Chapman honors fellow-Cuban Fernandez on cap

Aroldis Chapman was pitching with a heavy heart Friday in his first playoff appearance in four years.

During the ninth inning of the Cubs' NLDS game against the Giants, Chapman donned the initials and number of fellow-Cuban Jose Fernandez on his cap, nearly two weeks after the Marlins pitcher was tragically killed in a boating accident along with two friends.

The Cubs' All-Star closer lives in the Miami-area during the offseason and said he used to spend time with Fernandez when he was home.

"He would come by my house. I would go by his," Chapman said through his interpreter, according to The Associated Press. "We would have long conversations. We would talk a lot. We spent a lot of good amount of time together. It was very special for me."

Chapman's appearance in Friday's 1-0 win was his first playoff outing since 2012 when he was a member of the Reds. The hard-throwing lefty struck out Gorkys Hernandez before working around a double from Buster Posey to complete the scoreless frame and secure his first-ever postseason save.