back of Hammel's left knee tightened, and that gradually loosened his grip on following Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta in the rotation.
It has made for an interesting transformation as manager Joe Maddon announced Sunday that Kyle Hendricks will start Game 3 of the NL Championship Series on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. Jacob deGrom will start for the Mets.
"You're never surprised in the playoffs," Hendricks said of getting the nod. "Hammel and I are prepared for this."
Postseason decisions often involve aligning the best matchups possible rather than sticking solely with regular-season success or experience.
Some longtime White Sox fans and former players lament the fact Jack McDowell was chosen over Alex Fernandez to face the Blue Jays in Games 1 and 5 of the 1993 American League Championship Series. McDowell was 22-10 that year and won the Cy Young Award, but he had gone 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in two regular-season starts against the Blue Jays. He allowed seven runs on 13 hits in a Game 1 loss that set the tone for the Sox's elimination in six games.
With Dan Haren left off the Cubs playoff roster, Hammel's experience and first-half success were believed to give him the edge for the third spot over Hendricks.
But Hendricks got the nod in Game 2 of the division series against the Cardinals (Arrieta was unavailable after pitching the wild-card game), with Hammel saved until Game 4.
"(Hendricks) really dissects everything and knows exactly what he wants to do," said Maddon, who said Hammel was likely to start Game 4 of the NLCS if he wasn't used in relief Sunday night.
Hammel pitched eight innings of five-hit ball in a 2-1 win over the Mets on May 13 at Wrigley, while Hendricks threw six shutout innings in a 1-0 win at Citi Field on June 30.
During the second half, a series of developments started to change the rotation landscape.
First, while Hammel's knee injury didn't cause him to miss any starts, he pitched with a brace and it took three starts before he regained full comfort.
Second, the Cubs' ascent in the second half put a premium on every game. In Hammel's Aug. 6 start against the Giants, he was pulled with a 5-2 lead after walking two batters to start the fifth.
Hammel was visibly upset, and the trend continued in his next start when Maddon pulled him with two out in the sixth and the Cubs protecting a 2-1 lead over the Brewers with Hammel's pitch count at only 65.
The Cubs won both games, and the win over the Giants started a season-high nine-game winning streak that enabled them to seize the second wild-card spot they never relinquished.
Even a Sept. 8 victory in which Hammel blanked the Cardinals for six innings didn't earn him an NLDS start until Game 4.
