Overview
- San Diego shut out Chicago 3-0 in Game 2 at Wrigley Field, evening the NL Wild Card series at one game apiece before Thursday’s decider.
- With a 1-0 deficit in the fifth, Craig Counsell left left-hander Shota Imanaga in against Manny Machado, who hit a two-run home run.
- Counsell defended the choice postgame, saying the result suggested another move but that he trusted Imanaga, as right-hander Mike Soroka was warming and lefty hitter Jackson Merrill was on deck.
- Game 1 showcased Counsell’s bullpen blueprint as he pulled Matthew Boyd after 58 pitches and rode recently activated closer Daniel Palencia for 1.2 hitless innings, then Andrew Kittredge, Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller to a 3-1 win.
- Using Kittredge as an opener in Game 2 limited Chicago’s later bullpen options, underscoring the volatility of a matchup-first plan with the winner set to face the top-seeded Brewers in the NLDS.