MILWAUKEE — Cubs manager Craig Counsell wasn’t in the mood for questioning.
Not only did his team get blown out 9-3 by the Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday, but his decision to start left-hander Matthew Boyd backfired. Counsell grew animated when asked about the decision to start Boyd on three days of rest.
“We picked Matt Boyd to pitch,” Counsell said. “I don’t know what to say. He pitched; it didn’t go well. We’ve got to make decisions.
“I was very comfortable with putting Matt Boyd on the mound today. The whole organization was comfortable putting Matt Boyd on the mound today.”
The Brewers were also fond of the Cubs’ decision, feasting on Boyd in the first inning.
Boyd allowed doubles to the first three batters he faced, giving the Brewers a 2-1 lead and the momentum after Michael Busch led off the game with a home run.
After inducing a groundout, Boyd walked Andrew Vaughn and saw Sal Frelick reach base on an error by Nico Hoerner that scored a run. It should have been the second out. Making mistakes against the Brewers can be costly because they have a track record of capitalizing on them.
With runners on first and second, Boyd struck out Caleb Durbin. He had a chance to minimize the damage by retiring Blake Perkins, but Perkins battled Boyd in an 11-pitch at-bat that ended with an RBI single on a 3-2 count. That forced Counsell to turn to right-hander Michael Soroka.
“Your job is to continue to keep the game there,” Boyd said. “Hats off to Perkins; he was battling me there.”
Boyd allowed six runs (two earned) and four hits with a strikeout and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. It was the shortest start for a Cub in a postseason game since Hank Borowy failed to record an out in Game 7 of the 1945 World Series.
When the Cubs announced that Boyd would start, the decision was met with some skepticism. But given that Boyd had been efficient in his start in the wild-card series — 58 pitches in four innings — he and the team believed he was ready to pitch again.
After Soroka allowed three runs and five hits in one inning, right-hander Aaron Civale covered 4⅓ innings — the longest scoreless relief outing in postseason history, according to MLB — and righty Ben Brown chipped in two scoreless innings.
Boyd’s start could be damaging to the Cubs’ bullpen the longer this series goes, but Counsell didn’t see it that way.
“Our relievers are completely reset,” Counsell said. “We can work with Monday’s game however we want to. When you’re going to your third pitcher in the second inning, that could be really problematic, even with the off days.”
Counsell’s decision to start Boyd played a major role in the Cubs falling behind 1-0 in the series, heightening the importance of Game 2 on Monday.
“We pitched well for the last six innings,” Counsell said. “We didn’t pitch well early. That’s it.”