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Facing elimination, the St. Louis Cardinals will turn to veteran right-hander John Lackey in Game 4 on Tuesday, hoping to stay alive in the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs. Lance Lynn was originally scheduled to pitch Game 4 for St. Louis, but with the Cardinals needing to win Tuesday in Wrigley Field to stave off elimination, manager Mike Matheny switched to Lackey. The Cubs lead the best-of-five series two games to one.
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Lackey, the winning pitcher in Game 1, will pitch on three days' rest, and the Cardinals hope he can be as effective as he was Friday, when he pitched 7 1/3 innings of two-hit ball in the Cardinals' 4-0 victory.
"I think he's proven it all season long," Matheny said of Lackey, "a guy we go to in big situations, and (Tuesday) is a big situation and he's ready to go on short rest, and we were able to get him out a little bit earlier than what he's been accustomed to. He's had enough rest, and it's time to go."
The Cubs won the past two games, and they can clinch their first berth in the National League Championship Series in 12 years by winning Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
Lackey faces the task of shutting down the Cubs' power. Chicago hit a major-league-postseason-record six home runs Monday in an 8-6 victory, and three Cubs players -- Dexter Fowler, Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber -- each have two homers in the series.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided not to bring his Game 1 starter, Jon Lester, back on short rest to pitch Game 4. Lester presumably would be the Cubs' starter in Game 5 if that game is needed on Thursday in St. Louis.
Chicago's starter Tuesday will be right-hander Jason Hammel, who will pitching on 12 days' rest. His last start came on Oct. 1, when he pitched five innings of shutout ball against the Cincinnati Reds.
This is his first start in this year's postseason, but he has appeared in four playoff games for three different teams.
"Referring to pressure, I feel like pressure is what you make of it," Hammel said before Monday's game. "Honestly, yeah, it could be a big game, but I've done this a few times now in the postseason, and I understand that it's just another ballgame."
A major concern for the Cardinals is the status of catcher Yadier Molina, who left Monday's game after aggravating his thumb injury. Matheny did not know whether Molina would be ready to play Tuesday.
The Cubs also have a significant injury. Shortstop Addison Russell left Monday's game with a hamstring problem, and Maddon was uncertain of Russell's status for Tuesday.
In any case, Maddon knows the Cardinals will be difficult to eliminate.
"It's difficult to finish off good teams," said Maddon.
The Cardinals certainly qualify as a good team. Their 100-62 regular-season mark was the best record in baseball.
"I like our odds when our backs are against the wall," Matheny said. "This is the kind of team that we've had all season long, regardless of what anybody else thinks, regardless of odds, regardless of who we're stacked up against."
