Say hello to your first-place Chicago Cubs!
Marcus Stroman set the tone early on, striking out three batters in the first inning, leading the Cubs to a 4-0 shutout win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day at Wrigley Field. Stroman tossed six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and three walks, while striking out eight batters.
The only real trouble Stroman got into was in the third inning, when Nico Hoerner’s throwing error allowed the Brewers to have a runner begin the inning at second base. Christian Yelich walked and with one out so did Willy Adames to load the bases.
Left-handed power hitter Rowdy Tellez came to the plate and the Cubs gold glove caliber middle infield rose to the occasion. I do have to say, give another assist to Tellez here, as he’s not the world’s fastest base runner.
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Regardless, this was a textbook double play turned by Hoerner and Dansby Swanson to get Stroman out of the bases-loaded jam.
Beautiful turn from Hoerner, who was fired up and then recorded the first Cubs hit of the game against Corbin Burnes in the bottom of the third inning.
With Miles Mastrobuoni at third and Hoerner at first, Swanson came through in the clutch, singling hard to right field. Thanks to a bad throw from the Brewers, Hoerner was able to race all the way around from first base to score, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Inject Nico’s energy straight into my veins!
The Cubs added two more runs in the third inning as Trey Mancini singled to left to drive in Swanson and then Ian Happ scored after a mental mistake on a ground ball up the middle that ended without an out getting recorded.
It was smooth sailing for Stroman after the four-run rally by the Cubs offense. He retired 9 of the next 10 batters he faced, allowing just one single after the third inning.
For the second consecutive Opening Day start, the Cubs were able to get to Burnes and chase him out of the game after five innings. Despite his dominance over the Cubs in recent years, Opening Day has been a different story the past two years.
Corbin Burnes 2022 Opening Day vs. Cubs
5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Corbin Burnes 2023 Opening Day vs. Cubs
5 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Today was the exact formula the Cubs are banking on to be in the playoff hunt this year. Good pitching, good defense and the top of the lineup has to come up big.
Swanson had a great debut, going 3-for-4, but this just goes to show you how baseball is going to baseball. The only out he made came in the first inning, when he hit a ball 109mph to dead center field.
Swanson also came up with a slick play at shortstop in the sixth inning.
The Brewers were held to four singles on Thursday as Keegan Thompson, Brad Boxberger and Michael Fulmer shut them down after Stroman’s stellar start.
