Written by Eddie Matz at ESPN.com
Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg won’t start Wednesday’s rescheduled National League Division Series Game 4 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field despite being on regular four days’ rest.
With Strasburg under the weather, Washington manager Dusty Baker decided to stick with Tanner Roark, who was slated to start Tuesday before the game was postponed due to inclement weather.
“We’re going to go as planned with Tanner,” Baker said about a half-hour after Major League Baseball announced that Game 4 instead will be played Wednesday at 4:08 p.m. ET.
Baker said several of his players are ill.
“A lot of my team is under the weather with the change of weather, and the air conditioning in the hotel, and the air conditioning here,” he said. “It’s just this time of the year for mold around Chicago — I think it’s mold. I mean, I have it, too.”
Given how dominant Strasburg has been, and given the Cubs hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, it seemed likely that Baker would opt to skip Roark and go with Strasburg on full rest.
After the All-Star break, Strasburg posted a 0.86 ERA, the second lowest ever by a pitcher in the second half of a season (minimum 10 starts). Then, in the NLDS opener last Friday, the 29-year-old right-hander was dominant, allowing three hits and no earned runs over seven innings, striking out 10 in a 3-0 defeat.
But despite Strasburg’s effectiveness, and despite facing elimination, Baker confirmed that Roark will get the nod Wednesday at Wrigley.
“Well, we decided to stay with Tanner because, No. 1, you know, he was slated (to pitch Tuesday),” Baker said.
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