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 The veteran right-hander will work Game 4 of the National League
Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, with the Cubs
needing one more win to capture the best-of-five set.
"I've done this a few times now in the postseason, and I understand
that it's just another ballgame," he said Monday before the Cubs
beat the Cardinals 8-6 in Game 3. "I've been preparing for this game
since my last outing in Cincinnati (a 5-3 win on Oct. 1), so I've
had a little time to think about it, and honestly, I'll be ready to
go."
Hammel's four games of postseason experience includes stints with
the Colorado Rockies (2009), Baltimore Orioles (2012) and Oakland
A's (2014). He is 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA in the playoffs.
He allowed a 12th-inning run against Kansas City in last year's
American League wild-card game as the Royals advanced with a 9-8
victory.
Hammel was 8-5 with the Cubs in 2014 before a trade to Oakland,
where he went 2-6 with a 4.26 ERA.
He returned to the Cubs as a free agent in the offseason and went
10-7 with a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts this year.
Hammel recorded a 2.82 ERA in his first 18 starts of the regular
season before posting a 5.37 ERA in his final 13. He set a career
high with 172 strikeouts and tied a career best with 10 wins.
In his second go-around with Chicago, Hammel witnessed quite a
change from a 2014 team that went 73-89 to this year's 97-65 team.
"It's night and day," he said. "Who wouldn't want to be part of a
winner?"
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MLB Team Report - Chicago Cubs - NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 97-65, third place in National League Central; beat
Pittsburgh Pirates in NL wild-card game
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES: Cubs 2, Cardinals 1
NEXT: NLDS, Game 4, Tuesday -- Cardinals (RHP John Lackey, 13-10,
2.77 ERA regular season; 1-0, 0.00 ERA postseason) at Cubs (RHP
Jason Hammel, 10-7, 3.74 ERA regular season; postseason debut)
PLAYER NOTES:
--RHP Jake Arrieta allowed four runs on five hits while striking out
nine and walking two in 5 2/3 innings Monday -- but he got the win.
He improved to 18-1 in his last 22 starts between the regular season
and postseason, but he endured his shortest outing since July.
Arrieta allowed two or more earned runs for the first time since
Aug. 15 at the Chicago White Sox, and his streak of 10 starts
allowing one earned run or none was snapped. "I was plotting,
planning mentally when is this going to come to an end," Cubs
manager Joe Maddon said. "Of course, he still had good stuff, he
just wasn't as sharp as he normally is."
--RF Jorge Soler went 2-for-2 with a homer and two RBIs and also
walked twice. He is the first player in major league history to
reach base safely in his first nine postseason plate appearances.
The former Cubs postseason record was seven consecutive plate
appearances reaching base, set by Hack Wilson in 1929.
--3B Kris Bryant was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs while hitting
his first career postseason home run, a go-ahead shot in the fifth
inning. He also had a first-inning single to snap an 0-for-11 skid.
--1B Anthony Rizzo followed 3B Kris Bryant's home run with his own
solo shot in the fifth inning, breaking out of an 0-for-12 slump to
start the postseason. Rizzo finished the game 1-for-4.
--LF Kyle Schwarber was 1-for-3 with a second-inning solo homer and
a walk. He is now 5-for-9 with two homers, two walks and four RBIs
in three postseason starts. He was 0-for-12 to start the postseason.
--2B Starlin Castro was 2-for-4 with a homer. His game-tying solo
home run in the fourth inning was the first postseason shot of his
career. He improved to 11-for-24 with two doubles and three homers
in his career against Cardinals RHP Michael Wacha.
--RHP Jason Hammel (10-7, 3.74 ERA) starts Tuesday as the Cubs go
for a National League Division Series clincher. He recorded a 2.82
ERA in his first 18 starts of the regular season before posting a
5.37 ERA in his final 13. He set a career-high with 172 strikeouts
and tied a career best with 10 wins. Hammel has faced the Cardinals
in seven starts since 2010, all as a starting pitcher, and is 2-3
with a 5.97 ERA.
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QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's difficult to finish off good teams. We've been
behind a lot of times, we've battled back. We totally expect that
out of the Cardinals. ... You don't pack up the bats until the last
out ever." -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon, whose team leads St. Louis
two games to one in the best-of-five NL Division Series.
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MLB Team Report - Chicago Cubs - ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
--RHP Jason Motte (right shoulder sprain) went on the 15-day
disabled list Aug. 24. He began throwing off flat ground Sept. 15.
He threw a bullpen session Oct. 3, and he could see action if the
Cubs advance deep into the playoffs.
--RHP Jacob Turner (mild right flexor strain and bone bruise on
right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March
27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 19. He began a
rehab assignment with Double-A Tennessee on June 9, but he was shut
down in mid-June after experiencing a setback.
ROTATION:
RHP Jake Arrieta
LHP Jon Lester
RHP Kyle Hendricks
RHP Jason Hammel
BULLPEN:
RHP Hector Rondon (closer)
RHP Pedro Strop
RHP Fernando Rodney
RHP Justin Grimm
LHP Travis Wood
LHP Clayton Richard
RHP Trevor Cahill
CATCHERS:
Miguel Montero
David Ross
INFIELDERS:
1B Anthony Rizzo
2B Starlin Castro
SS Addison Russell
3B Kris Bryant
INF Tommy La Stella
INF Javier Baez
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Kyle Schwarber
CF Dexter Fowler
RF Chris Coghlan
OF Austin Jackson
OF Chris Denorfia
OF Jorge Soler
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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