Levine: Cubs Going All Hands On Board For Game 7
By Bruce Levine--
CLEVELAND (CBS) -- All hands on board.
It's an overused term for baseball players being ready for any and all situations. Never -- or at least in the last 108 years -- has that term been more real than it will be for the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday night.
That means the Cubs' starters will be available out of the bullpen.
"I was in the same situation in 2007 with Boston," said Cubs left-hander Jon Lester said, who started Game 5 on Sunday. "That was actually in this building. I had pitched Game 2 and was the last guy remaining in Game 4. That is an awesome feeling sitting there. I came in the fifth inning. I ended up finishing the game. That year was the only three relief appearance I had. I will be ready tonight."
The Indians were up 3-1 on the Terry Francona-led Red Sox in that 2007 ALCS and proceeded to lose three straight.
The Cubs will start National League Cy Young candidate Kyle Hendricks in Game 7. He will oppose American League Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber.
The leash will be short in both dugouts. Lester mentioned late Tuesday he hopes there isn't any weirdness and that Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman can nail it down for Chicago.
"Hopefully Kyle does his thing," Lester said. "Then it goes Stropie, Rondon and Chap. That way, I make that little short run to the mound from the dugout. That would be better than making that long run from the bullpen. If they need me down there, I will be there. I am not shying away from anything. I will not tell Joe (Maddon) no. It's all hands on deck. Even Jake (Arrieta) told me he will be ready."
Arrieta threw 100 pitches Tuesday in the Game 6 win. The mentality is that if needed, be ready.
"I will do what Joe asks me to do," Chapman said after his 1 1/3 innings no Tuesday.. "Whatever I can do to help us, I will."
These Cub players aren't cocky or convinced they've won anything other than the right to play in the last game of the season. They came back from down 3-1 in the series with two straight wins. A third would make them champions.
"We will figure out the situation as it arises and adjust from there," Lester said with conviction. "I have done this, like I said, but every circumstance and every situation is different. As a starter, you are never going to feel comfortable down in the bullpen. When we get in a game like this, you can't worry about that. If it's a left-handed hitter and they need me for that one batter, I need to be ready for that."
Maddon will be asking the players and pitchers to be ready regardless of the situation.
"Whatever it takes to win tonight's game, we're going to try and do just that," he said.
Ahead of the elimination games his team has played in, Maddon has kept a simple message: let's just go and win tonight's game.
Arrieta summed up the team's mentality going forward toward history.
"Yes, I will definitely be ready," Arrieta said. "Last game of the year, Game 7 of the World Series, everybody's available. That's kind of how we all view it."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
