Chicago Cubs: Kyle Hendricks’ postseason starts in review

Chicago Cubs’ right-hander Kyle Hendricks is quickly becoming the team’s best postseason pitcher. Let’s take a look back at his postseason history

Kyle Hendricks made his major league debut for the Chicago Cubs on Jul. 10, 2014. That start, against the Reds, Hendricks allowed four earned runs and struck out seven in six innings pitched. As a whole, Hendricks’ rookie season was a success. In 13 starts, Hendricks posted a 7-2 record with a 2.46 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings pitched.

Over the next two seasons, Hendricks would do his best to cement his name in the Cubs’ starting rotation. In those two years, 2015 and 2016, Hendricks made 62 starts, appearing in 63 games. In that time, Hendricks posted a 3.02 ERA, won 24 games and had an ERA+ of 132. Along with that, Hendricks tossed three complete games and two shutouts.

There is no doubt Hendricks’ best season of his career came in 2016. The right-hander posted a 16-8 record with an ERA of 2.13. That sparkling ERA led the majors, propelling Hendricks to a third place finish in the National League Cy Young voting.

This season, Hendricks came back down to earth slightly. Hendricks made only 24 starts due to tendonitis in his throwing hand. Despite that, Hendricks posted a 7-5 record with a 3.03 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 139 2/3 innings pitched.

After throwing up the numbers Hendricks did in 2016, people stopped questioning the young right-hander’s ability. Part of the reason for that has been the outstanding performances of Hendricks in the postseason.

Let’s review Hendricks’ postseason history and show how he rose to postseason dominance.

Chicago Cubs v. St. Louis Cardinals – NLDS Game 2

Hendricks made his postseason debut on Oct. 10, 2015 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Hendricks was tabbed with starting Game 2 after Jon Lester and John Lackey had a pitcher’s duel in Game 1. Ultimately, Lackey got the better of Lester, tossing 7 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball in a 4-0 Cardinals’ win.

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With the Cubs down 0-1 in the series, Hendricks took the ball facing Jaime Garcia. After allowing a lead-off home run to Matt Carpenter, Hendricks settled in, finishing the day after 4 2/3 innings. In total, Hendricks allowed four hits and three earned runs. Those three runs all came via solo home runs, two of which chased Hendricks from the game in the fifth.

Despite allowing three long balls, Hendricks struck out seven batters and used 66 pitches to record 14 outs. Of those 66 pitches, three were fourseam fastballs, 31 were sinkers, 26 were change-ups, three were curveballs and three were cutters. Hendricks was able to induce 13 swings and misses, ten with the change-up and three with his sinker.

In the end, the Cubs took Game 2 by a score of 6-3 and eventually win the series three games-to-one.

Chicago Cubs v. New York Mets – NLCS Game 3

Behind solid performances from Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard, the New York Mets were able to take a 2-0 series lead over the Cubs in the NLCS. Taking the ball in Game 3 was Hendricks, matching up against Jacob deGrom. deGrom was able to back-up his All-Star selection with seven strong innings of four-hit, two-run baseball. He was lifted after 100 pitches, 66 for strikes.

Hendricks had a solid yet short outing in Game 3. Over four innings, Hendricks struck out four batters and allowed five hits. Those five hits yielded two runs and Hendricks finished the night with 67 pitches thrown, 43 for strikes.

Of those 67 pitches thrown, a vast majority (58%) were sinkers. Hendricks followed that up by throwing his change-up 32 percent of the time, with his fastball and curveball thrown just a combined 11 percent of the time.

Whereas Hendricks was able to induce 13 swings-and-misses in his NLDS start, he was only able to induce seven against the Mets. Six of those whiffs came on his change-up while a lone one came on his sinker.

The Mets took Game 3 5-2 en route to sweeping the Cubs in four games.

Chicago Cubs v. San Francisco Giants – NLDS Game 2

After an eighth inning Javier Baez home run proved to be the difference in Game 1, Hendricks took the mound for Game 2. The Cubs jumped on Giants’ starter Jeff Samardzija for four runs in the first two innings, chasing him from the game.

With a four-run lead, Hendricks yielded two runs in the third inning. That would prove to be the end of the Giants’ scoring for the night as the Cubs won Game 2 by a score of 5-2.

Hendricks ended up lasting 3 2/3 innings, allowing the two earned runs on four hits. In addition to that, Hendricks neither walked nor strikeout a batter, throwing 52 pitches.

While Hendricks used his fourseam fastball under ten percent of the time in both of his 2015 postseason starts, he used it 27 percent of the time against the Giants. Along with that, Hendricks also threw his sinker 27 percent of the time, incorporating his change-up almost 37 percent of the time.

In his short start against the Giants, Hendricks was able to induce just two swing-and-misses, both on his change-up.

The Cubs came out on top against San Francisco in four games.

Chicago Cubs v. Los Angeles Dodgers – NLCS Game 2

The Cubs were able to take Game 1 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers by posting five runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning. With the Cubs up 1-0 in the series, Hendricks was handed the ball against Clayton Kershaw.

With Kershaw on the mound, one would think one or two runs could provide the difference. Well, that was exactly the case. Adrian Gonzalez led off the second inning for the Dodgers and promptly deposited a ball into the seats. That would be the only run of the game as Kershaw fired seven innings of two-hit baseball, striking out six.

Hendricks did his best to match Kershaw. The right-hander lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits, striking out five and walking four. Hendricks would need 93 pitches to make it through 5-plus innings, with 54 of those pitches being strikes.

In this game, Hendricks carried on with the uptick in fastball usage. He threw his fourseam fastball 36 percent of the time, mixing in his sinker (30 percent), change-up (26 percent) and curveball (8 percent).

