October 7, 2017

NBC Sports Chicago, Why Kyle Hendricks is the new Mr. October in Cubs rotation http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/why-kyle-hendricks-new-mr-october-cubs-rotation

NBC Sports Chicago, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo show Nationals why Cubs are the defending champs http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-show-nationals-why-theyre-defending-champs-and-take-control-nlds-hendricks-strasburg

NBC Sports Chicago, The state of Jake Arrieta, Max Scherzer and Cubs’ playoff pitching plans http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/state-jake-arrieta-max-scherzer-and-cubs-playoff-pitching-plans

NBC Sports Chicago, Men vs. Boys: How Nationals showed Cubs the way to build a heavyweight contender http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/men-vs-boys-how-nationals-showed-cubs-way-build-heavyweight-contender

NBC Sports Chicago, Cubs release NLDS roster and yes, John Lackey is on it along with another surprise http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-release-nlds-roster-and-yes-john-lackey-it-along-another-surprise

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' timely hitting, Kyle Hendricks' crafty pitching earn Game 1 victory over Nationals http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-nationals-spt-1007-20171006-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Kyle Hendricks emerges as Cubs' true ace when they need him most http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-ace-kyle-hendricks-haugh-spt-1007-20171006-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Game 1 victory shows how one slip-up can swing a playoff game http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sullivan-cubs-nationals-spt-1007-20171006-column.html#nt=simple-embed

Chicago Tribune, Adjustments suit Kris Bryant, Javier Baez against Nationals' Stephen Strasburg http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-kris-bryant-javier-baez-20171006-story.html

Chicago Tribune, No change in sight for John Lackey's bullpen role for playoffs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-john-lackey-relief-role-cubs-notes-spt-1007-20171006-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Leonys Martin, surprise addition to Cubs playoff roster, took harrowing route to U.S. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-leonys-martin-playoff-roster-cubs-20171006-story.html

Chicago Tribune, John Lackey, Justin Wilson on Cubs' NLDS roster; Hector Rondon out http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-john-lackey-20171006-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs playoff ticket prices dip on resale market — but are still high http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-met-cubs-tickets-postseason-20171005-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Hammer time? Jon Lester is the guy to drop it on the Nats in Game 2 https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/hammer-time-jon-lester-is-the-guy-to-drop-it-on-the-nats-in-game-2/

Chicago Sun-Times, MORRISSEY: Kyle Hendricks makes the most of his Joe-given opportunity https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/morrissey-kyle-hendricks-makes-the-most-of-his-joe-given-opportunity/

Chicago Sun-Times, TELANDER: One opening was all it took for Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/telander-one-opening-was-all-it-took-for-kris-bryant-anthony-rizzo/

Chicago Sun-Times, Hendricks, Cubs swat Nats in Game 1, steal buzz from NLDS favorites https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/hendricks-cubs-swat-nats-in-game-1-steal-buzz-from-nlds-favorites/

Chicago Sun-Times, Did Cubs’ Jon Lester want the ball in Game 1? Yep — but Game 2 will do https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/did-cubs-jon-lester-want-the-ball-in-game-1-yep-but-game-2-will-do/

Chicago Sun-Times, Rendon error opens door for Cubs in Game 1 victory https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/rendon-error-opens-door-for-cubs/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs in command with Max Scherzer pushed back to next week https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-in-command-with-max-scherzer-pushed-back-up-to-next-week/

Chicago Sun-Times, Hendricks success personal, ‘gratifying’ for ex-Cub ace traded for him https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/hendricks-success-personal-gratifying-for-ex-cub-ace-traded-for-him/

Daily Herald, Hendricks outduels Strasburg as Cubs take Game 1 of NLDS http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171006/hendricks-outduels-strasburg-as-cubs-take-game-1-of-nlds

Daily Herald, Rozner: Cubs, Hendricks firmly in control http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171006/rozner-cubs-hendricks-firmly-in-control

Daily Herald, For Chicago Cubs' Maddon, keeping Lackey was about bullpen flexibility http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171006/for-chicago-cubs-maddon-keeping-lackey-was-about-bullpen-flexibility

Daily Herald, Lester hoping arrow points up in Game 2 NLDS start for Cubs http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171006/lester-hoping-arrow-points-up-in-game-2-nlds-start-for-cubs-

Cubs.com, Cubs begin title defense by blanking Nats in DC http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257698306/cubs-shut-out-nationals-in-game-1-of-nlds/

Cubs.com, Capital performance: Hendricks stifles Nats http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257745044/cubs-kyle-hendricks-dominates-nationals/

Cubs.com, Repeat? Cubs are defending champs for reason http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257749170/cubs-remind-why-theyre-world-series-champions/

Cubs.com, Cubs go for 2-0 NLDS lead as Lester faces Nats http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257749170/cubs-remind-why-theyre-world-series-champions/

Cubs.com, Bryzzo delivers vs. Strasburg for NLDS lead http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257734892/kris-bryant-anthony-rizzo-lead-cubs-in-nlds/

Cubs.com, Cubs in enviable position with Lester in Game 2 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257688460/cubs-jon-lester-set-to-start-game-2-of-nlds/

Cubs.com, Game 1 goes according to plan for Maddon http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/257745366/game-1-plan-works-for-cubs-joe-maddon/

ESPNChicago.com, Mr. Postseason delivers: Kyle Hendricks outduels Stephen Strasburg to give Cubs series lead http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/83340/mr-postseason-delivers-kyle-hendricks-outdoes-stephen-strasburg-to-give-cubs-series-lead

ESPNChicago.com, Las Vegas natives Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper work together to help victims http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20937664/kris-bryant-bryce-harper-work-together-help-victims-las-vegas-shooting

-- NBC Sports Chicago Why Kyle Hendricks is the new Mr. October in Cubs rotation By Patrick Mooney WASHINGTON – The Cubs know Kyle Hendricks approaches moments like this with the kind of outward enthusiasm you would see in someone doing laundry or taking out the garbage. That personality – never left them see you sweat or smile – combined with killing-them-softly stuff made Hendricks such an ideal Game 1 starter against the Washington Nationals. Hendricks always seems to be The Other Pitcher on this kind of stage. Even though he already beat Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers on the night the Cubs won their first NL pennant in 71 years and outlasted Corey Kluber in last year’s unforgettable World Series Game 7 against the Cleveland Indians. This time, it became all about Stephen Strasburg, the former No. 1 overall pick with the $175 million contract who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning on Friday night at Nationals Park. Yet once again, there was Hendricks calmly walking off the mound after pitching another game of his life, the Cubs feeling all the momentum in this best-of-five National League Division Series. “He didn’t miss a spot,” catcher Willson Contreras said after a 3-0 win. “He didn’t miss a pitch. We did everything that we wanted to.” Don’t act surprised: Hendricks has a World Series ring and a 1.98 ERA in eight career playoff starts. During those 41 innings against some of the world’s best hitters giving absolute focus, he has 36 strikeouts and a 1.000 WHIP. If this is a new normal, then it could be a very long October for the defending champs. “He’s the same guy all the time, no matter what,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “It’s not easy to do in this game. He just has this confidence about him. He doesn’t get rattled.” One scout tracking the Cubs for another playoff team thought Hendricks would be a particularly good Game 1 matchup against a fastball-happy Washington lineup. The thinking: The Nationals would have to wait five days for the playoffs to start after the regular season ended and his different looks would disrupt their timing even more. Hendricks kept the Nationals completely off-balance, allowing only two singles and three walks and finishing with six strikeouts during those seven shutdown innings and using the rush from those 43,898 fans to hover around 90 mph when needed. “I’m just a laid-back guy, but you’re definitely feeling it,” Hendricks said. “The energy there in the stadium and the crowd was pretty cool, but we’ve played some big games, even down the stretch in our division. We’ve had good atmospheres, so we were ready to take that adrenaline on and use it to our advantage.” From there, Hendricks can precisely locate those fastballs wherever he wants and the extra velocity creates different dimensions for the changeups that he can cut or fade. The Dartmouth College graduate became the

perfect match for the team’s elaborate game-planning system, understanding all the trouble spots within the strike zone for a powerful Washington lineup. “He’s always locked in,” Contreras said. “From the moment that he gets to the ballpark, he’s always quiet. He’s focused on what he wants to do, and he knows the hitters. He has his plan.” Hendricks still flies under the radar on a team loaded with players who have first-round/top-prospect pedigrees and high-profile free agents with big contracts. But with Jon Lester knowing he didn’t deserve this Game 1 start, Jose Quintana having zero postseason experience and Jake Arrieta recovering from a Grade 1 hamstring strain, the Cubs need Hendricks to be the new Mr. October in their rotation. -- NBC Sports Chicago Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo show Nationals why Cubs are the defending champs By Patrick Mooney WASHINGTON – The Cubs killed their identity as loveable losers haunted by goats and black cats at 12:47 a.m. on Nov. 3, 2016 at Progressive Field, beating the Cleveland Indians in an epic World Series Game 7 that would change their lives forever. This is who the Cubs are now, the adrenaline junkies addicted to playing aces in front of big crowds on national TV and waiting to see how the Washington Nationals respond to the pressure. It didn’t matter that Stephen Strasburg needed only 52 pitches to power through five innings and flirt with a no-hitter on Friday night at Nationals Park. This is exactly what the Cubs had been waiting for during a regular season that at times felt more like a chore. That big-game experience and all the little things mattered as the Cubs took control with a 3-0 win that changed the psychology of this best-of-five National League Division Series. “Last year, it was just like: ‘You guys have to win the whole thing or you’re a failure,’” Bryant said afterward in a relatively tame and quiet visiting clubhouse. “And we did it. But this year, it’s no different. We want to be the last team standing. It’s kind of a cool spot to be with nobody really expecting us to.” Only the Cubs could play the underdog card when they have two players in the top three for jersey sales in Major League Baseball this season – The Bryzzo Effect – plus Javier Baez at No. 10. But those three pounced on a Washington error after Kyle Hendricks matched Strasburg through five scoreless innings. A Nationals team that has never won a playoff series came unglued when Anthony Rendon fumbled the hard-hit ball Baez chopped down the third-base line. A textbook bunt from Hendricks – so sneaky good and fundamentally sound in every aspect of the game – moved Baez into scoring position. Baez set the tone for the entire playoffs last October when his clutch home run off Johnny Cueto landed in the basket fronting the Wrigley Field bleachers, the Cubs winning a 1-0 Game 1 against the even-year San Francisco Giants. “We trust each other,” Rizzo said. “That’s the big, big thing for us. We know someone is going to come through at some point. (Look at) last year, Game 1. I said it to Javy: ‘History is going to repeat itself. You might have to go deep for us and win 1-0.’” The Cubs have that aura, attention to detail and killer instinct now. Bryant – who had “only” 73 RBI during a season that topped last year’s NL MVP campaign in some ways – notched the first hit off Strasburg with two outs in the sixth inning by drilling a 96-mph fastball into right field.

While Baez scored, Bryant alertly hustled on Bryce Harper’s throw and slid headfirst into second base. Rizzo then smashed a line drive that bounced into Harper’s glove as he stumbled onto the grass. Within three pitches, the battle-tested Cubs had scored two unearned runs and silenced the sea of red all around Nationals Park. “You feel the nerves and all that,” Bryant said. “I just think as the playoffs go on and you play more playoff games, it kind of becomes a little bit easier just to go out and play.” A Cubs team that already feels like this is playing with house money will now hand the ball to three-time World Series champion Jon Lester on Saturday and – at worst – leave Washington with home-field advantage in a best-of-three matchup where the Nationals have everything to lose. “We just trust that someone is going to do it,” Rizzo said. “It doesn’t have to be me or Kris or Addie (Addison Russell) or J-Hey (Jason Heyward). No one puts that pressure on (themselves) to make sure: ‘I have to do it.’ It’s not ‘I.’ We know that someone is going to do it.” -- NBC Sports Chicago The state of Jake Arrieta, Max Scherzer and Cubs’ playoff pitching plans By Patrick Mooney WASHINGTON – The Cubs and Washington Nationals spent years building toward this moment, making shrewd draft picks, engineering big trades and signing free-agent stars, but now it could all hinge on two hamstrings. The Cubs at least know that their lineup won’t face Max Scherzer twice in this best-of-five National League Division Series, with Washington starting lefty Gio Gonzalez in Saturday’s Game 2 at Nationals Park and pushing their two-time Cy Young Award winner back to Monday’s Game 3 at Wrigley Field. Assuming the “tweak” in Scherzer’s right leg doesn’t completely shackle his violent delivery and drain the power from his push-off leg and turn Washington’s dream season into a nightmare. Jake Arrieta had a 26-day head start on Scherzer when he suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain on Labor Day and the Cubs still felt the best move would be holding their Cy Young Award winner back for an if-necessary Game 4 next week. “Honestly, he’s feeling really good,” manager Joe Maddon said Friday. “Everything’s coming up nicely, reports from the doctor, reports from Jake, the training staff. He’s ready for that game. There’s no doubt about that. Something would have to happen between now and then, because as of right now, he feels very good. “Slow-playing that, regarding getting him back out, might be beneficial to us. We’ll see how it all plays out. But he’s feeling very good right now.” That uncertainty around Arrieta and the left-handed thump in Washington’s lineup shaped this playoff roster. The Cubs went with 11 pitchers, making veteran starter John Lackey available in case of emergency in a Big Boy Game. Struggling lefty reliever Justin Wilson bumped Hector Rondon – who never seemed to fully regain Maddon’s trust after last year’s playoffs – because of his status as a trade-deadline addition and numbers against Mr. October Daniel Murphy (0-for-6 with three strikeouts and a walk). This alignment also allows Maddon to used lefty swingman Mike Montgomery for the best matchups and high-leverage moments. “I do believe he’s well,” Maddon said of Arrieta. “But if something were to go awry, then you have John, who’s totally stretched out. That’s even like a backup-backup kind of a plan. But it’s really based on the handed-ness of the Nationals and the fact that we like Wilson possibly in different situations. And we really like Montgomery in a lot of situations.

