Game 6 of the World Series couldn’t have been a more perfect scenario for the Chicago Cubs; the Cubs get a big lead, and the need for key relievers goes down. Aroldis Chapman can get an extra day’s rest a day after throwing 2 1/3 innings and prepare for the winner-take-all Game 7 the following night.
Or at least that would have been the script of just about every baseball manager, regardless of if they’re old school or new school. Simply, there’s no reason to tax key pitchers in scenarios where they really don’t need to be used.
Instead, despite the fact that the Cubs were up 7-2 in the 7th inning, we saw Aroldis Chapman warming up in the bullpen; at first, I figured it was just a routine bullpen session, just to keep loose. But then two Indians hitters were on base, and Maddon was walking out to the mound, tapping his left arm, signaling for the unleashing of the All-Star closer. Chapman only needed two pitches to get the third out of the inning, but not before he stepped awkwardly on first base and came off the field with a noticeable limp.