Cubs' Boyd to Start NLDS Game 1; Horton Out

The Chicago Cubs announced left-hander Matthew Boyd will start Game 1 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, pitching on three days' rest after throwing 58 pitches across 4 1/3 innings in the wild-card opener. Boyd was made available by his low pitch count and a bullpen warmup and was checked in a workout by manager Craig Counsell before the decision. Boyd was Chicago’s most consistent starter this season (14-8, 3.21 ERA, 179 2/3 innings, 154 strikeouts) and earned his first All-Star nod. Rookie right-hander Cade Horton has been ruled out of the series with a broken rib, reducing rotation depth. The Cubs plan to rely on a multi-inning relief strategy — candidates include Colin Rea, Javier Assad and Michael Soroka — if Boyd is on a short leash, and he will face Brewers ace Freddy Peralta in the opener. The best-of-five schedule includes off-days that give Chicago some flexibility in managing arms as it attempts to advance to the NLCS.