“This is our best guess right now.” -- NBC Sports Chicago Men vs. Boys: How Nationals showed Cubs the way to build a heavyweight contender By Patrick Mooney WASHINGTON – What are the odds the Cubs would win the World Series and Donald Trump would become president before the Washington Nationals won a playoff series? We can only imagine the reaction if Dale Sveum heard that apocalyptic postgame question on Sept. 6, 2012, when the Cubs manager summed up a four-game sweep at Nationals Park like this: “That’s just men playing against boys right now.” This was nearing the end of Year 1 for the Theo Epstein administration, when the light at the end of the tunnel felt more like a bridge to nowhere. Now the Cubs are the defending World Series champs. Epstein’s baseball operations group continues a tradition of playing pickup basketball before each playoff series, posing for pictures on Thursday with Patrick Ewing on the Georgetown campus. And Washington is the team that has to prove it can handle the pressure in the best-of-five National League Division Series that begins Friday night at Nationals Park. That alternative reality would have sounded absolutely bonkers while watching the Cubs and Nationals that September. “I showed (Kyle) Schwarber like three days ago,” said catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello, his face lighting up with recognition. “We gave up 15 homers in four games. We watched every homer the other day. I said: ‘This is where we were.’” Sveum got fired, in part, for his brutal honesty after another fifth-place finish in 2013. But he knew all about talent and preparation after: playing with Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor; being on the 1998 New York Yankees team that won 114 games and the first of three straight World Series titles; and helping coach up the iconic “Band of Idiots” on the 2004 Boston Red Sox. Set aside Jeff Samardzija’s 2-1 loss on Labor Day — another sign the Notre Dame football star could become a 200-inning pitcher and anchor a flip deal for future All-Star shortstop Addison Russell — and the Cubs got outscored 29-8 in three games started by Chris Rusin, Chris Volstad and Justin Germano. “I’ve never been part of three consecutive games that you were just beyond overmatched,” said Borzello, a Sveum hire who earned four World Series rings as a Yankee staffer. “These homers were not fence-scrapers. It was like: ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’ It wouldn’t stop. I’ve never seen anything like it.” General manager Jed Hoyer fired off a long internal memo after that series, detailing how the Nationals were built and how they timed their big moves. In the middle of the 2009 season, as an up-and-coming Red Sox employee, Hoyer had multiple interviews with Nationals ownership for the GM job that went to Chicago guy Mike Rizzo as an internal promotion. “It was like smacking us in the face,” Hoyer said. “This is what we wanted to become when we were good. We were looking at an adult version, or basically a late-teenage-years version of what we were trying to be. “Getting destroyed by those guys, I thought, was actually like a great thing for our mentality. Like: ‘Oh, OK, this is how far we are away.’ “But also in 2009, when I was interviewing there, they were dead last, so it doesn’t have to take forever.”

Indeed, the Nationals turned 102- and 103-loss seasons in 2008 and 2009 into No. 1 overall picks Stephen Strasburg (Game 1 starter) and Bryce Harper (2015 NL MVP). Though it hasn’t yet translated into October glory, the Nationals have won between 95 and 98 games and division titles in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Out of that 101-loss season in 2012, the Cubs found their own future NL Rookie of the Year/MVP from Las Vegas: Kris Bryant, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, part of a run on hitters that includes Schwarber, the 2014 first-round selection who’s 3-for-3 in playoff appearances and already an October legend. “It’s crazy,” Schwarber said. “I was lucky enough to come here when we made the playoffs. That’s all I know – winning right now. “I’m sure there’s other guys in this room that have been part of losing teams, and they don’t ever want to have that feeling again. I know for a fact I don’t ever want to have that feeling of being on a losing team. “It’s the competitive nature of this game. You want to make it to the playoffs. You want to win the World Series. I’m lucky. I’m fortunate to be a part of this. We just want to keep it going.” In the same way that the Nationals gave outfielder Jayson Werth a seven-year, $126 million contract after a 93-loss season in 2010 — to change their culture and add championship experience — the Cubs signed big-game pitcher Jon Lester to a six-year, $155 million megadeal after a last-place finish in 2014. Now Werth is appreciating his final days in a Washington uniform, super-agent Scott Boras will market Harper as a free agent after next season, the Nationals don’t know how long Strasburg and Max Scherzer can reasonably stay healthy and the Cubs feel like they are just getting started. “This team has an opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done for a while,” said Ben Zobrist, last year’s World Series MVP. “There’s been some teams that have dominated those few years in a row. This team, because of all the young players, and because of the resources the club has going forward, has the opportunity to do that for years to come. “You’re entering the smack-dab middle of a time where you got a lot of young, exciting Cubs players that are going to make their mark for years and years to come. So this is the time to be a Cub fan. If you want to jump on the bandwagon, do it now.” But to fully appreciate the scope of this teardown, rebuild and potential dynasty, you have to understand “Men vs. Boys.” “Don’t forget this series, because this is the one that’s going to keep you pushing,” Borzello remembered thinking at the time. “You never want to experience that again. “It’s more an appreciation of where we are. But to appreciate where we are, you can’t forget where you’ve been. And that is the series that I’ll never forget. That’s where we were.” -- NBC Sports Chicago Cubs release NLDS roster and yes, John Lackey is on it along with another surprise By Tony Andracki John Lackey may still have another game in "The Show" before he rides off into the sunset. The enigmatic veteran pitcher is active for the National League Division Series as the Cubs released the roster Friday morning.

Lackey is not a part of the Cubs' four-man rotation, but will be in the bullpen to face the Washington Nationals. The 38-year-old last appeared out of a postseason bullpen in 2013 with the Boston Red Sox, facing the St. Louis Cardinals twice as a starter in the World Series and once as a reliever. The Cubs brought Lackey in as a reliever in the final game of the regular season Sunday against the Reds. He gave up a run and was saddled with a loss, but at least he got some experience heading into the postseason. Prior to that, his last regular-season relief appearance came in 2004. Lackey was the choice over Hector Rondon in the bullpen, a surprising move given Rondon's impact as a high-leverage reliever in the Cubs bullpen over the last few years: He has a 2.87 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 251 games since the start of the 2014 season, saving 77 games in the process. He was on the mound when the Cubs clinched the 2015 NLDS over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Rondon fell out of favor in Maddon's bullpen last fall when he was injured with a triceps issue and was hardly used in the postseason and ineffective when he did get into the game (3 ER in 6 IP). The 29-year-old right-hander also missed two weeks in September with an elbow issue, though when he returned, Rondon was still throwing in the upper 90s and only allowed one baserunner in 3.1 innings from Sept. 22-29. As for the rest of the roster, the Cubs opted for only seven relievers and 14 position players, adding Leonys Martin to a crowded outfield. Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs coaching staff met during the week to finalize the roster. Here's the breakdown: CATCHERS Willson Contreras Alex Avila No surprises here. Contreras figures to play every single postseason game if healthy, filling the cleanup spot in the Cubs order behind Anthony Rizzo and also attempt to shut down the opposition's running game with his elite arm. Avila still provides fantastic depth at a crucial position, even if he may not draw a start this October. He also supplies Joe Maddon with another valuable left-handed bat off the bench. INFIELDERS Anthony Rizzo Kris Bryant Javy Baez Addison Russell Tommy La Stella Rizzo and Bryant will start at the corners while Russell and Baez figure to man the middle infield for a second straight October. La Stella will likely be the first bat off the bench against right-handed pitching. OUTFIELDERS Jason Heyward Jon Jay Ben Zobrist Kyle Schwarber Albert Almora Jr. Ian Happ

Leonys Martin Maddon will have plenty of decisions to make in the outfield, trying to find playing time for all six guys, assuming Zobrist and Happ don't see any time at second base. Martin is on the roster as the 25th guy — an elite defender who will be available to play any of the three outfield positions late in close games as well as provide a speedy pinch-runner if Maddon chooses to employ him in that capacity. Martin was credited with 8 Defensive Runs Saved in 2017, despite playing just 299.2 innings. By comparison, Heyward - one of the best defensive outfielders in the game - was credited with 18 DRS in 1008.1 innings. STARTING PITCHERS Kyle Hendricks Jon Lester Jose Quintana Jake Arrieta The Cubs rotation has been known for a couple days. The Professor gets Game 1 with Lester going Game 2 Saturday, Quintana Game 3 and if the series makes it that far - Arrieta in Game 4. RELIEVERS Wade Davis Carl Edwards Jr. Brian Duensing Pedro Strop Mike Montgomery Justin Wilson John Lackey The Cubs bullpen has struggled in the second half, posting a 4.48 ERA since the All-Star Break, good for 18th in the big leagues. Only the Houston Astros (4.49 ERA) have a worse mark among MLB playoff teams. The decision to keep Lackey made too much sense as soon as he wrapped his head around a possible relief role after stating earlier in the season he would never go to the bullpen. He provides another long option for Maddon if anything happens to a starter early in a game due to injury or ineffectiveness. Lackey and Montgomery could each eat multiple innings at any point for the Cubs. Beyond that, Wilson also makes sense as another southpaw to possibly come in and face one batter in a crucial spot like Bryce Harper or Daniel Murphy. Wilson has struggled since the Cubs traded for him just before the deadline, but he's been in the postseason before and was a dominant reliever for years before August. He may not be in Maddon's circle of trust, but he still could be a weapon this October. Lackey's presence on the roster ensured Justin Grimm and Rondon would not have a spot for at least one postseason series. Grimm struggled all season (5.53 ERA) and it became obvious Lackey would be active for the NLDS as the regular season wound down. But the decision to keep Rondon off the roster and put Martin on as the 25th man is curious and may mean the Cubs have some question marks still surrounding Rondon's health. It's still hard to see Lackey called upon to enter the game in a "dirty" inning with runners on base, something he's not used to at all. Though Lester has no issues with the three-time World Series champ in October: "I've seen Lack come out of the bullpen and get a hold in a World Series game before.," Lester said. "That's one person I'm not worried about." --

Chicago Tribune Cubs' timely hitting, Kyle Hendricks' crafty pitching earn Game 1 victory over Nationals By Mark Gonzales Power dominates, but Cubs style points Friday night proved more valuable in posting one of their most skillful victories of the past three postseasons. Despite Stephen Strasburg not allowing a hit for 52/3 innings, the Cubs' precision-like play produced a 3-0 victory Friday night over the Nationals in Game 1 of this best-of-five National League Division Series. Kyle Hendricks relied on his mixture of changeups and curveballs that made his high-80 mph fastball appear faster and, in some cases, break the bats of the Nationals' most formidable sluggers. And Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, who each looked helpless in striking out in their first two at-bats against Strasburg, came through at the right time. "(Hendricks) did a great job, and this obviously was a tone setter for us," said Jon Lester, who will start Game 2 Saturday against Gio Gonzalez. "And the offense did a great job of grinding out Strasburg." Bryant collected the Cubs' first hit — a single into right-center field on an 0-2 count with two outs in the sixth to score Javier Baez and snap a scoreless tie. Bryant cleverly moved up to second base and scored when Rizzo's line drive fell near the outstretched glove of a diving Bryce Harper in right field. "In that situation, (Strasburg) has the advantage," Bryant said. "You have to go out there and try less. That's what (manager) Joe (Maddon) says. Sometimes that works. That's kind of what I do." It was third baseman Anthony Rendon's error — his first since July 22 — that enabled Baez to reach first base safely to open the sixth and set up the clutch hits from Bryant and Rizzo. It also soiled Strasburg's impressive performance as he struck out 10 and walked one in seven innings. The Cubs, attempting to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees (1998-2000), played near-flawless defense behind Hendricks and relievers Carl Edwards Jr. and Wade Davis. Hendricks, who finished the regular season with a 2.19 ERA in his final 13 regular-season starts, lived up to his dependable reputation despite outside cries for Lester to start Game 1. "It was nothing but excellence," catcher Willson Contreras said. "He didn't miss a spot, didn't miss a pitch. We did everything we wanted." Hendricks, who earned the deciding Game 6 victory in the 2016 NL Championship Series over the Dodgers and started Game 7 of the World Series, never was in trouble after the second and frustrated the Nationals with his mixture of pitches. "Maybe not my best ever (start), but it was right up there," said Hendricks, whose velocity touched 91 mph to make his changeup all the more effective. Hendricks and Edwards held speedy leadoff batter Trea Turner hitless in four at-bats after Turner went 6-for-14 with seven stolen bases in a four-game series against the Cubs in June. The Cubs added an insurance run as Jon Jay, who was 13-for-40 (.325) as a pinch-hitter during the regular season, batted for Hendricks and poked a double down the left field line to start the eighth. Rizzo fouled off four two-strike pitches with two outs off reliever Ryan Madson before his double scored Jay.

