What started out as a sunny and happy Opening Day (including an early Cubs lead) quickly turned into a blowout in the rainy and windy confines of Wrigley Field. The bad news is that the Cubs lost their regular-season opener convincingly. The good news is that it’s a long season.
Which is not to say there aren’t some grievances to air …
The two plays that stand out to me most today are the two non ABS challenges by the Cubs, one on defense, one on offense. The first, with Ben Brown on the mound, immediately led to a two-run homer. Though, not calling for a challenge there is a little more understandable given the circumstances of the game at the time. The second, however, was kinda brutal.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Michael Busch doubled, Alex Bregman singled, Ian Happ struck out, and PCA knocked in a run on a bunt single, starting a very real late rally in what was a closer game at the time. But then, with two on and a 3-1 count, Nico Hoerner took a pitch in off the plate that was called a strike despite being a pretty clear ball. Unfortunately, he did not challenge. Two pitches later, he grounded into an inning-ending, rally-killing double play. Bummer.
I do understand trying to be strategic, even conservative with your challenges, but under those circumstances, that was an easy time to call for one (late game, medium deficit, and an over-turned call puts you on base). To an extent, that’s just a mental error. But this process is new to everyone, and I’m not about to sit here and hang this loss on Nico Hoerner of all people.
No, this game was basically lost in the fourth by Cubs Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd.
Despite starting the game with seven strikeouts through 3.0 innings, Matthew Boyd’s clunker of a fourth inning effectively sunk the Cubs today. The hard contact that had found some mitts in the first three innings started finding grass in the fourth, and before the final out was recorded, six Nationals runs had scored. Not the way he envisioned today going, I’m sure.
We’ll dig into his start in greater detail tomorrow, but yeah, not a good one from Boyd today.
But, hey, it’s Opening Day. How about some positives?
For one, Michael Busch (The Ankin Law: “Making it Personal” Player of the Game) had himself a great day. With a little help from the BABIP gods, he reached base four times, including two doubles and a walk, scoring two runs and notching an RBI in the process.
Beyond that, Alex Bregman recorded his first hit (and walk) as a Cub. Pete Crow-Armstrong had a couple of hits, including a surprise-attack RBI bunt single (god help the league if he can figure that play out with any consistency), and Hoby Milner looked pretty good with his very funky, assuredly uncomfortable (for hitters) delivery.
Plus, the Cubs scattered eight hits and six walks across their nine innings, so it’s not like they were altogether silent. They just couldn’t quite stretch a rally when it mattered most. I’m disappointed, sure, but there’s a lot of baseball left to be played. See you next time.
Full Box Score.
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