Cubs have Clay Holmes conundrum with Wild Card elimination looming vs. Padres

Losing Game 1 to the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card series, the Chicago Cubs are now facing an uphill climb on Wednesday and Thursday. Under the current format, only one team has gone on to win the Wild Card series after losing Game 1. Kevin Gausman is going to get the start tonight, but after that, the plan has yet to be revealed.

Outside of Matthew Boyd, it would seem all of the pitchers Craig Counsell used on Tuesday night will also be available in Game 2. The question becomes how does Counsell balance the need to avoid elimination tonight while preserving options for a potential Game 3.

Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Shota Imanaga are all available on the Wild Card roster. It would be a safe assumption to say that Gausman will have a short leash tonight, considering the up-and-down nature of his season, and the reality that he entered this week with a risk of not pitching because of a shoulder injury.

The biggest question facing Counsell ahead of this game, outside of whether or not Alex Bregman can physically play third base, is who will be the pitcher to enter the game after Gausman?

Cubs have no margin for error with Clay Holmes decision as Padres threaten elimination

That's a question that pertains directly to Holmes. Between Holmes, Peterson, and Imanaga, it would seem that Holmes is the likeliest candidate to get the Game 3 start on Thursday, assuming there is one. The Cubs have prioritized their right-handed pitchers against the Padres, evident by Boyd and Gausman getting the first two starts, and giving Holmes the nod in Game 3 is part of the reason why they traded for him at the deadline.

The risk in that approach is the idea of the Cubs losing on Wednesday without Holmes never factoring into the pitching plans for the series. Considering what the Cubs gave up for Holmes (and Tyrone Taylor) at the deadline, it would feel negligible for the veteran pitcher not be used during a playoff series.

For that reason, it would seem that the decision regarding Holmes in Game 2 is obvious. If the game calls for him to be used, then the Cubs need to use him. Live to see another day. If Holmes is part of the plan to avoid elimination tonight, as much as he would be a clear option to start in Game 3, Counsell needs to pull that lever.

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