Rozner: Chicago Cubs' Maddon sure Contreras catching on

Joe Maddon took a chance Saturday night.

It's not unusual for the Chicago Cubs manager to show confidence in his young players. No, he's done that from the moment he arrived here two years ago.

But throwing Willson Contreras in at catcher in Game 2 of the NLDS seemed both unnecessary and even a bit risky, especially given that Maddon has gone with defense through the first two games.

The Cubs tried to get Contreras ready for the postseason by catching him nearly every day for the better part of two months this summer, hoping to get him comfortable with all the Cubs' starters, and get those starters comfortable with him.

Toward the end of the season, however, Miguel Montero came on strong and earned his way back onto the playoff roster, and it would not have been shocking if it meant Contreras would see little time behind the plate in October.

It was impressive the way the Cubs put Contreras in school for a significant part of the season, hoping a crash course would get him ready for the playoffs, thus adding another potent bat to the lineup.

But Contreras didn't come far enough to play every day, nor did he find that chemistry with a couple of the starting pitchers.

Still, after catching David Ross in Game 1 for Jon Lester, Maddon went with Contreras in Game 2 for Kyle Hendricks.

“Contreras catching helps to shut down the running game,” Maddon said, insisting he was still thinking defense. “He's played well with Kyle. He's caught Kyle well over the last several times out, so all these things are factors for me.”

We'll not know how well it would have worked out over the course of the game because Hendricks was felled by a line drive off his pitching arm, but there was a catcher's interference early in the game that cost Hendricks a baserunner.

But if Hendricks was looking for a veteran presence behind the plate, he did a great job hiding it.

“The first couple times he caught me, it took a little bit to get the rapport and it takes a lot to find out what a guy wants to throw and when,” Hendricks said. “But it was amazing with Willson. By my third or fourth start, we were really clicking on the same page and had the same game plan going in.

“He knew what I wanted to throw and when. I feel like we have a really good rapport, body-language wise, kind of knowing what to feel from each other and when, based on what the hitters are trying to do.

“He's in tune with the game and he learns from (Montero) a lot as far as making in-game adjustments, so he's got a really good baseball mind and he really keeps me focused out there, and it helps me a lot getting through the game plan.”

There were a couple calls early Saturday that Hendricks probably should have had, but Contreras was moving a bit too much for the umpire and the pitcher lost the debate.

Contreras, however, did a nice job with five different relievers, and he also chipped in with 2 hits and a run scored, his basehit a crucial part of the Cubs' 3-run second inning that put Jeff Samardzija on the ropes.

Montero was expected to get the start for Jake Arrieta on Monday, though that would mean another left-handed hitter in the lineup against Madison Bumgarner, which is rarely a good idea.

In any case, Maddon has again displayed great confidence in his rookie catcher, despite the danger involved in giving away even a single pitch in a postseason game that can flip because of an umpire's decision.

It's pretty hard to argue with Maddon, who pushed every button right Saturday night, much as he has for the last two years.

But this will be fascinating moving forward — and perhaps risky, too.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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