Opening Day Recap- Cubs 12, Rangers 4
Opening. Day. Few words elicit as much joy but the few that do are also included in this recap. Words like “Bryant homers!” Or “Javy homers!” Or “Cubs win!” But to get to those words, we have to start at the beginning.
The offense brought the boom but it took them a couple innings to unleash it. The first couple innings weren’t much to write home about, aside from the fact that Lester looked his usual great self, and even flashed some nice glove work catching a quick toss from Rizzo to end the 2nd. His only blemishes on the day came in the bottom of the third when Roughned Odor hit a two out double, which would have been fine except that Elvis Andrus (who went 3-3) hit a homer, putting the Rangers up 2-0. They wouldn’t keep the lead long, though, and wouldn’t score again til there was 2 outs of the 9th.
Jason Heyward got the Cubs first hit of the game- a leadoff single in the top of the 3rd. It was all for naught, though, as nothing would come of it. The Cubs first run of the game came in the top of the 4th when Javy sent an 0-2 knuckle curve into the left field stands.
Bote took a pitch to the foot and got a free base to lead off the 5th. That was quickly followed by a single from Zobrist, which put runners on the corners with nobody out. Heyward drove in Bote on weird play that was eventually called a hit, tying it up at 2. Mark Zagunis was next in line and came through with a double, driving in Zo and giving the Cubs their first lead of the game, a lead they would not relinquish. The lineup turned over and with Heyward at third, and Zagunis at second, Almora struck out for the first out of the inning. Bryant was credited with an RBI, though he was out at first. Rangers pitcher Mike Minor then walked Rizzo for the second time and his day came to a close. Chris Woodward, Rangers manager, pulled Minor and brought in former Cub Jesse Chavez. Chavez’s first pitch of the game was a fastball up in the zone that Javy instantly sent into the Rangers bullpen for his second homer (!!!) of the day, putting the Cubs up 7-2.
The Rangers may have had a shot at mounting a comeback in the bottom of the 5th when Lester issued a 2 out walk to Deshields. Odor was having himself a nice at bat and may have done something with that ab but Deshields decided to test Contreras’ arm. And lost. Willson’s throw was right on the money to…Kris Bryant, who made the tag because defensive shifts are weird these days.
The Cubs weren’t happy with a 5 run lead. In the 6th, with Chavez still pitching, Bote lead off with a single, reached second when Zobrist walked, and then tagged up and reached 3rd on a Heyward flyball to center, putting runners on the corners with 1 out when a pitching change was made. A righty came in so Joe had Schwarber bat for Zagunis. He struck out but the lineup turned over and Almora got his first hit of the game,(off a righty!!) driving in Bote and putting the Cubs up 8-2. KB reached for the first time when he was issued a walk, loading the bases for Rizzo. A pitching change came and Rizzo earned his THIRD walk of the day, an RBI walk that put the Cubs up 9-2 and loaded the bases for Baez, though he’d go down swinging.
The offense *still* wasnt done yet, though! After scoring a run in the 7th to put the Cubs up 10-2, the top of the 8th was lead off by an Almora single. Kris Bryant was up next and maybe it was his frustration at not providing more than a walk all day but whatever it was, KB took a pitch low in the zone and sent it 426 ft in the opposite direction for his first homer of the year, putting the Cubs up 12-2.
Jon Lester went 6 full innings and earned the W after giving up only 2 runs on 4 hits with 2 walks and 3 strike outs.
The young lefty Randy Rosario came in in the 7th and struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced, only needing 9 pitches to get to the 8th. Brad Brach made his debut as a Cub in the 8th and got through it just fine. Strop came in in the 9th, though with the Cubs up 12-2, it wasnt a save opportunity. Strop cruised through the first two outs but then Hunter Pence got a hit, Strop got pulled, and Mike Montgomery came in. His first pitch was jacked out of the park for a 2 run shot but the Cubs were still up 12-4 and Montgomery has gotten harder final outs before. Sure enough, the next Ranger was the last as he lined out to Heyward and Cub fans all across the country raised the first of many W flags. “Go Cubs Go” is always a beautiful song but it sounded even sweeter today, after not hearing it for so long.
AGAIN IT TOOK THE GREAT TALENT OF THE CUBS TO GET MADDON OUT OF A LOSS WHY OH WHY JUST BECAUSE A LEFTY WAS PITCHING IS HIS TOP 5 POWER HITTER SITTING ON THE BENCH (SCHWABER) DOES NOT MAKE SENSE AT ALL!!!!!! SAME OLD STORY WITH HIM WILL COST HIM MANY GAMES IN THE FUTURE AND WHERE IS THE 2ND BASEMAN FROM COLORADO DON”T WANT TO USE HIM PUT ZOBRICH AT 2ND AND USE SCHWABER AT DH I CAN’T IMAGINE THE RECORD MADDON WOULD HAVE ON A TEAM WITH LESSER TALENT LOOK OUT HERE COME THE BREWERS!!!!!