D'backs' 'Livo' knows the drill
Playoff experience is overrated. At least, that seemed to be proven in the first two games of this divisional playoff series when the younger Arizona Diamondbacks pounded the Cubs twice.
But with the scene shifting to a potentially raucous Wrigley Field tonight, Arizona manager Bob Melvin figured he could use a pitcher who has been there before. That's one reason why Livan Hernandez will take the mound for Game 3.
Hernandez, 32, has a 6-2 record and 3.99 ERA in the playoffs while pitching for Florida and San Francisco. He was MVP of the 1997 World Series, when the Marlins beat Cleveland.
"Every time Livo takes the ball, we have confidence in him," Melvin said. "He's got that kind of aura about him that he's afraid of nothing and not a whole lot bothers him. I think he's the right guy for us."
Despite his history of postseason success, it's possible the Cubs will match up better against Hernandez than they did against the starters in Games 1 and 2. The free-swinging Cubs hitters struggled against Brandon Webb's sinker and Doug Davis' slow curveballs.
"He's a little different," Melvin said of Hernandez. "But one thing about Livo, you can kind of throw the scouting reports out. He's going to pitch his game. We don't want him throwing his third pitch to a guy just because the guy can't hit a certain pitch. He's going to go out there and go to his strengths, and that never changes."
The Cubs did not face Hernandez (11-11, 4.93 ERA) this season. The Cuba native didn't exactly hit the postseason on a roll. Hernandez sported a 6.67 ERA in September and lasted just 4 innings in his most recent start against Pittsburgh on Sept. 26.
Hernandez said he has tried to stay sharp during his nine-day layoff with a couple of bullpen sessions and a simulated game.
"I feel good. I feel very confident," Hernandez said. "The most important thing (in the playoffs) is to concentrate on whatever you've got to do. It's the time you've got to be a man. It's no time to think like a kid."
In the first two games of this series, the Cubs hit .179 and scored 5 runs. Manager Lou Pinella stressed the obvious at Friday's off-day news conference: If they don't start hitting tonight against Hernandez, the season will be over.
"We have guys that go up there and swing the bat and they're aggressive," Pinella said. "Like I say, when they're connecting, we put runs up on the board and we win with consistency. And when we don't it's a struggle.
"Their pitching has done really well against us. We haven't seen Livan this year, but he knows how to pitch. He pitches to both sides of the plate. He's got a really nice curveball, changes speeds. He'll be a challenge for us."