"The big thing for us is that we know someone is going to come through at some point," Rizzo said. -- Chicago Tribune Kyle Hendricks emerges as Cubs' true ace when they need him most By David Haugh In a town that likes a good debate, Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks settled one that simmered all summer in Chicago. Hendricks established himself as the indisputable ace of the Cubs in a 3-0 victory Friday night over the Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, outdueling Stephen Strasburg at Nationals Park in an entertaining contrast of styles. Well, it was entertaining only from the Cubs' perspective. For the Nationals, a team that never has advanced past the first round of the playoffs, the loss was devastating. Demoralizing. Pick any synonym for gut-wrenching out of your thesaurus. The guy they call "The Professor" educated America about the finer points of pitching while Strasburg countered with force, one power pitch at a time. Hendricks' typical fastball, even the ones he called "adrenaline-based," topped out around 90mph — or the same speed as Strasburg's changeups. But Hendricks changing speeds and hitting locations kept hitters guessing, and the Nationals managed only two hits in seven innings against the Cubs' reserved right-hander. "This is as good as I've seen him," manager Joe Maddon said. After every inning, Hendricks walked deliberately off the mound toward the dugout like someone trying to commit something to memory, exhibiting the composure that made this performance so hard to forget. It came 11 months after Hendricks started Game 7 of the World Series — two straight playoff starts in Cubs history — and while the calendar changed, he did not. This was the kind of poise and precision the Cubs had to have on a night Strasburg supplied nasty, no-hit stuff through 5 2/3 innings. "You're aware of it, that every pitch needs your focus," Hendricks said of Strasburg's dominance. "To get this nod for Game 1 and set the tone for our team was huge.'' Every time a batter shook his head in disgust after another swing and miss, Hendricks noticed. As Nationals hitters looked weaker, Hendricks grew stronger. "Your confidence builds when you start seeing those swings," he said. Good teams take advantage of mistakes the way the Cubs did in the sixth after Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon misplayed Javier Baez's ground ball for an error. After Hendricks helped himself bunting Baez to second, Kris Bryant came through in the clutch like MVPs do. On an 0-2 pitch, Bryant laced a single into right-center that scored Baez with the first run as the dugout erupted with a mixture of joy and relief. When Anthony Rizzo followed with a line drive in front of right fielder Bryce Harper, Bryant crossed the plate to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead that seemed insurmountable. "Sometimes you have to make your own music," Maddon said of his team's method. The Cubs opened the 2016 playoffs with a 1-0 shutout, and this 3-0 masterpiece to open the 2017 postseason was as crackling good in terms of pitching, defense and timely hitting.

Manager Dusty Baker spoke pregame about wanting to keep the pressure on the Cubs, but it all falls at the feet of his Nationals now. Game 2 on Saturday represents a must-win for a Nationals team that has done nothing in October to think it can beat the Cubs three of the next four games. "He was tricking us tonight," Baker said of Hendricks. "We'll be better." With the dome of the U.S. Capitol part of a cool view from the press box, the buildup to the most highly anticipated Nationals playoff game in years included elements of patriotism and poignancy. Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Republican whip who was shot and seriously wounded in June at a congressional baseball team practice, hobbled out to the pitcher's mound to throw out the first pitch. Scalise's perfect strike followed a strong delivery by Las Vegas natives Bryant and Harper, who appeared together on the giant video board to urge everyone to donate to www.clarkcountynv.gov for the victims of the shooting massacre in their hometown. Earlier in the day, Maddon surprised nobody by tweaking the Cubs lineup before a playoff game. He can't help himself. After 162 regular-season games, suspense still surrounded the release of the lineup. You imagined Joe the mad genius chuckling as he wrote Jason Heyward's name into center field, where Heyward started only 12 games all season. Moving the Gold Glove right fielder made room for Ben Zobrist, who entered 2 for his last 20, and gave Kyle Schwarber help in left field. Putting a premium on power expecting Strasburg's best, Maddon gave Schwarber the nod over Jon Jay, the dependable .296-hitting veteran who contributed a pinch-hit double. Schwarber struck out twice. In fairness, Ryne Sandberg in his prime would have struggled against Strasburg as dominant as he was early. Luckily for the Cubs, Hendricks was as efficient as Strasburg was overpowering. Both aces flashed enough brilliance that both teams still like their chances based on starting pitching. The Nationals clung to the hope Baker sold before the game in confirming Max Scherzer will pitch Game 3 on Monday after being pushed back because of a sore hamstring. The Cubs left believing if they can beat Strasburg at his best, they can beat anybody. They walked out of their clubhouse convinced the regular season meant nothing and they're on their way again. And after taking a 1-0 lead in the NLDS in this manner, who can blame them? -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Game 1 victory shows how one slip-up can swing a playoff game By Paul Sullivan Before the start of the National League Division Series, Kyle Schwarber was talking about the importance of defense in what's expected to be a low-scoring series. "There's always that one play that swings something," Schwarber said. "These are two really good defenses, and maybe that one slip-up might cause something to landslide. "Hopefully it's not our side, right?" Right as a rain delay, Schwarber. The slip-up in Game 1 didn't exactly precipitate a landslide, but that one miscue and Kyle Hendricks' brilliant pitching were enough to propel the Cubs to a 3-0 victory and first blood in the series. An error by Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon on a grounder hit by Javier Baez led to a two-run sixth inning for the Cubs, and Hendricks outpitched a dominant Stephen Strasburg in a matchup of brains versus brawn. "Going up against a tough pitcher, a tough team in their home park, I don't know if anyone really expected us to win," third baseman Kris Bryant said. "But we pulled it out. With the five-game format, it's huge."

In a game that lived up to expectations, the Cubs waited for a chance to pounce, then jumped on Strasburg with eyes wide open. When Bryant stepped up in the fateful sixth, the Nationals Park scoreboard was going berserk, pleading with the sellout crowd of 43,898 to "Get Loud," while cheerleaders ran around with giant placards telling them to "get on your feet." The contrast between Nationals Park and Wrigley Field, where noise-inducing gimmickry on the video board is forbidden by Chairman Tom Ricketts, couldn't have been more glaring. But the Nats fans did as instructed, and they got very loud before Bryant's two-strike, two-out RBI single ended Strasburg's no-hit bid and sent Baez home from second, snapping the scoreless tie. As soon as the fans got off their feet, Anthony Rizzo singled in front of a sliding Bryce Harper in right to give Hendricks an insurance run, stunning a town that doesn't stun easily these days. Hendricks turned out to be the Game 1 hero, though for most of the night it looked like it was going to be remembered as the Strasburg Game. Strasburg was burying the Cubs in the early going, striking out Bryant and Rizzo in each of their first two at-bats and carrying his no-hitter into the sixth. But the Cubs got the kind of performance from Hendricks they needed — slow and easy to keep the hard-swinging Nats off-kilter. "He was tricking us tonight," Nats manager Dusty Baker said. "And it seems like those kind of guys give us more trouble than guys who throw hard." "That's why we call him 'Professor,'" Baez said. "He knows what he's doing. He's been waiting for this moment." The Cubs were spotless on defense from Rizzo nabbing Daniel Murphy's liner in the first to Schwarber's running catch of Harper's liner in the sixth to Bryant's one-handed pickup and perfect throw to retire Jayson Werth in the seventh. "Sometimes you do things that you don't know how you did it," Bryant said. "That was one of them." Baez capped it by running down Harper's popup in center in the eighth. "We definitely hit our marks as a team," shortstop Addison Russell said. "Defense is one of them." No slip-ups here, boss. No landslides, either. Baker also helped when he opted to pitch to Rizzo in the eighth with first base open, two outs and a man on second, Rizzo made him pay with an RBI double to make it 3-0. It was easy to second-guess Baker, and it will be hard for him to shake it off. Despite the loss, Strasburg showed why the Cubs need to end this early so they don't have to face him again. Strasburg and Max Scherzer are the Nats' version of Dodgers greats Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, who started three of four games in their 1963 World Series sweep of the Yankees and five of seven games in their 1965 World Series win over the Twins. If Scherzer was going in Game 2 instead of Game 3, they potentially could've started in four of five games. Instead, Scherzer's hamstring "tweak" lSaturday forced the Nats to give him more rest, leaving it to Gio Gonzalez on Saturday. Not too shabby, but he's no "Mad Max."

This was a game the Nats probably had to win. The series is far from over, but losing after such a dominant outing by Strasburg had to be tough to swallow, especially for a team that has been reminded of its poor postseason history all week. The Cubs are assured of at least a split this weekend, and have Jon Lester going in Game 2 on Saturday. "Sounds really good," catcher Willson Contreras said. -- Chicago Tribune Adjustments suit Kris Bryant, Javier Baez against Nationals' Stephen Strasburg By Mark Gonzales Kris Bryant smiled Friday night in assessing the expectations of the Cubs from last season's World Series title season to those entering this month's playoffs. "I think it helps being the underdog and not expected to do too much," said Bryant, who broke up Stephen Strasburg's no-hit bid with a go-ahead single with two out in the sixth inning that scored Javier Baez in the Cubs' 3-0 victory over the Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. "Last year it was we have to win the whole thing or we’re a failure. This year is no different. We want to be the last team standing, and it’s kind of a cool spot to be in." Baez also had to get accustomed to the pitch sequence of Strasburg, who struck him out twice and induced him to ground into a double play the last time he faced him on June 28. Baez, who was 0-for-6 lifetime with three strikeouts against Strasburg, managed to hit a grounder that third baseman Anthony Rendon bobbled on the exchange for an error that paved the way for Bryant to deliver the game-winning hit. "The last start he threw a lot of first-pitch curves," said Baez, who struck out on a 91 mph changeup in his first at-bat. "I was sitting on it but wasn't even close. You try everything. Strasburg changed our plan. He was great. "KB got me in. That's all that matters." -- Chicago Tribune No change in sight for John Lackey's bullpen role for playoffs By Mark Gonzales John Lackey has been assigned relief duty for the National League Division Series that began Friday night against the Nationals, and that's unlikely to change if the Cubs advance. "It would be the same way," manager Joe Maddon said Friday. "It depends on who you're going to play. If you're going to play the same type of team that requires more (left-handed pitching), you might see the same thing." The Cubs' NLDS roster includes left-handers Brian Duensing, Justin Wilson and Mike Montgomery, who will slide into more of a late-inning role with Lackey dispatched to the bullpen. Lackey could take over in Game 4 for Jake Arrieta, but the Cubs have received encouraging reports on Arrieta's right hamstring with the expectation that Arrieta will make start Tuesday, if necessary, at Wrigley Field.

"(Arrieta) is feeling very good,' Maddon said. "Everything is coming up nicely from the reports from the doctors to Jake and the training staff. He's ready for that game. No doubt about it. "Something would have to happen (between) now and then because he feels very good." Maddon added that using Lackey as a starter in place of Arrieta would be a "backup, backup plan." "But it's really based on the (left-)handedness of the Nationals, and the fact we like Wilson possibly in different situations and we really like Montgomery in a lot of situations." Infield set? Javier Baez started every postseason game in 2016 at second base, and Maddon hopes to keep his infield intact during the duration of the playoffs. "I hope so," Maddon said. "We'll look at (Max) Scherzer's numbers against right-handers, which he's very tough against. We'll see." Scherzer, who is scheduled to pitch Game 3 Monday at Wrigley Field, has held Baez hitless in five career at-bats with three strikeouts. Ben Zobrist, who started Game 1 in right field, is 5-for-25 lifetime against Scherzer, but three of those hits are home runs. Tommy La Stella is 3-for-6 with a homer against Scherzer. Extra innings: Outfielder Leonys Martin earned a spot on the Cubs' roster as the Cubs are carrying 14 position players and 11 pitchers. ... Maddon wasn't surprised the Nationals are carrying four left-handed relievers — closer Sean Doolittle, Oliver Perez, Enny Romero and Sammy Solis on their roster. "They probably had (Anthony) Rizzo in mind, more than anything," Maddon said. "I would imagine that's the main target for all that." -- Chicago Tribune Leonys Martin, surprise addition to Cubs playoff roster, took harrowing route to U.S. By Paul Skrbina Leonys Martin’s journey to the United States was completed when he walked across the border from Mexico into Laredo, Texas, in April 2011. The Cubs outfielder now finds himself in the nation’s capital, and a surprising inclusion on the team’s postseason roster. Martin testified during a federal trial in Miami in February that he had been smuggled via speedboat from his native Cuba to Mexico in 2010. He said he entered the U.S. while giving U.S. Customs false information because he feared for his life after “eight or nine men” attempted to kidnap him. He said he had signed a contract with those who helped him flee Cuba that obligated him to pay them 40 percent of the five-year, $15.5-million deal he had agreed to with the Rangers. “My life was in danger in Mexico,” Martin testified. “My safety was at risk." Martin alleged in court documents he paid the smugglers about $1.5 million before stopping payments. The Cubs acquired Martin from the Mariners on Aug. 31 for a player to be named later or cash. He made his debut with the Cubs on the mound, though, during a 12-0 loss to the Pirates, the same game Jake Arrieta began having issues with his right hamstring. Martin allowed three hits and two runs, both in a home run to David Freese, in 2/3 of an inning

He had just 15 plate appearances in 16 games with the Cubs, batting .154. He hit just .174 with three home runs and eight RBIs in 122 plate appearances with the Mariners. The Cubs likely will use Martin as a late-inning defensive replacement and/or a pinch-runner. Martin made a highlight-reel catch against the Cardinals on Sept. 28, leaping above the center-field wall to rob Paul DeJong of what would have been a game-tying home run in the bottom of the 11th inning. The catch secured a 2-1 victory for the Cubs. -- Chicago Tribune John Lackey, Justin Wilson on Cubs' NLDS roster; Hector Rondon out By Mark Gonzales The Chicago Cubs' roster for the National League Division Series features pitchers John Lackey and Justin Wilson and outfielder Leonys Martin but not reliever Hector Rondon. The roster, released Friday morning, has 11 pitchers and 14 position players. Manager Joe Maddon said the biggest decision involved keeping Wilson over Rondon. Wilson has limited Nationals slugger Daniel Murphy hitless in six at-bats with three strikeouts. "Of course (Rondon) didn’t like it but was not disrespectful at all," Maddon said. "He understood in a sense. Like anyone else, he was disappointed, and I don’t blame him for being disappointed. He’s been pitching well as of late, and it was not an easy decision. "A lot was based on (the Nationals) and what they look like." Lackey will be used as a reliever if Jake Arrieta is healthy enough to pitch Game 4, if necessary. Martin joined the organization shortly before the Aug. 31 deadline for players to be eligible for their playoff roster. Lackey, 38, has made only two relief appearances in his career. But Lackey will fill the long relief role held by left-hander Mike Montgomery, who will now shift to a specialist's role. "If something bad happens early or extra innings, we can deploy Monty whenever we want because now we have John," Maddon said. Rondon, a member of the Cubs' past two postseason rosters, had a 4.24 ERA in 61 appearances. Fellow reliever Justin Grimm, who shuttled between Triple-A Iowa and the Cubs, also was left off the playoff roster. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs playoff ticket prices dip on resale market — but are still high By Marissa Page As the Cubs face the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series, those eager to watch October baseball at Wrigley will have to shell out big bucks — just not as much as for Chicago’s previous runs. The secondary ticket market is seeing slight price reductions for Monday’s Game 3, the first at the Friendly Confines this postseason, as compared with the home games in the 2015 and 2016 NLDS.

