SAN FRANCISCO – The Cubs jammed 84,540 fans into Wrigley Field on back-to-back nights, everyone from Bill Murray to Eddie Vedder to Mike Ditka to Dwyane Wade to Ryne Sandberg to Jeff Garlin. But the star of the ninth inning will be Aroldis Chapman this October.
This is a different Cubs team, the anxiety level dropping when Chapman has the ball in his left hand. Chapman finished off the San Francisco Giants in the first two games of this best-of-five National League Division Series, showing why the Cubs made that blockbuster trade with the New York Yankees this summer.
Of the 30 pitches clocked at 100 mph or higher so far this postseason, the Cubs closer has thrown 29, including the 26 fastest, ranging in velocity from 103.5 to 100.2 mph. The dominance is so pronounced that the Statcast leaderboard on MLB.com even features a Chapman filter.
“I felt the emotion of the crowd,” Chapman said through a translator. “Everywhere I go, they talk about this team. Everything I hear is about this team. I felt that emotion from the crowd. It gave me energy. It was an incredible experience.”
There are 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series flags flying at AT&T Park. The Giants have the inner confidence that will come from seeing Madison Bumgarner on the mound on Monday night, knowing this franchise has won nine consecutive postseason elimination games.
As Cubs manager Joe Maddon said: “You look at their team, and watch how they play, and I don’t see one scared bone in anybody’s body.”
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But the Giants will now have to win three straight elimination games against a Cubs team that hasn’t experienced a three-game losing streak since the All-Star break. San Francisco’s lineup realistically has eight innings to work with against a reigning Cy Young Award winner in Game 3 (Jake Arrieta), followed by the two-time World Series champions scheduled to start if-necessary Games 4 and 5 (John Lackey and Jon Lester).
That’s another psychological advantage the Cubs have now. It’s a major reason why Ben Zobrist earned a World Series ring with the Kansas City Royals. It ultimately didn’t matter that Kansas City’s rotation posted a 4.97 ERA and got credited with winning only three playoff games last year, because of the force its bullpen generated (8-0, 2.51 ERA, 89 strikeouts against 15 walks in 64.2 innings).
“It shortens the game,” Zobrist said. “They know that they’ve got to score early in the game, because of how well our bullpen can pitch. With (Chapman) at the back end for those last three outs…you kind of take for granted how good he is, and that he’s going to shut the door.
“It certainly makes them feel like that kind of a lead is insurmountable in the ninth.”
Chapman worked with a three-run cushion on Saturday night, and worked around Buster Posey’s two-out double in Friday’s 1-0 win. Otherwise, the Giants are 0-for-6 against Chapman so far, with career numbers – two earned runs scored and 27 strikeouts in 16.1 innings – that say it should be game over/NLDS over/vacation time if he jogs in from the bullpen here in right-field foul territory.
Maddon is also prepared to start experimenting with Chapman, deploying the closer for four-out saves and particular matchups against left-handed hitters and not just boxing him into a ninth-inning role. For this October, the Cubs have an absolute game-changer.
“I talked to Joe already,” Chapman said. “We know this is the playoffs. These are very important games. I told Joe that he can use me whatever way he wants me to. It’s up to him. I’m always ready to do whatever he asks me to do.”