Chicago Cubs relaxed and ready to go at Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs' team doctor was on hand Tuesday at PNC Park, and judging by the players' demeanor, he was probably there to make sure pulses didn't get too low.

As the players took the field for an afternoon workout, the focus was on fun, as it has been for the entire season.

Backup infielder Jonathan Herrera wore a helmet with a pair of fake hands taped to the top, mimicking the Cubs' rally cry of rubbing their hands on their heads.

Players also mock exhorted each other to get it going during the team stretch.

That's not to say this bunch of upstart Cubs isn't aware of what's at stake.

They'll take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night in a one-game, win-or-go-home, wild-card playoff game.

The Pirates finished second In the National League Central behind the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 98-64. The Cubs were second at 97-65, giving them the third-best record in baseball.

By the end of the night, the season will be over for one of two very good teams.

Still, the Cubs were trying to enjoy the whole thing. That goes for pitcher Jake Arrieta, who starts against the Pirates. Arrieta already has had some back-and-forth with Pirates fans, urging them to make it loud at PNC Park.

The Cubs ace said that was “all in fun,” and that he's keyed up in the right amount.

“It's a nervous excitement,” he said. “It's not anxiety. I mean, this is why I've prepared as hard and as rigorous as I have for the past however many years for this game.

“This is one of the moments that you think about when you're training in the off-season in early December. You think about pitching in games like this. So I've already processed it, I've already visualized the scenarios. I feel like anything that's thrown at me (Wednesday) or really in any game, I'm ready to handle and deal with and move forward.”

Cubs manager Joe Maddon refused to divulge his starting lineup, saying he didn't want to give the Pirates any early advantage. During the workout, Tommy La Stella took groundballs at third base early, giving way to Kris Bryant later. It's possible Bryant could start in the outfield, with La Stella at third against Pirates ace Gerrit Cole.

Maddon probably would urge the public and media not to overthink that, just as he has urged his players not to overthink the importance of the game.

“It's not, ‘Try to become a better team all of a sudden or try new things and become this big, creative force,' ” Maddon said. “Just go out and play. Go out and play, man. You've been playing all year. We won 97. They won 98. Neither one of us can believe we're in the wild-card game.”

This is the Cubs' first playoff appearance since 2008. The Pirates, on the other hand, are playing in the wild-card game for the third year in a row — they beat the Cincinnati Reds in 2013 and lost to the San Francisco Giants last year. They know the result can turn on any little thing.

“A lot of luck involved,” Cole said. “But there's a lot of little details that matter. And the team that takes are of those the best comes out on top usually.”

If the Cubs beat the Pirates, they'll travel to St. Louis to start the division series Friday. Left-hander Jon Lester would start that game for the Cubs. He has plenty of playoff experience with the Boston Red Sox, helping them win two World Series.

Lester pitched in the wild-card game last year for Oakland, giving up 8 hits and 6 runs in 7⅓ innings as the Kansas City Royals beat the Athletics on the way to the World Series.

“Like I've always said, the game doesn't change,” Lester said. “The fastball down and away that you locate works just the same as it does in the postseason, in Game 7 of the World Series as it does on April 15. That doesn't change.

“Just now, you've got a little more adrenaline. The buzz of the crowd is a little bit louder. The ramifications for bad pitches matter a little bit more. Your heart rate's going to be a little higher in the first inning. After that, you should be able to settle right back in and go about your business.”

Arrieta is 3-1 with an 0.75 ERA in 5 starts against the Pirates this year, while Cole is 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA against the Cubs in 4 starts.

Familiarity may or may not come into play.

“For me, at the end of the day, I feel like if I execute, regardless if I were to use the same sequencing as I have in the past against these guys, I still feel confident in my ability to have success,” Arrieta said. “It's going to come down to who makes the fewest amount of mistakes, both on the mound, in the field, on the basepaths.

“So this has been a long time coming, this moment. I've been waiting for it for a number of years, and I'm ready.”

3 keys for the Cubs

<b>Strike early: </b>It will be important to score early against Pirates ace Gerrit Cole. Cubs manager Joe Maddon is likely going to go with an offensive-oriented starting lineup. If the Cubs get a lead, he'll sub for defense.

<b>Play the same game: </b>Since Day 1 of spring training, Maddon has talked of playing the same game no matter what the calendar says. It's worked since then. We'll see how the Cubs' young players respond to the playoff atmosphere.

<b>Respect Cutch: </b>Even though Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen batted just .236 in September-October, he's still a force. He'll be among the top five in MVP voting.

— Bruce Miles