On ticket aggregator TicketIQ, the average asking price for a Game 3 ticket is $402, with the cheapest clocking in around $141. For last year’s contest against the Giants, tickets averaged $572 a pop, with the cheapest at $176. In the 2015 postseason, the Cubs’ first playoff run since 2008, tickets sold for an average of $680 for home games against the Cardinals. On Vivid Seats, another online ticket reseller, Game 3 tickets have gone for an average of $295, slightly higher than an average of $263 in Game 1 in 2016 and slightly lower than $314 for Game 2. Margot Schneider, a spokeswoman for Vivid Seats, said Game 3’s average price at Wrigley is more than double the average price of tickets to the games to be played in Washington. Chris Leyden, a content analyst for the ticket search engine SeatGeek, said Cubs postseason games will always be a “hot ticket.” On SeatGeek, resale tickets for Game 3 are selling for an average of $310, whereas last year they averaged $340. Even at slightly reduced prices, Cubs tickets still top the postseason market. On TicketIQ they’re trailed by the Yankees with an average asking price of $348. “The Cubs are still the most in-demand team in the playoffs, but they’re just not at the same eye-popping number of last year,” Leyden said. On Stubhub, spokesman Cameron Papp said tickets are selling for an average of $275, slightly lower than last year’s averages of $290 for Game 1 and $314 for Game 2 at Wrigley. “Chicago is one of those markets where, when the Cubs are in the postseason, fans are more than likely to pay premium,” Papp said. This year, the Cubs organization took an extra step to ensure fans don’t have to dig as deep on the secondary markets. The ticket lottery required an upfront $50 deposit for fans to register for the chance to buy single-game postseason tickets. The deposit can be applied to the purchase of playoff tickets or will be refunded if fans aren't selected in the drawing, decide not to buy seats or the games are not played. Julian Green, a Cubs spokesman, said the fee was meant to verify the authenticity of accounts registering for the ticket lottery. “Postseason tickets can be scarce, not only in baseball but any particular sport,” Green said. “So we tried ensuring fans, who in some cases waited generations for this team to be at this point, can have an opportunity.” Green said thousands registered for the postseason lottery, and that tickets remain in “great demand.” While Leyden said the price difference between this and previous years’ NLDS prices isn’t hugely significant, if the Cubs make it into the Championship Series and the World Series, the gap will stretch even wider. “Not that many people are buying World Series tickets right now,” Leyden said. “There aren’t that many cocky Cubs fans, or any fans.” Looking at preliminary pricing, however, Leyden said SeatGeek is seeing potential Cubs World Series tickets listed for 40 percent less than last year’s average sale price for Games 3-5 at Wrigley, which he said was between $3,500 and $4,200 a ticket. TicketIQ founder Jesse Lawrence said his site had also seen a downtick in pricing for postseason games. He said that nothing can match the draw of last year’s series, where the Cubs ended a 108-year losing streak. “Anytime you see a team like the Cubs that's coming off a long drought, demand’s just gonna be lower than in years past when they were still looking for that elusive championship,” Lawrence said. But reduced price tags are not a reflection on fan excitement, Lawrence emphasized.

“It’s not so much about a lack of enthusiasm,” he said. “I think the fans are very excited about the possibility of another run — but also spent a lot of money last year.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Hammer time? Jon Lester is the guy to drop it on the Nats in Game 2 By Steve Greenberg WASHINGTON — It only makes sense that Jon Lester, the Cubs’ Mr. Old School, would identify with coach Norman Dale of “Hoosiers” fame. But this is why you want a guy like Lester on the mound for Game 2 Saturday against the Nationals. The Nats, down 1-0 in this best-of-five National League Division Series after a bitter 3-0 defeat, are going to be fighting for their very playoff lives. Think the Game 1 crowd at Nationals Park was dialed up to 10? The Game 2 noise will make the Washington Monument shudder and shake Capitol Hill to its roots. What’s a 33-year-old, $155 million lefty to do? Try this: not be bothered one little bit. “You’ve got different atmospheres,” he said. “Stadiums are packed. They are loud. It’s fun. Once you step on that rubber, it’s still 60 feet, 6 inches, and you still have to execute a pitch. And you still have to have good at-bats and catch the ball and throw it and run and do all that stuff.” As sure as a basketball rim is 10 feet off the ground and a free-throw line 15 feet away, Lester will take the mound looking to drop the hammer on the Nats. The Cubs stole all the momentum by winning on a night when Stephen Strasburg was spectacular, but Kyle Hendricks was quietly even more brilliant. And — let’s just be honest about it — the Cubs can all but end the thing if Lester, last year’s postseason No. 1, simply does his job. “You guys saw tonight, the crowd was into it, and [there was] a lot of energy early on,” he said. “I’m sure tomorrow’s most likely going to be the exact same. So I’m excited. I’m excited to get out there. But I’m not too worried about the other stuff.” What, worry? These Cubs? Apparently not. Apparently never. They won clutch games a year ago in San Francisco, Los Angeles and — holy mama — Cleveland, and now they’re at it again. It never ceases to fascinate me how we all can size up a series before it starts, but then it starts and completely takes on a life of its own. The Nats — an edge in starting pitching? Please. It’s Lester vs. Gio Gonzalez, not Max Scherzer. And speaking of Scherzer, who’s slated for Game 3: Is he really healthy enough to pitch? There was some debate heading into Game 1 about who would get the ball in Game 5 if the series went the distance. Would it be Hendricks again or Lester, who’d be on full rest? That debate certainly ought to be moot now after Hendricks’ gem. But it almost doesn’t even matter because Lester still gets to rear back in Game 2 and — how was it put earlier? — drop a big ol’ hammer. “That sounds really good,” catcher Willson Contreras said, “especially [after] winning the first game. Kyle did really good today, but it’s already over. We’re thinking about [Saturday], about Lester. He’s a pitcher with experience in the postseason and World Series, and I know he’ll have a conviction that he’ll do well.” Experienced? Oh, yeah. Lester just so happens to rank second among active major-leaguers in postseason starts (19) and innings (133‰) and is first in strikeouts (117). By the way, who ranks first in starts and innings? That would be Cubs ace reliever John Lackey, but we can talk about that another time.

Nats manager Dusty Baker promised good things from his team in Game 2. “We just couldn’t muster up too much offense tonight,” he said. “We’ll be better tomorrow.” It’s not like they could be any worse. But it’s a long way from “better” to beating Lester. Hammer time? Sure could be. It’s not like we haven’t seen it before. -- Chicago Sun-Times MORRISSEY: Kyle Hendricks makes the most of his Joe-given opportunity By Rick Morrissey WASHINGTON — Thank you, Joe Maddon. The Cubs’ manager finally let Kyle Hendricks be a big-boy pitcher. He let him go seven innings Friday night, even if every fiber of his being was telling him to do what he usually does with the pitcher who looks more grad student than big-league hurler. OK, sure, if you want to be a stickler, Maddon did have Jon Jay waiting to bat for Hendricks in the seventh if Javy Baez got on base (he struck out). So let’s not declare Maddon cured of his intrusiveness. But let’s pat the skipper on the back in the hopes that he’ll see that Hendricks is his ace and has been for quite some time. Maddon took off the training wheels, and it was a huge factor in the Cubs’ stunning 3-0 victory against the Nationals in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. Funny how one game can change perceptions. For example, the Nationals used to have home-field advantage. And the underdog tag doesn’t fit the Cubs so well anymore, does it? A lot of that has to do with Hendricks. He mowed down the Nationals’ vaunted lineup, or as much as an 89 mph fastball can mow down anything. He gave up two hits, one to Bryce Harper and one to Michael Taylor. Everybody else looked human. Hendricks left the game after seven innings, having thrown 106 pitches in a six-strikeout performance. In his five previous playoff games, Hendricks had been allowed to pitch into the sixth inning only twice. He was pulled after 4‰ innings of Game 7 of last year’s World Series, despite having given up only one run. One pitch against the Nats would have explained Hendricks perfectly to someone who had never seen him before. It was an 81 mph changeup in the third inning that made Harper look so impaired that you wanted to take his car keys away from him. In Hendricks’ last five postseason games, including two World Series games, he has an ERA of 0.63. There is seeing the light, and then there’s the light being flashed in a certain somebody’s face. “This is as good as I’ve seen him,’’ Maddon said. “Maybe not best ever, but it was up there,’’ Hendricks said. “It was a pretty good one. Early in the game, I was a little up [in the strike zone]. There were a few balls on the barrel. After about the third inning, I really started dialing it in.’’ Maddon said Hendricks’ velocity was up, with his fastball hitting 91 mph, but Hendricks said that it might have been adrenaline talking. It’s almost beside the point. He’s as fast as he needs to be. He’s all about location. He’s understatement and precision. What he is is the Cubs’ best pitcher. Someday, the world will realize this. He’ll make that happen, perfectly placed pitch by perfectly placed pitch.

What a beautiful game this was. Hendricks and Stephen Strasburg engaged in a pitchers’ duel of such excellence and such stark contrasts that everything else seemed to be beside the point. Only human error could derail the hard-throwing Strasburg. He was so good, so on top of his game, that it was clear within a few innings that only something beneath him, something vulgar like human frailty, could bring him down to earth. And so it was that a very bad error by third baseman Anthony Rendon in the sixth inning completely changed the complexion of a ballgame. He bobbled a Baez grounder over the bag. I don’t know if it was an insult to the baseball gods, but after Hendricks bunted Baez to second base, Kris Bryant knocked him in with a single. And Anthony Rizzo drove in Bryant. What had been a no-hitter by Strasburg through 5‰ innings suddenly was a 2-0 lead that looked insurmountable, thanks to Strasburg’s opposite being on the mound for the Cubs. “Their guy was so good, and so was ours,’’ Maddon said. You were good, too, Joe. -- Chicago Sun-Times TELANDER: One opening was all it took for Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo By Rick Telander WASHINGTON — We had a pitching duel at Nationals Park that required some Cubs heavy hitters to break out of the fog created by Nationals magician Stephen Strasburg. It all came down in the sixth inning, when a lazy fielding error by Nats third baseman Anthony Rendon gave Cubs lumbermen Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo a chance to bat. “You can’t give extra outs,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the game. Hear that, Nats? Baseball is a game of repetition and deep concentration, and when Rendon casually dropped an easy grounder by leadoff batter Javy Baez, he broke the secret spell that Strasburg had been weaving through the night. Already, Strasburg had struck out a Nationals postseason team-record eight men, and his 98 mph fastball, 90 mph changeup and knee-buckling 84 mph curveball had made Bryant and Rizzo look like fools in earlier plate appearances. Indeed, the dubiously named “Bryzzo” combo were 0-for-4 to that point, with four swinging strikeouts. On fire they were not. But errors haunt teams, ruin mojo. And that’s what Rendon’s did. Just for two at-bats, and that’s all it took. Bryant stroked a single to right that drove in Baez for the game’s first run, and then he did something that also springs out of the haze of momentum-killing errors: He took second base on the cutoff throw to home. He slid into the bag head-first in a dangerous skid that nearly took him into the dirt near center field. The play was reviewed, but the umps called Bryant safe. And there was a game-breaking moment. For next up was Rizzo, the first baseman who finished the season batting .272 with 32 home runs and 109 RBI, the latter two being career highs. He promptly drilled a single to right that scored Bryant, and the Cubs were up 2-0. No matter that Strasburg gave up no more runs, earned or unearned. The damage was done.

“K.B. and Riz — two of the best in the game,” winning pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. That’s what great offensive players like Bryant and Rizzo, the Nos. 2 and 3 hitters in Maddon’s lineup, do in this game of waiting and attacking at just the right time. You can strike out 50 times, pop up, hit into double plays, stumble, fall down — all of it — if you just get the big hits at the critical moments. “Timely hitting is huge in the playoffs,” Rizzo said. As it always is. Rizzo also got a double to left in the eighth to drive in Jon Jay, who had led off with a double off reliever Ryan Madson. One more RBI in a game where just one was all that was needed to win. For the Cubs to win this series, they will need Bryant and Rizzo to stay hot. Or at least they will need for the two stars to stay alert and let their expert baseball awareness and great hitting skills infect teammates with the desire to succeed at the precise moment. The hits by the pair had to be doubly depressing to the Nationals, since they were unable to do anything to the soft-throwing Hendricks, at their home park, in front of a sellout crowd that had too many Cubs fans inside to be happy about. “I think we don’t have a real advantage over the Cubs because, you know, they have been here the last few years,’’ Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. Yes, the Cubs have been here, and with any luck — if they play this series right — they will play only one more game in Washington and not have to come back, finishing the job at Wrigley Field in this best-of-five series. Bryant and Rizzo won’t be going anywhere. Sorry, Nats. -- Chicago Sun-Times Hendricks, Cubs swat Nats in Game 1, steal buzz from NLDS favorites By Gordon Wittenmyer WASHINGTON — Maybe the pressure really is on the Nationals in this series. Maybe Kyle Hendricks really is the best pitcher in baseball right now. Maybe the Cubs really can become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees in 2000. All right, all right, it’s only one game into a new postseason for the Cubs. But this much became clear after their 3-0 victory Friday against a dominant Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals in their National League Division Series opener: The Nationals are sweating profusely again in a first-round playoff series, and the Cubs just piled up some more ‘‘house money’’ by winning Game 1 on the road. They need only a split of the next four games to advance. ‘‘I think experience makes the difference,’’ catcher Willson Contreras said. ‘‘Last year, we were behind three games to one in the World Series and came back. That kind of experience is going to help us this year to not have pressure on ourselves because we know we can do this again.’’ Even before the series, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo talked about ‘‘playing with house money’’ because of all the recent World Series winners that succumbed to the year-after hangover and missed the playoffs. Rizzo drove in one of the Cubs’ two runs in the sixth inning with a two-out single to right, then drove in another run with a two-out double to left in the eighth.

