CLEVELAND – With history knocking for the Cubs in Game 7 of the World Series, the Cubs plan to keep riding their hard-throwing bullpen horse as far as he can take them.
And Aroldis Chapman said he’s ready and willing to keep throwing triple-digit fastballs as long as he can lift his arm, as many innings as manager Joe Maddon wants.
“All I know is I’m going to be ready tomorrow, and we’ll see what happens,” the left-hander said Tuesday after entering an elimination game in the seventh inning for the second game in a row. “Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to keep going until I can’t.”
Chapman, who was called on for a career-high eight outs in Sunday’s 3-2 victory at Wrigley Field, has thrown 62 pitches over these past two games, including 20 in a four-out stretch that also included a hit, walk and run.
He already has thrown more innings this postseason (14 1/3) than starter John Lackey has in three starts (13).
And with Game 7 looming, Cubs manager Joe Maddon is not backing off the hard-throwing Chapman, who was acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline and who is a free agent after Wednesday.
“I really anticipate a lot of the same,” Maddon said of Chapman’s availability for Game 7. “He’s a very strong guy, man. I think he’s going to be fine.”
Maddon – who will also have starters Jon Lester and Lackey available out of the bullpen for Wednesday’s winner-take-all game – said he looked at the heart of the Indians order with concern when he went to Chapman with two out and two on in the seventh inning of a 7-2 game.
“For me the game could have been lost right there, and he’s by far our most dynamic relief pitcher,” said Maddon, who left Chapman in to open the ninth inning despite the Cubs pulling out to a 9-2 lead.
Maddon said he didn’t have enough time to get Pedro Strop warmed up to start the ninth once the Cubs extended the lead.
Chapman appeared to roll his ankle covering first base on his first play of the game, but despite a slight limp fared well on the mound in the eighth and said after the game that he was fine.
