Preview: Cubs at Giants

[October 11, 2016]  The San Francisco Giants refuse to panic in elimination games and second baseman Joe Panik thrived to became their latest postseason hero. The Giants have won a record 10 straight in elimination contests and they attempt to tie the best-of-five National League Division Series at 2-2 when they host the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Panik reached base five times on three hits and two walks Monday and belted the blistering walkoff RBI double off the wall in right-center field to provide San Francisco with a 6-5, 13-inning victory. "We're always a confident bunch," Panik said on the postgame television interview. "We've been there before and we're facing a really good team in the Cubs. So it's a matter of trying to stay within ourselves and not try to do too much and play the way we know how to play." San Francisco used a three-run eighth inning — third baseman Conor Gillaspie's two-run triple was the big hit — to take a two-run lead into the ninth inning before Chicago third baseman Kris Bryant hit a tying two-run homer to force the extra frames. The Cubs have dropped eight of their last 10 postseason road games and manager Joe Maddon has this to say of Monday's defeat: "We played it hard, we played it right — and they beat us."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH John Lackey (11-8, 3.35 ERA) vs. Giants LH Matt Moore (13-12, 4.08)

Lackey is a veteran of the postseason wars dating to 2002 and has compiled an 8-5 record and 3.11 ERA in 23 career appearances (20 starts). "Yeah, I've had several postseason starts, and one doesn't really affect the next one," Lackey said at a news conference. "You kind of know what to expect on the outside like as far as the flyovers and all the more time in between innings and that kind of stuff, you know how to handle that, but once you get in the game, it's another game, another challenge." Lackey, who turns 38 later this month, is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco, including a no-decision Sept. 4 when he gave up two runs (one earned) and one hit in five innings.

Moore is making his fifth postseason appearance and third start, with the others coming when he played for the Tampa Bay Rays — then managed by Maddon. Moore went 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA in those four appearances that occurred when he was 22 and 24 years old and he said he learned from the experience. "I think just taking a little bit relaxed mindset, maybe stepping back and realizing that it's the same game; it's just a bigger moment," Moore said at a news conference. "Try not to get caught up too much in the second."
 

WALK-OFFS

1. Giants C Buster Posey went 3-for-5 on Monday for his second multi-hit outing of the series.

2. Chicago 1B Anthony Rizzo is hitless in 13 at-bats in the series and is just 6-for-45 in his postseason career.

3. San Francisco LF Angel Pagan (back spasms) was scratched from Game 3 and his availability for Game 4 will be determined Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Giants 5, Cubs 3

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