Just like that, the Cubs went from being no-hit by Strasburg for 5‰ innings to stealing home-field advantage in the series. ‘‘Going up against a tough pitcher, a tough team, in their home park, I don’t know if anybody really expected us to win,’’ said Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, whose two-out single just ahead of Rizzo in the sixth broke up the no-hit bid and drove in the first run of the game. ‘‘But we pulled it out. And especially in a five-game format, it’s huge.’’ Veteran Ben Zobrist said before the series that the pressure was on the Nationals because of their 0-for-3 playoff record in the first round since 2012, and third baseman Anthony Rendon’s error on Javy Baez’s grounder to open the sixth didn’t do anything to dispel that notion. By the time Zobrist flied to center for what should have been the final out of the inning, Baez was on second — and Bryant was seconds away from breaking up the no-hitter. ‘‘Yeah, we still have to win three,’’ Nationals catcher Matt Wieters said. ‘‘Somehow we have to win three. It’s harder now than it would have been had we won this game, but whoever wins three before the other team does will win the series.’’ Give him credit for arithmetic, if nothing else. ‘‘Everybody was ready,’’ Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. ‘‘Hendricks had something to do with it. He was tricking us tonight.’’ Hendricks, the Cubs’ No. 3 starter this season and the man manager Joe Maddon felt compelled to pull from Game 7 of the 2016 World Series with a four-run lead and two outs in the fifth inning, pitched seven commanding innings to silence one of the best lineups in the NL. He didn’t give up a hit after the second. ‘‘Maybe not my best ever, but it was pretty good,’’ said Hendricks, who dropped his ERA in eight career postseason starts to 1.98, including 0.63 in his last five. ‘‘You kind of just expect it,’’ Bryant said of Hendricks. ‘‘But I’m still impressed.’’ -- Chicago Sun-Times Did Cubs’ Jon Lester want the ball in Game 1? Yep — but Game 2 will do By Steve Greenberg WASHINGTON — Jon Lester won’t soon forget the first Game 1 starting assignment of his big-league career. It was nine years ago in Anaheim, California, and the 24-year-old Red Sox lefty outdueled Angels starter and future teammate John Lackey for seven innings in a 4-1 American League Division Series victory. But it wasn’t the memory of beating good buddy Lackey that kept bubbling up in Lester’s mind in the days leading up to the Cubs’ National League Division Series matchup against the Nationals. It was the somewhat strange feeling of taking the ball for the opener while veteran Josh Beckett was pushed back into a Game 3 start because of a nagging injury. ‘‘It was kind of like a passing-of-the-torch type of deal,’’ he said. Yeah, kind of. But not really. Beckett was only 28, too young to be looking to pass the torch to anybody. Lester, 33 — and loaded to the gills with a $155 million contract — now knows what it’s like to be on the opposite end of this sort of exchange. He

took the ball first in the Cubs’ historic run to a World Series title last season. He almost surely would have done it again if not for a muscle in his upper back that could use another day of rest. Instead, he watched teammate Kyle Hendricks pitch — extraordinarily — in the opener Friday against the Nationals. Not that Lester ever would be anything but happy about that, mind you. But this is the guy who ranks second among active major-leaguers in postseason starts (19) and innings (133‰) and first in strikeouts (117). You’d better believe he was hoping to pitch another Game 1. ‘‘When you get older, it’s harder to match up against the No. 1s,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s nice to kind of take a step back. At the same time, we all have pride. We all want to be that guy.’’ There was some debate heading into Game 1 about who will get the ball in Game 5 if the series goes the distance. Would it be Hendricks again or Game 2 starter Lester on full rest? That debate certainly ought to be moot now after Hendricks’ masterful seven scoreless innings. ‘‘I just look at it as Game 2,’’ Lester said. ‘‘Focus on that, and then whatever happens down the road, you figure it out. . . . I’m not worried about the unknown.’’ Hendricks flummoxed the Nationals’ loaded lineup. What are the odds a Cubs starter can pull that off two nights in a row? Lester will call on his deep well of experience and take his best shot. ‘‘Eliminating damage is a huge thing against this lineup,’’ he said. ‘‘We all know, obviously, they can hit the ball out of the ballpark at a high rate. So keep them on the ground and give our team a chance to field them and throw them out. It sounds simple, but it’s a tough lineup.’’ No doubt, Nationals Park will be rocking Saturday. Just like it was last fall at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and at Progressive Field in Cleveland, right? ‘‘You’ve got different atmospheres,’’ Lester said. ‘‘Stadiums are packed. They are loud. It’s fun. Once you step on that rubber, it’s still 60 feet, 6 inches and you still have to execute a pitch. And you still have to have good at-bats and catch the ball and throw it and run and do all that stuff.’’ Spoken like a guy who has been there before. And speaking of that, know which active pitcher ranks ahead of Lester on the lists of postseason starts and innings? It’s Lackey, ace Cubs reliever (and owner of two career relief appearances). Sometimes roles change. The good ones can roll with it. -- Chicago Sun-Times Rendon error opens door for Cubs in Game 1 victory By Daryl Van Schouwen WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg was unhittable through five innings Friday night. And then a usually sure-handed third baseman made an error that opened a door for the opportunistic Cubs. Anthony Rendon, an “elite” infielder, in the words of second baseman and Cubs killer Daniel Murphy, kind of killed the Nats when he made an error on Javy Baez’s chopper down the line to open a two-run sixth — an inning that may live in infamy in the Nationals’ expanding history of postseason swings and misses. The Cubs went from being dominated to being well-positioned with a 1-0 lead in the National League Division Series.

“Stras threw a great game,” said Nationals manager Dusty Baker, whose postseaon record fell to 21-30. “Anthony, never seen him do that. And it led to a two-out hit, and they had three two-strike, two-out hits. They got clutch hits, and the team that gets the most two-out RBI hits usually wins in the playoffs.” As does the team that makes the fewest mistakes. Rendon, who lost control of the ball as he gathered it in to make a throw, had no excuses. “I thought I had it, went to reach for it, and the ball was on the ground,” he said. “Your guess is as good as mine.” Both catcher Matt Wieters and Rendon agreed with third-base umpire Laz Diaz’s call that the ball was fair, clearing Diaz of a Don Denkinger kind of night. “It’s definitely tough,” said Rendon, who hadn’t made an error since July 22. “It’s part of the game. It’s an error. It’s like when you have a car accident, it’s not a ‘car purpose.’ It’s a mistake. We’re human, and it’s tough because Stras was pitching his tail off.” The Nats and Strasburg were still in position to pick up Rendon, Wieters said. But after a sacrifice bunt by Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks and Ben Zobrist’s fly out, Kris Bryant singled to right and then scored from second on Anthony Rizzo’s single in front of right fielder Bryce Harper. Strasburg had the arsenal to get past it — he finished with a postseason franchise-record 10 strikeouts in seven innings — but he couldn’t get past Bryant and Rizzo in the clutch. And just like that, the Nats were in a 2-0 hole. “We took advantage of a mistake,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “You have to capitalize on mistakes when pitchers are on top of their game.” Who knows how Strasburg would have fared with a clean start in the sixth. The way he was cruising with three outstanding pitches, he likely would have retired Hendricks and Zobrist and taken a no-hitter into the seventh. He threw 60 of 81 pitches for strikes. “Some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen,” Rizzo said. Rizzo produced the Cubs’ third run when he doubled against right-hander Ryan Madson with Jon Jay at second. With first base open and two out, Baker opted to pitch to to Rizzo with Willson Contreras on deck, a choice that subjected him to second guessing. “I mean, it’s kind of a moot point when you don’t score,” Baker said. The Nats will turn to lefty Gio Gonzalez, the former White Sox first-round draft pick, in Game 2 on Saturday. Though they’re favored by most to advance past the Cubs, their postseason past quickly became a talking point after this loss. “We don’t care about the past,” Rendon said, trying to shrug it off. “That’s 2016, 2015, 2014. What year is it this year?” It’s 2017. “There you go.” “Yeah, we still have to win three,” Wieters said. “Somehow we have to win three. It’s harder now than it would have been had we won this game, but whoever wins three before the other team does will win the series.” --

Chicago Sun-Times Cubs in command with Max Scherzer pushed back to next week By Gordon Wittenmyer WASHINGTON — Whether Nationals ace Max Scherzer pitches against the Cubs could depend on whether this National League Division Series goes beyond a sweep and even more on whether his strained hamstring is well enough for him to take the mound at all. For now, the Nationals officially penciled in the two-time Cy Young winner for a Game 3 start, which means the Cubs can’t face him twice in the series regardless. “You’ve got one of the best pitchers of our generation not going two games,” said Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who drove in one of the Cubs’ two runs in the sixth inning and drove in another in the eighth in Game 1 Friday night. “He’s one of their horses. It’s definitely a little blow for them.” Said Scherzer during a radio interview: “I am going to pitch in the series. I promise you that.” Lackey in, Rondon out As expected, veteran postseason starter John Lackey was kept as insurance in the bullpen when the Cubs announced their playoff roster. Manager Joe Maddon said a more significant benefit to having Lackey as a trusted long man is that left-hander Mike Montgomery can be used in any mix-and-match situation during the game for as little as an inning or even a batter. That gives the Cubs three left-handers in their pen to help neutralize dangerous Nats lefties Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy. Former Cubs closer Hector Rondon paid the price for keeping Lackey and struggling lefty Justin Wilson on an 11-man playoff staff. He’s the lone pitcher who was on the roster all season to be left out of the NLDS. ‘No doubt’ Arrieta’s ready Maddon said pushing Jake Arrieta back to Game 4 to allow the longest possible recovery time for his achy right hamstring has its benefits. It has resulted in an invigorated Arrieta, who should be as close to full strength as he has been since the Sept. 4 injury. “Reports from the doctors, reports from Jake and the training staff say he’s ready for that game, no doubt about that,” Maddon said. “Something would have to happen between now and then because as of right now, he feels very good. “Slow play in that regard in getting him back out might be beneficial to us. We’ll see how it plays out.” Cubs’ NLDS roster Starting pitchers (4): Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Arrieta. Relief pitchers (7): Wade Davis, Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Lackey, Montgomery, Brian Duensing, Wilson. Non-pitchers (14): C Willson Contreras, C Alex Avila, 1B Rizzo, 2B Javy Baez, 3B Kris Bryant, SS Addison Russell, IF Tommy La Stella, IF/OF Ben Zobrist, IF/OF Ian Happ, OF Kyle Schwarber, OF Jason Heyward, OF Jon Jay, OF Albert Almora Jr., OF Leonys Martin. This and that

Former Cubs outfielder Jacque Jones, the Nationals’ assistant hitting coach, was suspended, with pay, “pending an internal investigation pursuant to a legal matter,” the team announced just before game time. • Stephen Strasburg’s strikeout of Schwarber in the fifth inning — his eighth of the game — set an Expos/Nationals franchise record for a playoff game. He finished with 10 in seven innings. -- Chicago Sun-Times Hendricks success personal, ‘gratifying’ for ex-Cub ace traded for him By Gordon Wittenmyer WASHINGTON – Ryan Dempster hasn’t pitched for the Cubs since 2012 – hasn’t pitched for anybody since October of 2013. But Dempster felt an unusually personal stake in the Cubs’ efforts to beat the Nationals in the National League Division Series – maybe even a little like a piece of himself was headed to the mound Friday night with Game 1 Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks. “To see somebody that you get traded for turn around and start Game 7 of the World Series and become a fixture in the rotation, it feels good,” said Dempster, who’s now a special assistant in the Cubs’ front office. “I didn’t do anything; they’re the ones that made the trade. “But to see somebody who a couple years later fills into that role that you were pitching with the team – I don’t know; it has meaning to it. I don’t know what the real meaning is, maybe gratifying or a sense of pride [in] another person who enjoys putting the uniform on as much as I did.” Hendricks’ first Game 1 playoff start was only a the latest extension of that pride for Dempster, who was the All-Star veteran traded to Texas to eventually land Hendricks for the Cubs in the final minutes before the 2012 trade deadline. “All I ever wanted to do when I played for the Cubs was to win a World Series,” said Dempster, their Game 1 playoff starter in 2008. “Now to see the very guy that you were traded for start Game 7 of the World Series, it’s kind of like the second-best thing I guess that could happen. At least I had a hand in it. “That meant something to me.” Dempster, by the way, is being at least a little modest when he says he didn’t have anything to do with the player the Cubs eventually landed five years ago. Dempster, who had full no-trade rights, turned down a trade to Atlanta that would have brought the Cubs their first choice: right-hander Randall Delgado (career 4.08 ERA, zero playoff appearances). “Yeah, I made them hold out for the right guy,” Dempster said, smiling. “It’s all serendipitous.” Hoping for a trade to the Dodgers, Dempster – who spent the hours leading up to the deadline in the Cubs offices – eventually consented to the trade to the Rangers for Hendricks, a Class A pitcher at the time, and minor-league infielder Christian Villanueva. Dempster before his Game 1 playoff start in 2008 “I played here for nine seasons, and to be traded away in a rebuilding process is always tough,” he said. “I always wanted to have the [Cubs] uniform on. But I totally understood it from both sides, from the baseball side and the business side of things.”

