Chicago Cubs: Joe Maddon has plenty of options Wednesday

Sep 26, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) talks with players before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Do you go for defense or offense?

With that in mind, Maddon must put on his thinking cap, or go with the gut feeling he is famous for, and trot out a lineup on Wednesday night designed to topple the team with the second-best record in baseball and the best record in the game since May 9.

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Per usual, it will come down to what Maddon wants to focus on most. The question moving forward is whether that focus is on the ability to squeeze runs across against one of the best the NL has to offer or putting a strong defensive unit behind the best second-half pitcher in baseball history in Jake Arrieta?

It is sure to be a low-scoring affair, with oddsmakers in agreement having set the over/under at just 5.5 runs. Only 12 times in the past 18 years has the run total been set that low for a Major League Baseball game, really speaking to the quality of pitching taking the hill on Wednesday night.

With that in mind comes the classic dilemma: do you put out your best bats in hopes of scoring the extra run or put out your best defensive alignment possible to take away any opportunities for the opponent to scratch one across? Right now, only one man’s opinion matters but speculation rages on.