Giants manager Bruce Bochy officially announced his starters for Games 2,3 and 4 of the NLDS on Friday, with Jeff Samardzija (3.81 ERA) facing Kyle Hendricks in Game 2, Madison Bumgarner (2.74 ERA) taking the bump against Chicago ace Jake Arrieta in Game 3 at AT&T Park, and left hander Matt Moore (4.08) being given the ball against Cubs veteran left-hander John Lackey in Game 4, should it be necessary.
Bochy said Samardzija, who finished the season allowing just three runs in his last 19 and 2/3 innings, with be used as a reliever after Game 2.
None of the selections come as a shock, though there were rumblings that Bochy may elect to start Moore in Game 2, and thus avoid starting lefties in consecutive games, against a Cubs lineup that finished second in the league in OPS against left-handed pitching.
Smardzija was shaky against his former team in his only appearance at Wrigley this year, giving up three runs in four innings of work. Bumgarner was stellar in both his starts vs. the Cubs in 2016, out-dueling Arrieta in a 3-2 victory on September 3 at Wrigley, and pitching 7 and 2/3 shutout innings in a 1-0 victory at AT&T Park on May 22.
Moore did not face the Cubs this season.