Dempster points out he was the Hendricks side of a similar deal early in his career, when the Marlins acquired him as a Class A pitcher from the Rangers – his original team – for veteran John Burkett. “To see that happen almost in full circle, now I get traded away and a young guy makes his way up and gets to have some success in the big leagues,” Dempster said, mentioning again last year’s World Series. “To see all that unfold is pretty special. And to see him continue the success into this year and to start again [Friday] night, taking Game 1 of the postseason – he just continues to mature and get better and wiser and smarter and learning and honing his craft.” -- Daily Herald Hendricks outduels Strasburg as Cubs take Game 1 of NLDS By Bruce Miles WASHINGTON -- It was tough to tell who the "phenom" was and who the "finesse guy" was Friday night. The way the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg was dealing, the Cubs were going to need a break. They were going to need to capitalize. And they were going to need their guy to match the much-ballyhooed Strasburg pitch for pitch. Enter Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs' professorial right-hander, fueled by some added adrenaline and by watching Strasburg handcuff his mates early, stepped up his own game, hitting 90-plus mph on the radar gun at times and working 7 shutout innings as the Cubs beat Washington 3-0 to take Game 1 of the National League division series at noisy Nationals Park. Pitchers will often say they don't pitch against other pitchers, that they pitch against the other team's lineup. But Hendricks knew what was going on, and he couldn't shake the specter of Strasburg firing his own heat, complemented with 90-mph changeups, of all things. "Somewhat independent," Hendricks said when asked about his own thought process as it related to Strasburg. "You're aware of it. You know how well he's throwing (on) the other side. You don't think you have to step it up. You've just got to know, every pitch, you've got to up your focus, because one pitch could be the difference in the ballgame. Luckily, we caught a break there, and we were able to take advantage of it." That break came in the sixth. Strasburg had pitched no-hit ball through 5 before Javier Baez bounced one to third base. Anthony Rendon looked to have an easy play, but he dropped the ball for an error. Hendricks bunted Baez to second, and after Ben Zobrist flied out, the breakthrough came. Kris Bryant singled to right for the Cubs' first hit of the game. Bryant alertly took second on the throw. The cutoff man nearly got him at second, but replay confirmed he was safe. Anthony Rizzo then line one to right field, but Bryce Harper couldn't come up with the ball, and Rizzo had an RBI single. "He was the best pitcher I've seen, probably," Rizzo said of Strasburg, who posted ERAs of 1.89 in July, 0.86 in August and 0.38 in September. "First 2 at-bats, made me look silly, made the whole lineup look silly. The timely hit is huge in the playoffs. KB with that big hit to break up, to get the monkey off our backs in the dugout for all of us." Manager Joe Maddon started with an offensive-oriented lineup, with Kyle Schwarber in left field, Jason Heyward moving from right to center and Ben Zobrist in right. The plan was to sub for defense if the Cubs had the lead. Players such as Albert Almora Jr., Jon Jay and Leonys Martin saw the field in the later innings. But the talk was all about Hendricks.

"This is as good as I've seen him, the last 2 or 3 starts," Maddon said. "Why? Because the velocity is ticking up. I don't know how accurate their (radar) gun is … but if the gun was accurate, he hit as high as 91. He probably pitched at 87 or 88, which is good, but he touches 90-91." Maddon and the Cubs' decision-makers look good after this one. They opted for Hendricks in Game 1, with ace lefty Jon Lester for Game 2. If this series goes 5, Hendricks will be waiting in the wings. Hendricks didn't want to let anybody down, and he didn't. "Yeah, it feels really good, but Joe has always been there for me his whole staff," he said. They have instilled a lot of confidence in me ever since I came here. Even when I first came up, I had a bad year and they stuck with me. So it's been like that way for a long time. "But to get this nod for Game 1, just t try to set the tone for the team is huge." -- Daily Herald Rozner: Cubs, Hendricks firmly in control By Barry Rozner There's been a lot of talk about pressure this week, with all of it being on the Nationals. Real or imagined, there's no disputing where the heat is now. It's squarely on Washington after the Cubs stole Game 1 of the NLDS in D.C. Friday night. No, the Nats didn't have injured ace Max Scherzer on the hill, but they did have their other ace, Stephen Strasburg, who was about as good as it gets Friday. But Washington has yet to win a first-round series and Game 1 was a reminder of why. The details. In a spectacular duel with Kyle Hendricks, Strasburg carried a no-hitter into the sixth and was absolutely dominant when Javy Baez led off with a harmless bouncer toward third that appeared to be foul. It was called fair and third baseman Anthony Rendon botched the exchange, dropped the ball and Baez was safe at first. After the error, Hendricks moved him to second with a bunt and with two outs Strasburg got ahead 0-2 on Kris Bryant, whose first two plate appearances resulted in two strikeouts. That's when Strasburg finally made a mistake. His fastball low and outside got too much of the plate and Bryant hammered it to right-center for the first Cubs hit and a 1-0 lead. Compounding the mental and physical mistakes, right fielder Bryce Harper inexplicably threw home and Bryant wisely took second. On an 0-1 pitch, Anthony Rizzo choked up and pulled one to right that Harper barely missed with a diving attempt and Bryant was home for a 2-0 lead. Does a fully healthy Harper make that catch? Maybe. But Bryant should have never been on second. Actually, the entire inning should have never occurred, but the Nats have lost three times in the first round in the last five years, partially because of odd circumstances and bad luck, but frequently because of mental mistakes and the inability to field a fully healthy roster.

On the other side was a very relaxed Cubs team with nothing to prove, with no history to defeat and no ridiculous narratives to overcome. And, of course, there was Hendricks. The Cubs' best pitcher the last couple of months, and the man who was pulled after only 63 pitches in Game 7 of the World Series last November, Hendricks made the Nationals look silly. Once the Cubs got the lead, that became the most fascinating part of Game 1, whether manager Joe Maddon would do the right thing and allow Hendricks to continue with a gem. He baffled his opponents all night with a circle change that had the Nats talking to themselves, but he entered the bottom of the sixth at only 76 pitches and needed 16 to complete the sixth and preserve the 2-0 advantage. Maddon wanted to hit for him in the top of the seventh -- he had Jon Jay ready to pinch-hit -- but Strasburg got Baez for his 10th strikeout to end the inning and Maddon was forced to let Hendricks go back out for the bottom of the inning at 92 pitches. He worked around a Bryant error and finished his magnificent night with 7 scoreless on 2 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts and 106 pitches. Maddon couldn't deny Hendricks the stage Friday night and he was the star of Game 1, just as he should have been the star of Game 7 some 11 months ago. It was vintage Greg Maddux in the way that Hendricks would not give in to the Washington hitters even when behind in the count, and in the way that he was overshadowed -- tossing in the 80s -- by the flame-throwing Strasburg during the game. Until the Cubs got the lead. Then it became clear who had taken over this game and Hendricks did not allow a hit in his final 5 innings of work. While Maddon didn't get a chance to make a mess of this postseason game, Washington manager Dusty Baker reminded Cubs fans of all they've tried to forget, when he pitched to Rizzo with a runner on third, two outs and first base open in the eighth. On the eighth pitch from Ryan Madson, Rizzo drove in the third run of the game. You gotta laugh, right? Well, the Cubs are the ones laughing now, firmly in control of a series in which they had every right to be the underdog. Once again, Kyle Hendricks has taken a torch to those odds. -- Daily Herald For Chicago Cubs' Maddon, keeping Lackey was about bullpen flexibility By Bruce Miles WASHINGTON -- For Cubs manager Joe Maddon, bullpen flexibility and freeing up lefty Mike Montgomery were prime considerations in making up the roster for the National League division series.

Veteran right-hander John Lackey, a starting pitcher, made the 25-man roster. The Cubs are carrying 14 position players and 11 pitchers. One of those position players is speedy outfielder Leonys Martin. Lackey, who pitched an inning of relief in the regular-season finale, can slide into a long role -- filled by Montgomery many times during the season -- and also be insurance if Game 4 starter Jake Arrieta can't go because of his hamstring. The Cubs put left-handed reliever Justin Wilson on the roster but kept right-handed reliever Hector Rondon off. "The pitching side of it, with Ronnie vs. Wilson, (it's) based on their lineup construction," Maddon said of the Nationals' hitters. "And this also frees up Montgomery to be utilized more in the moment as opposed to saving him for a large moment, early or late. If something bad happens early or if it's extra innings, we can deploy Monty whenever we want because now you have John to do that kind of a job. Lackey's doing kind of what Montgomery's used to do. Monty's in the mix now. With their lineup and all the lefties, and really good lefties, we thought it was wise to keep Justin." Getting the bad news: Hector Rondon battled back from an elbow ailment to pitch late in the season, but he lost out. Justin Wilson struggled much of the time since the Cubs obtained him in a deadline deal with Detroit. But Joe Maddon liked what he saw recently from Wilson, including in a simulated game this week. "He blew hitters away," Maddon said. "He threw one bad curveball. When you're standing right behind the plate at the cage right there, you can see that thing he's got at the end of his pitches. He's not going to be an oil painting. He's not going to go out there and just go 0-2 on everybody. But you also know when the ball's in the zone, it's really hard to square it up." As for Rondon, Maddon said he took the news as well as could be expected. "He was stoic, fine," the manager said. "Of course he didn't like it. But not disrespectful at all. Understood, in a sense. If it's anybody else, they're disappointed. And I don't blame him for being disappointed. He's really been pitching well as of late. It was not an easy decision. A lot of it's based on them and what they look like, Washington." All systems go? If the NLDS goes to a Game 4 at Wrigley Field, Joe Maddon says Jake Arrieta will be ready. Arrieta strained his right hamstring Labor Day in Pittsburgh. He made 2 starts since then but he said he had to alter his delivery to compensate for the hamstring. "Honestly, he's feeling really good," Maddon said. "Everything's coming up nicely, reports from the doctor, reports from Jake, the training staff. He's ready for that game, there's no doubt about that. Something would have to happen between now and then because as of right now, he feels very good." -- Daily Herald Lester hoping arrow points up in Game 2 NLDS start for Cubs By Scot Gregor In the 2016 postseason, Jon Lester started Game 1 of the National League division series for the Chicago Cubs. He started Game 1 of the NL championship series. Lester also started Game 1 of the World Series, and the veteran left-hander was a combined 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 6 games (5 starts).

Much has changed. After going 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA in the 2016 regular season and finishing second in NL Cy Young Award voting behind Washington's Max Scherzer, the 33-year-old Lester seemed to wilt from the heavy workload. Lester was 13-8 with a 4.33 ERA this season and he was on the disabled list from Aug. 18-Sept. 1 with shoulder soreness. Lester was 5-1 over the final month, but he had a 4.18 ERA and gave up 6 home runs in 32⅓ innings. "You have ups and downs and bumps along the way that you have to maintain and deal with," Lester told reporters Friday. "Obviously, this year was different. We had a different workload last year, and tried to carry that over into this year. As you get older, it doesn't quite work like it used to when it was 24, 25." Lester, who had a 2.84 ERA and a pair of no decisions against Washington this season, opposes Nats lefty Gio Gonzalez in Game 2 of the NLDS Saturday. Gonzalez ranked fifth in the NL with a 2.96 ERA, but he gave up 16 earned runs on 22 hits and 10 hits in 21⅓ innings over his last four starts. Gonzalez was originally scheduled to start Game 3 for Washington, but he's been moved up a game to give ace Max Scherzer more time to recover from a tweaked hamstring. "I was preparing myself to pitch in Chicago (on Monday)," Gonzalez said. "The situation came out, and obviously we all know the situation. As far as that, now I know when I'm pitching, so I'll kind of mix it in and it gave me a couple days to prepare myself. "I've got to prepare myself either way, whether I'm at home or on the road. You've still got to face a good lineup." Gonzalez started against the Cubs on June 26 at Nationals Park. He took the loss after allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 5 walks in 6 innings. -- Cubs.com Cubs begin title defense by blanking Nats in DC By Jamal Collier and Carrie Muskat WASHINGTON -- The postseason around Major League Baseball has been defined by offense, with record numbers of homers hit in the first inning and starting pitchers getting knocked out of games early. But a pitchers' duel broke out Friday night between Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs and Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals during Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Hendricks outdueled Strasburg, and the Cubs captured a 3-0 victory behind the bats of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, leaving the sold-out crowd of 43,898 at Nationals Park stunned. Chicago leads the NLDS presented by T-Mobile, 1-0, with Game 2 on Saturday in Washington. "Going up against a tough pitcher, tough team in their home park, I don't know if anyone really expected us to win, and we pulled it out," Bryant said. "Winning the first game is always important, but in a five-game [series], it's more important." Both starters put on a pitching clinic with contrasting styles. Hendricks never threw a pitch faster than 90.5 mph; Strasburg threw a changeup at 90.9 mph. But Hendricks made a living on the corners of the strike zone and kept the Nationals off balance all night. He gave up just two hits in seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts and three walks.

