Cubs BCB After Dark: Are you OK with an opener?

It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come join our party. We’ve saved seat for you. Let us know if we can get anything for you. If you need to check anything, our coat check room is back open. The show will start shortly. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

The Cubs won their first playoff game since 2017 with a 3-1 win over the Padres. The only thing I have to add to is that the Cubs don’t win if it’s not for Dansby Swanson making two very good plays on defense. But really, it wasn’t just Lt. Dans. It was the whole darn team and I’m not the only one who thinks that.

Last night I asked you who should be the closer for the Cubs in the Wild Card series. The vote was amazingly close as Brad Keller pulled in 35 percent of the vote, Daniel Palencia got 33 percent and Andrew Kittredge got 30 percent. Of course, all three of them pitched in the game, but Keller got the ninth inning.

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t normally do a movie essay. But I always have time for jazz, so those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.

I’m not going to break out Judy Garland until the Cubs actually win a series, but I think we can celebrate a little tonight with some Benny Goodman and his Orchestra playing “Sing, Sing, Sing.”

Welcome back to everyone who skips the jazz.

The Cubs announced that Andrew Kittredge would start Game Two on Wednesday, which is an interesting decision since not only did Kittredge throw 14 pitches today, he hasn’t started a game since 2021.

Of course, Kittredge will be used as an “opener” who will pitch probably just one inning before giving way to Shōta Imanaga, who has struggled in the first inning this year. While Imanaga’s overall ERA is 3.73, his ERA in the first inning is 7.20. It also means that Imanaga will avoid the right-handed Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the first inning, as long as Mike Shildt doesn’t change the Padres lineup. He will have to face the left-handed Luis Arraez, but Arraez has not been a great hitter this year.

So what do you think of this decision? By having Kittredge pitch the first inning, that means he’s not going to be available for the seventh, eighth or ninth. And is Imanaga’s problem the first inning, or just the first inning that he pitches? Might having Shōta come out of the pen just move his issues starting the game to an inning later?

So tonight I’m asking if you agree with this move. If you were Craig Counsell, would you just let Imanaga start the game, or do you agree with his decision to use an opener? Or maybe you agree with the idea of an opener, but you think someone like Michael Soroka or Colin Rea would be a better choice than Kittredge, since they both have much more experience starting games? It would also keep Kittredge available for the later innings.

I’ll also give you the chance to skip Imanaga’s turn in the rotation altogether and give the Game 2 start to Colin Rea.

Thank you for stopping by. Please get home safely. Don’t forget anything you may have checked. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tell your friends about us. Tip your waitstaff. And join us agains tomorrow night for what we hope is a big celebration and more BCB After Dark.