LDN - Sports

Cubs-Rockies game rained out; DH on Tuesday

[May 09, 2017] DENVER -- The sun was coming up Monday morning when the Chicago Cubs arrived in Colorado following an 18-inning, 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees in a Sunday night game at Wrigley Field that took 6 hours, 5 minutes and ended at 1:14 a.m. CT.

"The toughest part is getting in at 5 o'clock in the morning," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "You feel like you have that hangover without the benefits of actually drinking. So it's one of those things you got to fight through in our business. The guys will be fine. We'll be ready to play tonight, if in fact we can."

That possibility didn't materialize. Indeed, a hailstorm in mid-afternoon followed by heavy rain caused the Cubs-Colorado Rockies game Monday night to be postponed. The game was postponed 1 hour, 16 minutes after the scheduled 6:40 p.m. MT start.

The teams will play a day-night doubleheader Tuesday. Cubs ace Jake Arrieta (4-1, 4.63) and Rockies rookie Antonio Senzatela (4-1, 2.84), the scheduled starters Monday, will oppose each other at 12:10 p.m. MT in the first game.

Chicago's John Lackey (2-3, 5.14) and left-hander Kyle Freeland (3-1 2.65) will start in the regularly scheduled second game at 6:40 p.m. MT.

Cubs relievers have thrown a whopping 19 2/3 innings in the past two games -- 8 2/3 on Saturday and 11 on Sunday -- the most work for their bullpen in a two-game stretch since Aug. 17-18, 1982, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The last time Cubs relievers worked eight or more innings in consecutive days was May 14-15, 1961 -- nine innings in Los Angeles against the Dodgers followed by eight the following day at San Francisco against the Giants.

Seven Cubs relievers saw action Sunday night, and four of them threw at least 30 pitches. To fortify their depleted bullpen, the Cubs on Monday selected the contract of Dylan Floro from Triple-A Iowa, where he was 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA in eight games, one as a starter.

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General view of a grounds crewman clearing hail off the outfield of Coors Field before the game between the Chicago Cubs against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

To make room on their roster for Floro, the Cubs placed outfielder Jason Heyward on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Saturday. He did not play the past two days after diving for a ball in the outfield Friday and landing on the knuckle below his right index finger. He was diagnosed with a sprained finger on his right hand.

The Rockies (20-12) have won four of their past five games, including the final two of their weekend series with Arizona. Colorado is in the midst of a season-high, 10-game homestand that will conclude with four games with the Dodgers after the Cubs series.

The Cubs (16-15) have dropped seven of their past 11 games. They are coming off a 3-4 homestand that ended with them getting swept in three games by the Yankees at Wrigley Field.

"Nothing's caving in," Maddon said. "We didn't win three games there. If we were playing our best ball and having this kind of a 50-50 struggle, I'd be more concerned. But we're not. We have a lot better game in our tanks on a daily basis. That's what I'm looking at."

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