The Chicago Cubs are merely biding their time until they can get their postseason started next week, and after a couple of players criticized manager Joe Maddon’s strategy in the season’s final week, the skipper responded on Thursday night.
Maddon, who has been giving his regular players rest and has been utilizing relievers in scripted roles to help get the team ready for the playoffs, was criticized by Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero after a loss Wednesday, and he was questioned about his players’ comments after Thursday’s tie against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“My answer to that is we’re 7-2 in our last nine games,” Maddon said. “I don’t see any kind of real negative patterns right there. They all knew what was going to happen before that game. There were no surprises. And there has been no surprises.”
The impetus behind the criticism of Maddon was the manager’s handling of pitching and catching duties in Wednesday’s game. Arrieta got the start in the game, but ended up giving up seven runs in the outing. Midway through the start, Montero was removed from the game and Willson Contreras was inserted, giving him one final opportunity to work with Arrieta before the end of the regular season.
Both players criticized the decision after the game, with Montero citing the team’s desire to win games as a reason for being against the move.
With the team trying to stay sharp before the playoffs begin, Maddon recognizes the difficulty in finding a balance between keeping players fresh and avoiding disrupting their routines, but he has no intention of changing his tactics as the Cubs enter their final series of the season against the Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s still going to be scripted. They’re still going to get their at-bats,” he said. “It’s hard to replicate fighting for a playoff spot if you’ve already clinched it and you’re playing against a team that is not playing for anything either.
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“There are all mind games you have to play with yourself in order to replicate what you want,” he added.