"Both of those pitchers were unbelievable tonight," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. "Strasburg with that changeup -- now I know he's had it, but I mean, I've not seen a lot of this guy, but that is such a weapon to go with the other things that he does. And then Kyle, like I'm saying, with added velocity. You saw called strikes, taken strikes that the hitters knew were strikes because he was so effective locating velocity, his velocity." Of course, Hendricks' velocity is nothing like Strasburg's. "I think probably it was a little adrenaline-based," Hendricks said. "My last five, six starts, it's been creeping up every start. My mechanics have really been clicking so my timing is there, where earlier in the year, my mechanics were off so I wasn't able to let it go." Strasburg was dominant in his second career postseason start. He did not allow a hit through 5 2/3 innings. He struck out 10, the franchise record for strikeouts in a postseason game. He dialed his fastball into the upper 90s with regularity, his changeup seemed unhittable and his curveball untouchable as he mixed all three pitches interchangeably for strikeouts. "He's the best pitcher I've seen," Rizzo said. "A week off and you get into playoff baseball watching some of the other games and stuff, you just see that there is a lot of adrenaline going," Strasburg said. "You just kind of want to embrace it, but also at the same time take it down a notch if you have to. I was really just trying to let it fill me." Strasburg's performance was not enough. The Nationals' powerful offense was held to two hits as Carl Edwards Jr. and closer Wade Davis each delivered a clean inning to complete the shutout. Washington entered the playoffs with aspirations of erasing the disappointments from past postseasons. To do so now, the Nats will have to overcome a series deficit. "Any time your pitcher puts forth an effort like that, you want to support him, give him some runs," Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "It's tough. It's disappointing for us offensively, but nothing you can do about it now. Wash it, and come out tomorrow." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Taking advantage: The Cubs caught a break to start the sixth and made the Nationals pay with a pair of unearned runs. Anthony Rendon, the Nats' normally sure-handed third baseman, fielded a ground ball from Javier Baez cleanly but dropped it on a transfer, allowing Baez to reach. It was Rendon's first error since July 22. "I thought I had it, went to go reach for it, it was on the ground," Rendon said. "Your guess is as good as mine." After a sacrifice bunt moved Baez to second base, Bryant collected the Cubs' first hit against Strasburg to put them on the board. Bryant advanced to second on a throw toward the plate from Bryce Harper in right field, which put him in position to score after an RBI single by Rizzo. "He was really in a rhythm," Bryant said of Strasburg. "Getting a guy in scoring position, getting him out of his rhythm a little bit, I think it was huge. Also the third time through, you get a sense of what he has, and tonight, he had some really good stuff. I think just seeing more pitches helped us out." Near miss: Washington had perhaps its best scoring chance against Hendricks in the first inning. Harper collected a one-out single and advanced to second on a groundout. Then, Daniel Murphy turned on the hardest-hit ball against Hendricks, a 108-mph line drive that went straight to Rizzo. "I really wish he wouldn't have caught it, to be honest with you," Murphy said. "Runs are at a premium. We saw that tonight. I hit that ball on the button. It was too low. I should've hit it higher." PAINFUL MISTAKE

The Nationals did not have many scoring opportunities, but they nearly had a baserunner in the ninth on a dropped third strike after Zimmerman struck out against Davis. The throw from catcher Willson Contreras hit Zimmerman in the back as he ran up the first-base line, but he was called out for being inside the basepath. "I thought I was really close to the line, but looking at the replay, you're inside the line, you have to be in the lane," Zimmerman said. "When you're coming out of the box, you start in fair territory and get back. I should've made sure I got back more. Getting drilled in the back wasn't great. Insult to injury for tonight." QUOTABLE "Yeah, it does, because Strasburg, he was pitching. He was doing all he could. You know, we just couldn't muster up too much offense tonight. We'll be better tomorrow." -- Nationals manager Dusty Baker, on the sting of losing Strasburg's stellar start "Maybe the best he's been all year." -- Nationals catcher Matt Wieters, on Strasburg "He's always under the radar. There's no emotion. He doesn't throw 97 [mph], but he gets the job done. He did it last year in the playoffs and this first game. I can't say enough about Kyle. He had a great game today. Hopefully, we'll see him plenty more times throughout this month." -- Bryant, on Hendricks WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Jon Lester will start Game 2 on Saturday. It will be his third start this season vs. the Nationals. He did not win either of the first, giving up four runs over 12 2/3 innings. First pitch will be 4:30 p.m. CT from Nationals Park. Nationals: Gio Gonzalez takes the mound for Game 2 on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. This will be his first postseason start at home since 2012 and fifth career playoff start. -- Cubs.com Capital performance: Hendricks stifles Nats By Adam Berry WASHINGTON -- The atmosphere and the numbers on the scoreboard at Nationals Park suggested Kyle Hendricks was pitching with adrenaline Friday night. His appearance suggested otherwise. When his job was done, he nodded once and slowly walked toward the Cubs' dugout. The right-hander pitched seven brilliant innings, didn't allow a hit after the second and led the Cubs to a 3-0 win over the Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series presented by T-Mobile. "This is as good as I've seen him," manager Joe Maddon said. "Maybe not best ever," Hendricks said, "but it was up there." Coming off a strong second half, Hendricks did not miss a beat Friday as he added to the postseason track record he established last October. In eight playoff starts, Hendricks is now 2-1 with a 1.98 ERA. "He's always under the radar. There's no emotion," Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said. "He doesn't throw 97 [mph], but he gets the job done. He did it last year in the playoffs and this first game. I can't say enough about Kyle. He had a great game today. Hopefully, we'll see him plenty more times throughout this month." Before a sold-out postseason crowd of 43,898 that roared through Stephen Strasburg's early no-hit bid, Hendricks' sinker lit up the radar gun -- relatively speaking for a man with a fastball about as firm as his opponent's changeup. His primary pitch topped 90 mph twice and averaged a season-high 88.2 mph, the hardest he'd thrown since last summer.

Hendricks felt that he was rounding into form down the stretch. His mechanics were getting sharper, and his timing improved. The velocity was bound to follow, particularly in a postseason environment. "I think I'm just a laid-back guy, but you're definitely feeling it," Hendricks said. "The energy there in the stadium and crowd was pretty cool, but we've played some big games, even down the stretch in our division. We've had good atmospheres where we're playing, so we were ready to take that adrenaline on and use it to our advantage." How did he do it against an imposing Washington lineup? He stuck to his strengths. According to Statcast™, he threw only one curveball; the rest of his 106 pitches were fastballs and changeups. Nats third baseman Anthony Rendon said the two pitches looked identical coming out of Hendricks' hand, but the changeup clocks in 8-10 mph slower than his sinker. Of the 70 sinkers he threw, 24 were called strikes. The Cubs swung and missed at six of his 23 changeups. He induced a ton of weak contact, allowing an average 77.9 mph exit velocity despite three hard-hit balls in the first inning. "You know, that's what he does. When he's going well, that's what he does," Nats first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "He mixes it up. It seems like every time you go up there with a plan he's kind of [thinking] the other way. You've got to tip your hat to that guy." Hendricks kept Trea Turner off base all night. He allowed only two hits, both singles. He walked three and hit Matt Wieters, but even with Strasburg breezing through innings, he did not flinch in the rare moments the Nats had an opportunity to score. "He's the same guy all the time, no matter what, and it's impressive," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "It's not easy to do in this game. You know, he just has his confidence about him; that he doesn't get rattled. He has a lot of experience." -- Cubs.com Repeat? Cubs are defending champs for reason By Mark Feinsand WASHINGTON -- As Willson Contreras squeezed the final out into his glove Friday night, he let loose with an animated fist pump, celebrating the Cubs' 3-0, Game 1 win over the Nationals in the National League Division Series. One down, 10 to go. At least that's the expectation inside the Cubs' clubhouse. These aren't your parents' Cubbies any more. The "Lovable Losers" are history. Instead of, "Wait 'til next year," Joe Maddon and his players have a swagger that screams, "Get out of our way!" So while Stephen Strasburg was brilliant Friday night, it was Kyle Hendricks, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant who had the last laugh in the Cubs' victory in the opener of the NLDS presented by T-Mobile. For five innings, this looked like it would be the October performance everybody has waited for from Strasburg, ever since his memorable 14-strikeout debut in 2010. He had thrown a grand total of five postseason innings in his career, sidelined by injury and innings limits, but Game 1 was shaping up to be his long-awaited coming-out party. As he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, he had walked only one batter and set a new single-game postseason franchise record with his eighth strikeout, on his way to 10. "He was the best pitcher I've seen, probably," said Rizzo, who accounted for two of Strasburg's 10 K's. "Basically, our whole lineup looked silly the first couple times through."

The only thing Strasburg didn't have was a lead. That's because Hendricks, who is hardly a household name despite his brilliant NL Championship Series performance against Clayton Kershaw last year and a Game 7 starting assignment against the Indians in the biggest baseball game ever played, was even better. "Their guy was that good; so was our guy," Maddon said. "Eventually, you just look for the opening." That opening finally came in the sixth when Anthony Rendon -- one of the most reliable defensive third basemen in the game -- made a rare error on Javier Baez's hard-hit ball down the line. A sacrifice bunt and fly ball left Strasburg only one out away from an escape, but Bryant -- who had struck out in each of his first two at-bats -- ended both the no-hit bid and the shutout with one swing, singling in Baez for the game's first run. Rizzo added a second run-scoring hit, turning a no-hitter into a 2-0 lead in the blink of an eye. The first five innings would have frustrated some teams, causing them to chase bad pitches or try to do too much. Not the Cubs. If last October taught them anything, it's patience and the belief that no obstacle is too big -- even an ace such as Strasburg throwing the game of his life. "We trust each other; that's the big, big thing for us, is that we know someone is going to come through at some point," Rizzo said. "We just trust the next guy. "We have a feeling that someone is going to do it; it doesn't have to be me, it doesn't have to be Kris, it doesn't have to be Javy, [Addison Russell] or [Jason Heyward]. It's going to be one of us. No one puts that pressure on them to make sure, 'I have to do it.' It's not I, I; we know that someone is going to do it." Hendricks carried his shutout through seven innings, turning the ball over to Carl Edwards Jr. and Wade Davis, who locked down the win. This game displayed everything the Cubs have to offer: solid starting pitching, a trustworthy back of the bullpen, stellar fielding, an opportunistic offense and a confidence that can only be found in a team that has already climbed to the top of the mountain. Remind me why the Cubs have been considered underdogs? Have people simply not been paying attention? For all the hoopla of their uneven season, the Cubs showed Friday that they're still the Cubs. Until somebody takes their title away from them, they should be considered the most dangerous team in the postseason. Then again, having experienced last October's pressure-packed march to their goat-busting title, they seem to be relishing their new role. "It helps being an underdog and not expected to win the whole thing," Bryant said. "Last year, it was, 'You guys have to win the whole thing or else you're a failure.' This year, we want to be the last team standing and that's kind of a cool spot to be, with nobody expecting us to." The series is far from over. The Nationals have Gio Gonzalez and Max Scherzer lined up for the next two games, and with a .619 winning percentage this season in their starts, they feel pretty confident. At least as confident as a team can be going up against this Cubs team, which has shaken off its funk to win 16 of its past 20 games. "It's the same players there that were there last year," Nationals catcher Matt Wieters said. "They're going to be tough." That anybody ever thought otherwise seems pretty foolish. --

Cubs.com Cubs go for 2-0 NLDS lead as Lester faces Nats By Mark Feinsand The Cubs reminded everyone that they're the defending World Series champions in Game 1 of the National League Division Series presented by T-Mobile. The Nationals will try to send the series back to Chicago even on Saturday, as they host Game 2 in a matchup of veteran left-handers (5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT on TBS). "We've still got to win three," Nationals catcher Matt Wieters said. "Somehow, we've got to win three. It's a little bit harder now than it would have been if we won this game, but whoever wins three before they lose three is going to win the series." Fresh off his best regular season since 2012, Gio Gonzalez will take the ball in Game 2 for the Nationals. Cubs manager Joe Maddon is expected to overload his lineup with right-handed hitters, meaning Kyle Schwarber will likely sit against the Washington southpaw. "That's a lineup that can do magic 1-9, so you have to respect it, whoever they put out there," Gonzalez said. "I just want to prepare myself and try and take one hitter at a time." Right-handers slashed .226/.310/.370 against Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96 ERA) this season, while lefties hit .183/.251/.256 against him. In his lone start against the Cubs in 2017, Gonzalez held the North Siders to one run on two hits and five walks over six innings, fanning eight in a tough loss on June 26. "He's had a really good season, and he's very tough on lefties," Maddon said. "We've had a couple guys with not very good numbers against him. With Gio, a big thing about him for me, historically, is you've really got to make him throw the ball over the plate. He's really into getting you to chase a little bit. "I think from our perspective, [the goal is] to make him come into the zone. If we're chasing, he's going to have a real good night." The Cubs will counter with an established southpaw of their own. Jon Lester didn't have the type of regular season he's grown accustomed to, but with a 2.63 ERA in 22 career postseason appearances (19 starts) and three World Series rings, the 33-year-old Lester (13-8, 4.33) knows what it takes to win in October. "Some people say it's not different. It is different," Lester said. "I think each individual handles it differently, and you've got to figure out what works for you. I just know from our clubhouse and being around these guys the last three years, you know, you could see the nervousness and the anxiety in 2015. Last year was more kind of like, 'We're not going to let that happen again,' and more of a calmness in the clubhouse. "This year, I feel like it's the same. Like I said, the more you play in these situations, the more you can kind of separate all the only stuff that's going along with it and just go and worry about what your job is that day. Three things to know about this game • Expect a lot of curveballs from both starters in Game 2. Opponents hit .159 against Lester's curve in the regular season, while Gonzalez allowed a .161 average on his. Those ranked ninth and 10th, respectively, among starters who threw at least 400 curveballs. But opponents slugged .390 against Lester's curveball, while Gonzalez's had a .208 slugging percentage allowed, the second lowest among starters who threw 400 curves. • Wieters has faced Lester more than any other Nationals hitter, a result of the time they spent in the American League East. Wieters in 16-for-51 against Lester with three doubles, a triple and nine RBIs. • This will be Gonzalez's first home playoff start since Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS against the Cardinals. The Nationals lost, 9-7, as Gonzalez allowed three runs in five innings before Washington's bullpen gave up six runs in the final three innings.