During this game in particular, Hendricks had his change-up working, inducing whiffs on 38 percent of change-ups thrown.

Even though the Cubs dropped Game 2, handing Hendricks his first postseason loss, the North Siders won Games 4, 5 and 6 to advance to the World Series.

Chicago Cubs v. Los Angeles Dodgers – NLCS Game 6

With the Cubs up 3-2 in the series, the pitching match-up reverted back to Game 2, meaning Kershaw and Hendricks would face-off again. This time, the Cubs’ bats came alive and jumped all over Kershaw. After scoring two runs in the first, Chicago scored again in the second and again in the fourth and fifth innings. With a five-run lead, Hendricks went to work.

The young right-hander tossed 7 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball, striking out six batters and walking no one. Hendricks needed just 88 pitches to get the job done, yielding to Aroldis Chapman in the eighth.

During this game, Hendricks relied heavily on his fourseasm fastball, throwing it 46 percent of the time. That is by far the most Hendricks has thrown his fastball in any of his postseason starts. In addition to his fastball, Hendricks threw his change-up 30 percent of the time, followed by his sinker (15 percent) and curveball (9 percent).

Hendricks tallied nine whiffs in Game 6, five on his fastball and four on his change-up.

With his masterful Game 6 performance, Hendricks propelled the Cubs into the World Series.

Chicago Cubs v. Cleveland Indians – World Series Game 3

With the series tied at one game apiece and the series shifting back to Wrigley Field, Hendricks took the mound. He faced Cleveland Indians starter Josh Tomlin.

Through five innings, no runs were scored. Both starting pitchers failed to make it past the fifth despite tossing dueling shut-outs. Tomlin was lifted after 4 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. He struck out just one Cub batter and walked one. Hendricks was equally as good.

Over 4 1/3 innings, Hendricks notched six strikeouts and allowed six hits and two walks. A high pitch count would spell the end of Hendricks’ night as he threw 85 pitches, 51 for strikes.

With the game tied in the seventh, Carl Edwards allowed an RBI single to Coco Crisp. That would prove to be the difference in the Indians’ 1-0 win.

Even though Hendricks did not make it past the fifth inning, the right-hander pitched well. Hendricks was able to mix his four pitches with his fourseam fastball leading the way, followed by his sinker and change-up. On those three pitches, Hendricks was able to induce ten whiffs, half of them with his fastball.

This loss put the Cubs down 2-1 in the series. With an Indians’ win in Game 4, the Cubs would find themselves in a 3-1 hole. Despite having their backs against the wall, the Cubs refused to give up. Oh and by the way, Hendricks was in line to make another start.

NLDS Game 1

With Hendricks’ dominance in the previous postseasons, Joe Maddon had a fairly easy decision to make when he named Hendricks Game 1 starter for the 2017 NLDS.

Hendricks’ opponent on the mound for Game 1 was Washington Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg. With the Cubs and Nationals best pitchers on the mound, one would have done well to predict a pitcher’s duel.

Over seven innings, Strasburg allowed three hits and two runs (zero earned). In addition to that, Strasburg struck out ten Cub batters and walked one. On the Cubs’ side, Hendricks matched him pitch for pitch. Hendricks also went seven innings, giving up just two hits and not allowing a run. The right-hander struck out six and walked three while throwing 106 pitches, 69 for strikes.

With a 2-0 in the sixth, the Cubs were able to add another run in the eighth to make the score 3-0. Chicago would win by that score, putting them up early over the Nationals one game to none.

In this start, Hendricks went back to his 2015 days, using his sinker as his primary weapon. Hendricks threw his sinker 63 percent of the time on Friday. Along with that, Hendricks was able to induce 11 whiffs, four coming on his sinker, six on his change-up and one on his fastball.

This game set the stage for a back-and-forth series that ultimately ended up with the Cubs winning.

NLDS Game 5

It is safe to say Hendricks did not have his best stuff on Thursday night against the Nationals. The right-hander pitched a clean first inning but allowed two home runs in the second to make the score 4-0 Nationals. Luckily for the Cubs, Hendricks would settle in and not allow anymore men to cross home plate.

In the end, Hendricks would last four innings. He yielded nine hits but struck out seven and walked just one. In addition to that, Hendricks tossed 81 pitches, 59 for strikes.

To pick Hendricks up, the Cubs scored twice in the third and four times in the fifth. That gave the Cubs a 7-4 lead. Chicago scored in each of the next two innings but so did Washington, making the score 9-7 Cubs. The Nationals would push another run across in the eighth but Wade Davis was able to convert a seven out save, sending the Cubs to their third straight NLCS appearance.

Hendricks will be a key piece for the remainder of the postseason

With the NLCS starting up on Saturday, it is highly unlikely that Hendricks starts Game 1. What seems more probable is a Game 3 start for Hendricks at Wrigley Field.

No matter when Hendricks pitches in the series, he will be an important piece in the Cubs’ postseason puzzle. With his success in October over the last few seasons, the Cubs will lean on him whenever they can.

Prior to his start on Thursday, Hendricks had a 1.98 career postseason ERA in 41 innings pitched. This means that Joe Maddon will likely give the ball to Hendricks whenever he is needed the most, whether that be out of the bullpen in later games, or as a starter on short rest.

Assuming the Cubs give Hendricks five days between starts, he will start Game 3 and Game 7 if the series goes that far.

Next: Chicago Cubs make it three-straight NLCS appearances with Game 5 win

Whenever Hendricks is called upon to pitch, one thing will be certain. The youngster will show up ready to dominate and that is a bad sign for opposing hitters.