Giants @ Cubs: Samardzija vs Hendricks (Game 164; NLDS Game 2)
Cubs 5, Giants 2
W: Wood (1-0); L: Samardzija (0-1); S: Chapman (2)
Cubs lead series 2-0
PREVIEW
SF (0-1): RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-0, —-)
CHC (1-0): RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-0, —-)
First pitch: 7:00pmCST
Hendricks (16-8, 2.13) went into his last game with a 1.99 ERA and promptly gave up 4 ER in 5 innings. He still lead the league, the first Cubs pitcher to do that since Bill Lee in 1938. (He had a 2.66, by the way). At Wrigley for the season, Hendricks went 9-2 with a crisp 1.32. He lost in San Francisco in May, giving up the only run of the game in 5.1 innings. Overall, the Giants are 13-44 (.295) against him. Belt is 3-7 with a HR.
Samardzija (12-11, 3.81) lost his final game of the season against Colorado but had a strong last couple of months, going 3-4, with a 2.87. He was 7-5 with a 4.03 on the road this year, including the nasty outing at Wrigley in September when he threw 87 pitches and gave up 3 ER in 4 innings. "I don't think I've ever thrown 47 pitches in an inning [before], let alone the first inning,'' he would later say. "It was just one of those days, man.” For their careers, the Cubs are 21-85 (.247) against him. Coghlan is 4-11 with 2 HR.
Hendricks started two games last year in the postseason (a win against the Cards in Game Two of the NLDS and a loss to the Mets in Game Three of the NLCS), giving up 5 ER in 8.2 innings. He didn’t factor in either decision. Samardzija’s only postseason appearance was with the team that drafted him: a one-inning of relief in Game One of the NLDS against the Dodgers. He gave up two hits and a run.
Game Three is the rematch of Bumgarner versus Arrieta in San Francisco on Monday at 8:30pmCST.
Go Cubs!
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