-- Cubs.com Bryzzo delivers vs. Strasburg for NLDS lead By Carrie Muskat WASHINGTON -- Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are the two players the Cubs' lineup counts on most, but Stephen Strasburg made them both look silly in their first two at-bats on Friday night. It wasn't until the sixth inning that the Nationals' right-hander blinked. Bryant and Rizzo both delivered RBI singles with two outs in the sixth inning to lead the Cubs to a 3-0 victory at Nationals Park in Game 1 of the National League Division Series presented by T-Mobile. It was a nail-biter. Bryant's sixth-inning hit was the Cubs' first against Strasburg. "You get to the third time around and you're seeing what the pitcher has, and even if he is no-hitting us, you have to take advantage of the mistakes," Bryant said. "Strasburg was on tonight, and thankfully we put something together there." Strasburg no-hit the Cubs through 5 2/3 innings, striking out both Bryant and Rizzo twice, but things changed in the sixth. Javier Baez reached on an error by Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon to open the inning and advanced to second base on Kyle Hendricks' sacrifice. One out later, Bryant singled to right on an 0-2 pitch to drive in Baez and reached second on the throw home. Rizzo then drove in Bryant with a single. That was all Hendricks and the Cubs' bullpen needed. "Those guys together, they're really special," Baez said of Bryant and Rizzo, or "Bryzzo" as they're known in Wrigleyville. Bryant said he wasn't looking for a particular pitch in his at-bat in the sixth that eventually put the Cubs on the board. "Down 0-2, the odds aren't in your favor, so you just react," he said. "I saw some good curveballs from him earlier, good changeups. Just go up there and hope he throws something in the middle." Strasburg was successfully mixing his pitches to the point where he was confusing the Cubs' lineup. "He was really in a rhythm," Bryant said. "Getting a guy on base, getting a guy in scoring position, getting him out of his rhythm a little bit, I think that was huge. Also, the third time through, you get a sense of what he has, and tonight, he had some really good stuff. I think just seeing more pitches helped us out." Rizzo called Strasburg "the best pitcher I've seen." "First two at-bats, he made me look silly, the whole lineup look silly the first couple times through," Rizzo said. "He's Stephen Strasburg for a reason. ... The timely hitting is huge in the playoffs. [Bryant] with that big hit to break [the no-hitter] up, get the monkey off the back in the dugout for all of us, and then another hit there and then an insurance [run] -- that was big for us." Rizzo added an RBI double in the eighth, driving in Jon Jay, to finish with as many hits as Cubs pitching gave up in the game. How did the Cubs avoid pressing at the plate against Strasburg? "We trust each other," Rizzo said. "That's the big, big thing for us, is that we know someone is going to come through at some point.

"We trust that someone is going to do it. It doesn't have to be me or Kris or [Addison Russell] or [Jason Heyward]. It's not 'I.' We know that someone is going to do it." How good is the pair? Bryant's and Rizzo's 14 career postseason RBIs are tied for the most in franchise history with Russell. "K.B. and Rizzo, two of the best in the game, our leaders. For them to come up huge was big for us tonight," Hendricks said. -- Cubs.com Cubs in enviable position with Lester in Game 2 By Adam Berry WASHINGTON -- Jon Lester took the late bus from the Cubs' hotel to Nationals Park on Friday. For the first time in years, he wasn't the guy preparing to take the ball for Game 1. Last year, Lester was the first man to the mound in the National League Division Series, NL Championship Series and World Series. The veteran left-hander was also his team's Game 1 starter in 2008-09, '13 and '15. On Saturday, he will start for the Cubs against the Nats in Game 2 of the NLDS presented by T-Mobile, looking to push the Cubs within a win of their third straight NLCS appearance. "It is kind of nice, actually," Lester said Friday afternoon, as Kyle Hendricks prepared to pitch a seven-inning gem in the Cubs' 3-0 Game 1 victory. "You know, it's kind of different walking in and not having anything to do and not worry about anything." The Cubs chose Hendricks to start the first game for several reasons related to performance and rest. Hendricks posted a 2.19 ERA over 13 starts after the All-Star break, while Lester, who missed time in late August due to left shoulder fatigue, finished his up-and-down season with a 4.46 ERA after the All-Star break. "I mean, obviously it's not ideal. As a competitor ... you work for these games," Lester said. "But at the same time, it's kind of nice to sit back and let other guys handle it." Lester will have plenty to handle on Saturday as he lines up against Nats southpaw Gio Gonzalez. He faced Washington's loaded lineup twice this season, holding it to four runs on nine hits with 14 strikeouts over 12 2/3 innings in a pair of quality starts. "Lester is a pitcher with experience in the postseason and World Series, and I have a conviction that he's going to do really well tomorrow," Cubs catcher Willson Contreras said after Game 1. While riding to the ballpark on Friday, Lester and special assistant Ryan Dempster discussed the greatest challenge of facing the Nationals' lineup. Success won't come from simply shutting down Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy or Ryan Zimmerman. Washington's depth is one reason it led the NL with a .782 OPS this season. "You get through the Harpers, the Murphys and the Zimmermans and you're like, 'OK, I've got a break,'" Lester said. "And then you look up and you've got [Anthony] Rendon, [Matt] Wieters, so on, so forth." While the task of starting Game 2 will be new for Lester, the environment will not be. Saturday will be his 20th career start and 23rd appearance in the postseason. He is 33 years old, just shy of a decade removed from his first postseason appearance for the Red Sox in the 2007 American League Championship Series. Lester believes that wealth of experience has only made him better prepared for what the Cubs hope turns into another long run through October.

"You kind of get thrown in, or I got thrown in at a young age, and didn't know what to expect and kind of just had to learn and figure it out," Lester said. "Everybody handles it differently. Everybody has to focus on different things to kind of get them locked in. Mine is my routine. "I always fall back on my routine and try to do that, you know, every day, as best I can to get me ready to where I feel comfortable to go out there and pitch." In other words, Lester will be on the first bus to the ballpark on Saturday. -- Cubs.com Game 1 goes according to plan for Maddon By Nathan Ruiz WASHINGTON -- Before a pitch was thrown in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, Cubs manager Joe Maddon laid out his ideal scenario for Friday night's game against the Nationals. A few hours later, it came together just as he hoped in a 3-0 win over the Nationals. "Hopefully, you grab a lead," Maddon said Friday afternoon, "and you alter your defensive game in progress." Maddon proved prophetic as the Cubs took the opener of the NLDS presented by T-Mobile. When making his lineup, Maddon plugged Kyle Schwarber in left field, sacrificing defense for power. It mattered little as Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks permitted only two flyouts during his seven shutout innings, leaving Schwarber with scant defensive responsibility. Hendricks bided time for his offense to strike against Stephen Strasburg, who carried a no-hit bid into the sixth. Javier Baez reached on a rare error by third baseman Anthony Rendon to begin the sixth, scoring on Kris Bryant's two-out single. The Cubs' first hit of the postseason provided the lead Maddon sought. Anthony Rizzo followed with an RBI hit of his own to propel Chicago to a two-run advantage. With the Cubs ahead, Schwarber remained in left for another frame, Maddon cognizant that the slugger would lead off the seventh. Once Schwarber's third at-bat ended, so did his night. With his infield set the way he planned, Maddon went to work on his outfield. Leonys Martin took over in center, sending Jason Heyward to right and Ben Zobrist to left. That alignment lasted only an inning, one that featured no fly balls but began with a barehanded play by Bryant at third. Jon Jay opened the eighth inning with an opposite-field double as a pinch-hitter, scoring an insurance run before remaining in the game in left for the bottom half. When closer Wade Davis took the mound for the ninth, Maddon moved Martin to left as Albert Almora Jr., who made plenty of defensive highlights last postseason, entered in center. "The team we had in the field in the ninth inning out there, I couldn't be happier with that defensive alignment," Maddon said. "That's about as good as it gets for us." With a lead on the scoreboard and Martin, Almora and Heyward in the outfield, Maddon couldn't help but feel Game 1 went according to plan. "If we could finish every game like that, having the lead, I'll take it," Maddon said. "Tonight, it was perfectly put for us in regard to that and the ability to finish the way we did. "That's a warm fuzzy from the dugout, man." --

ESPNChicago.com Mr. Postseason delivers: Kyle Hendricks outduels Stephen Strasburg to give Cubs series lead By Jesse Rogers WASHINGTON -- Kyle Hendricks is becoming an October/November hero for the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander shut down the high-powered Washington Nationals for seven innings in the first Game 1 start of his postseason career, leading the Cubs to a 3-0 win Friday and 1-0 series lead. "That was nothing but excellent today," starting catcher Willson Contreras said after the game. "[Hendricks] didn't miss a spot. He didn't miss a pitch. We did everything we wanted to do today." Hendricks had to be on his game because Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg was even better -- at least through the first five innings. A sixth-inning error by Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon opened the door for the Cubs to score two runs on their first two hits of the night. Strasburg struck out 10 before leaving -- but Hendricks would outshine the NL Pitcher of the Month for September. It wasn't Hendricks' coming-out party -- that came last fall -- but it was yet another confidence-building moment in a career that has taken off. "Joe Maddon has always been there for me," Hendricks said. "They have instilled a lot of confidence in me ever since I came here. Even when I first came up, I had a bad year in 2015 and they stuck with me. So it's been that way for a long time. But to get this nod for Game 1, just to try to set the tone for the team is huge. I just wanted to go out there, like I said before, and just do my part to give my team a chance to win." Hendricks did more than that. He was the entertainment for both Cubs fans everywhere and those people inside his own dugout. Watching Hendricks work magic with a baseball from the stands or on television is one thing, but when his teammates -- especially his fellow starting pitchers -- can't take their eyes off him, you know something special is happening. "I just like his demeanor," Game 2 starter Jon Lester said. "He's so smart and figures stuff out. I just like how he composes himself and goes about his business. That was fun to watch." That sentiment would be repeated over and over again, by those who have seen Hendricks only a handful of times, such as Game 3 starter Jose Quintana, to veterans such as mentor John Lackey. Lackey isn't exactly a man of many words, but when it came to Hendricks, the three-time World Series champion was nearly verbose. "When you see them late on his fastball, you know they're looking for something else and he's got them in between," Lackey said with a smile. "He's prepared. He has a plan, and he can execute. That was fun to watch. Happy for him." Said Quintana: "He was amazing tonight. His focus is unbelievable. No matter what happens around him, he's the same." Hendricks, the 2016 MLB ERA leader, gave up only two hits and three walks. In the seventh, his final inning, he was able to pitch around an error by Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. Hendricks was masterful, working both sides of the plate with some of the best movement he has had on his pitches all season. "I asked him to teach me how to do it," Contreras joked. "He was so smooth today." Said Hendricks: "When I start hitting spots [with his fastball], that's when it really starts to take off for me, and my changeup can work off that. I didn't throw many curveballs tonight, so really was relying on the fastball [and] changeup." Every time Hendricks needed to make a pitch, he did. The performance was reminiscent of his outing in Game 6 of last year's National League Championship Series against Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. The Cubs won that game, and later won Game 7 of the World Series -- which Hendricks also started. His fellow pitchers weren't the only ones impressed.

"He mixed it up," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "He threw changeups in fastball counts, threw high fastballs. He used all quadrants tonight. You know, he can pitch." Before this series began, Lester -- a three-time World Series champion and veteran of several Game 1 starts -- declared this Game 1 a "passing of the torch" to Hendricks, even declaring that Hendricks' next goal is to be an Opening Day starter. It can't be far in the future. Hendricks has tackled and won a Game 1, a Game 7 and everything in between, while lowering his career postseason ERA to a nifty 1.98 after Friday night's outing. "He's a tone-setter for us," Lester said. "He set the tone tonight." Mr. Postseason indeed. -- ESPNChicago.com Las Vegas natives Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper work together to help victims By Jesse Rogers WASHINGTON -- Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper are working together to help the victims of the Las Vegas shooting that left 58 dead and nearly 500 injured Sunday night. Harper and Bryant, both Las Vegas natives, shot a PSA on Thursday that aired during Game 1 of the National League Division Series between their respective teams. "The biggest thing is, Vegas is very small," Harper said after filming the PSA. "If you were born and raised there, you know everybody. You know who this person is on this side of town or that side of town. Relatives, friends, whatever. So when something happens like this, it's going to hit home." Bryant and Harper both knew people who attended the Route 91 Harvest Festival but escaped with less than life-threatening injuries. "You don't want to see it happen to your hometown, but it's been amazing to see the people in the community come out and help," Bryant said. "I don't know if I've ever seen a response like that. People wanting to help other people. It shows that even in a time like this there are good people out there." Added Harper: "Nurses, doctors, first responders, medics ... they're working 70 hours straight. That's how it is when you're from there. You want to lend that hand as much as you can." Harper and Bryant believe the Major League Baseball playoffs are a good time to publicize what Las Vegas is going through, and they are hopeful people around the country will help. "In the NLDS, and the platform we have, the PSA was an easy thing to do," Bryant said. "We wanted to help out in any way we can. People are going to be struggling for a long time -- just as they are after the hurricanes. You see this country coming together. Whatever we can to get people to support, we're ready to do." Reaching out as a duo was Harper's idea. They may be foes on the field, but before and after games, Bryant and Harper are two high-profile guys from Las Vegas trying to help a city recover from an emotional moment. "I was wondering what we can do from afar," Harper said. "It's tough. You want to go down there and help out. ... We just want to get the word out and have people provide even a dollar to whatever organization you want. It all counts." --