LOS ANGELES — Cubs manager Joe Maddon, bleary-eyed and slow moving after an overnight travel odyssey that involved a diverted flight to New Mexico, said Friday the Cubs still had not decided whether left-hander Jose Quintana or right-hander John Lackey will start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Saturday night.
He planned to meet with his staff and the front office team to make that call late Friday, he said.
Quintana threw just 12 pitches in a relief appearance Friday — “almost like a side piece for him,” Maddon said.
Lackey, who was 7-3 with a 3.75 ERA in the second half, hasn’t pitched since a one-inning relief appearance in the season finale — hasn’t started since Sept. 7 (six innings, one run allowed).
Maddon said a Lackey start likely won’t mean dropping somebody else from the rotation.
“Everybody could move back and then you have to be cognizant of Game 5 [when that spot comes up again],” Maddon said, “and how comfortable you are with that.
“It’s just this first game,” he said. “The others will definitely be part of this whole routine. We just have to decide the first game and go from there.”
In the clubhouse Thursday night, Quintana said he was fine for a start Saturday night.
“I’m ready to go, man,” he said.
Assuming Jon Lester — last year’s NLCS co-MVP — says he’s up to it, he’s the Cubs’ likely starter for game 2 on Sunday. Lester threw 55 pitches in relief in Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday.
Maddon said the Cubs aren’t likely to carry an extra pitcher to cover the heavy use of several bullpen guys in the first round, but the Cubs might swap out a pitcher or two. That could put right-handers Hector Rondon and possibly Justin Grimm back in play for a roster spot and put left-hander Justin Wilson on the bubble for the NLCS.
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