Postseason baseball starts on Tuesday, and the Chicago Cubs are starting Matthew Boyd in Game 1 against the San Diego Padres.
The Padres are countering with their best starter: Michael King. The decision to start Boyd over Gausman is an interesting one. Boyd has better overall numbers this year, but Gausman has been great in three of his last four starts and is on five days of rest. Boyd is on four days of rest.
Boyd has been solid lately, but Game 1 can set the tone for the series, and with King on the mound, runs may be tough for the Cubs to come by. Boyd has faced the Padres twice this year, and he has not bee good.
Boyd's fourth start of the season came against the Padres in San Diego, and he gave up five earned runs in four innings of work. He made that start on four days of rest as well. He made another start against the Padres in June, allowing three earned runs in five innings, one again working on four days of rest.
Now, the Cubs expect him to go out and deliver quality innings on four days' rest in a pressure-packed environment. Not to mention, the Padres are a much better squad right now than they were in the first half of the year.
Boyd went all of September without giving up a home run, but the Padres have no shortage of guys who can hit the long ball. That could be the difference in Tuesday's game.