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Last night’s game has become the subject to much debate regarding a certain play at the plate. Regardless of your opinion on said play, there are two more games to be played in this series. Tonight the teams meet again at the “friendly confines”, which probably won’t be too friendly to the visiting fans on this particular night.
It’s Jhoulys Chacin’s turn tonight, and the first pitch of his outing might draw as much attention as any pitch in any game today. It will also be his first time facing the Cubs this season, so he doesn’t have any recent history with the team, but his catcher certainly does, and there’s nary a bond stronger in baseball than between a starting pitcher and his favorite receiver. Whether his first pitch sails inside or not, he is tasked with turning a tough Cubs lineup over a few times, and he’s been pretty good at that lately, having gone six innings or more in each of his last three starts. He’s facing a starter who’s off to a hot start to his season, so the team will need Chacin to minimize the damage, as every run is sacred in what could be a very close game.
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Mike Montgomery has worked as a reliever for most of his MLB career, but injuries to their starter staff has forced him into the rotation, and this will be his third turn in the rotation since entering the role. He hasn’t gone particularly deep in these games (4.0 & 5.0 innings) but he has done a good job of minimizing the damage, surrendering two earned runs in each appearance. He features a full starter’s repertoire, with a mix of curveballs, changeups, and cutters complimenting a four-seamer that runs into the mid-90’s. Since he’s been mostly a reliever, it’s tough to look at his rate stats since he’ll probably be using a different approach versus the effort a reliever typically puts into each pitch.
The Cubs took the first game of the series in a close 3-2 nailbiter. With the added tension from last night’s play at the plate, tonight’s game may have some extra drama built in. The Padres need a win tonight for a chance at a series win, and they should be playing for some personal pride as well. Time to bust some Cubs!
Start time: 5:05PM PDT
Radio: 94.9FM, 860AM (Español)
TV: Fox Sports San Diego
Online: MLB.TV