Cueto Down!

As I predicted, game one of the NLDS was a very low scoring game.  The Cubs came away with the 1-0 win after Javier Baez hit the go-ahead solo homer into the left field basket in the bottom of the 8th.  Johnny Cueto had been pitching great the entire game, but made a mistake to Baez, and paid for it with the hefty price of his team being down 1-0 in the NLDS.

I was wrong in a sense where I thought it would be a battle of he bullpens.  There were no runs allowed by the Cub's bullpen, and Johny Cueto went a complete game.  This is good new for both pitching staffs.  Both staffs have a pretty well rested bullpen going into game two.  The Cub's only pitched Chapman for one inning, and both Cueto and Bumgarner have pitched complete games for their respective games.

Now, taking a look at the bats from game one.

The Giants held the cubs to only three hits.  That's all the Cubs needed, though.  The Giants, however, out-hit the Cubs with six hits.  two of those where lead off base hits, one in the first, and one in the second.  Thanks to none other than grandpa Rossy for knocking both of those runners off of the base-paths with two great throws.  In the first, Ross threw Gorkys Hernandez out trying to steal 2nd.  In the second, he picked off Connor Gillaspie at first.  Very strong arm for someone who is set to retire.

Tomorrow's game will played at 7pm.  Kyle Hendricks will be facing off against Jeff Samardzija.  I would like to acknowledge how frustrating it would be for Jeff to lose to the Cubs tomorrow.  Keep in mind that Jeff pitched for the cubs from 2008-2014.  He has seen his fair share of bad Cub's team.  He actually had a stretch of the 2014 season where he had the best ERA in the league but was winless.  That just goes to show how terrible the bullpen was.  The cubs traded him to the Athletics the last time they were in "sell mode".  The season after they sold him, Jeff watched the Cubs make it the the NLCS.  Now he is pitching against them in the NLDS.

Jeff Samardzij's previous season stats

Hopefully the Cub's bats heat up a little bit tomorrow.  Tomorrow's game will be their best chance to win for a little bit.  After tomorrow's game, the Cub's will be traveling to San Francisco and facing Maddison Bumgarner.  That, in my opinion, is the Giant's game to win.