Chicago Cubs: Maddon stresses rest in last weekend of regular season

With three meaningless games left in the 2016 campaign, Chicago Cubs (101-57) manager Joe Maddon expressed that he’s going to continue his liberal rest and substitution patterns.

After Wednesday’s 8-4 loss to Pittsburgh, veterans Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero voiced their displeasure with Maddon’s decisions.

Montero was pulled in the fifth inning for Willson Contreras, and Arrieta gave up three runs on four consecutive hits.

On the night, Jake set career highs for hits allowed (10) and earned runs (7) in five innings of work. “It felt like a spring training game from the get-go,” Arrieta said after the game.

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Despite the dissent, Maddon will continue with his schedule this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds (67-92).

“In regards to feeling that competitive moment, it’s almost impossible to replicate that unless you actually are playing to get into the playoffs,” Maddon said.

Maddon’s schedule is designed to give game-speed opportunities to as many players as he can before the playoffs begin. Starters like Arrieta may need to make a relief appearance before the end of the series. His next scheduled outing is in 12 days.

Jake Buchannan will make his first start with Chicago since being called up on September 1^st.  He’s allowed just one run in a one-inning appearance against Milwaukee on September 5^th.

In 22 starts for Triple-A Iowa, Buchannan recorded 130 1/3 innings and 93 strikeouts, with a 4.35 ERA.

Cubs fans should expect limited pitches for starters, position players exiting after a few at-bats, and regulated relief work for the bullpen the rest of the year.

Next: Cubs handed first tie since 1993

The Reds suffered a tough loss last night to the St. Louis Cardinals on a controversial walk-off hit that scored Matt Carpenter from first. If the Cardinals had lost that game, their chances for a Wild Card spot would have been over.

Today, Cincinnati offered skipper Bryan Price a one-year extension.

Right-hander Josh Smith (3-2, 4.77 ERA) will make his second start of the season for the Reds, both have come against Chicago.  In his last start against the Cubs, he gave up one run on three hits in three innings and faced a total of 14 batters.

The lineups for tonight’s game are as follows: