Counsell stands by short-rest Boyd after G1 flop

MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Cubs took a 1-0 pb into the bottommost of the archetypal inning against the Milwaukee Brewers successful Game 1 of their NLDS showdown connected Saturday lone to permission the inning astir 20 minutes aboriginal down 6-1.

Most of the harm came against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, who didn't look crisp portion pitching connected 3 days' rest, lasting conscionable 8 batters.

"It's unfortunate it was specified a large inning, but that was the quality successful the crippled today," Boyd said aft the Brewers' 9-3 victory.

Boyd, 34, near aft an 11 transportation at-bat by Brewers halfway fielder Blake Perkins, who singled location Milwaukee's 4th tally of the game.

At that point, Cubs manager Craig Counsell had seen enough, pulling Boyd aft 30 pitches, 4 hits and a walk. Boyd was yet charged with six runs, but lone 2 were earned aft a Nico Hoerner mistake opened the inning up for the Brewers.

Asked afterward wherefore helium started Boyd connected abbreviated rest, Counsell cited the information helium had thrown lone 58 pitches successful the Cubs' Game 1 triumph implicit the San Diego Padres successful the wild-card bid and besides "what he's done each season, being our champion starting pitcher." The Cubs said they were reasoning astir giving Boyd the shot for NLDS opener not agelong aft helium came retired of his commencement against the Padres. It mightiness person backfired.

Over the past 30 postseasons, starting pitchers connected 3 days of remainder person a 4.50 ERA, according to ESPN Research.

"We picked Matt Boyd to pitch," Counsell said erstwhile pressed astir the decision. "I don't cognize what to say. He pitched, it didn't spell well. We've got to marque decisions. We went with Matt.

"We're precise comfy -- I was precise comfy -- putting Matt Boyd connected the mound today. The full enactment was comfy putting Matt Boyd connected the mound today."

Coming into the game, Boyd had constricted acquisition pitching connected 3 days, compiling a 4.70 ERA successful 3 vocation games earlier Saturday. Against the Brewers successful Game 1, helium posted immoderate of his worst numbers of the season, including landing lone 43 percent of his pitches successful the onslaught zone, his lowest complaint of the year. Boyd besides induced a 60 percent plaything complaint by the Brewers, his second-highest complaint of the season.

The Brewers weren't fooled by thing helium threw.

"The main happening we talked astir [all week] is, committedness maine you'll beryllium acceptable for the archetypal pitch," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of his hitters. "When the doorbell rings, you're ready. You've got to get your pitch, arsenic they say, and Boyd was coming backmost connected abbreviated rest. We deed immoderate balls wherever they weren't and we were ready, and I loved the at-bats early."

Perkins added: "I'm benignant of sitting there, too, similar dang, however are we doing this sometimes? It's a chill feeling, and it's truly amusive to beryllium a portion of."

The clip disconnected betwixt the regular play and the postseason didn't interaction Milwaukee's offense, though the clip connected the mound during the erstwhile circular seemingly impacted Boyd. He struggled down the agelong of the regular play arsenic well, compiling a 5.31 ERA successful September, by acold his worst period of the season.

The Brewers added 3 much runs successful the 2nd inning, sending reliever Mike Soroka to the showers aft a shortened outing, forcing erstwhile Brewer Aaron Civale to prime up the slack, pitching 4⅓ innings. It mightiness beryllium the lone affirmative aft an atrocious time for the Cubs: they saved their pen for different day.

"Aaron's outing, really, truly saved us," Counsell said.

Game 2 is Monday nighttime successful Milwaukee.