Observations From Cubs' 4-0 Win On Opening Day Against Brewers
The Chicago Cubs topped the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-0, on Opening Day in front of 36,054 patrons in 42-degree weather at Wrigley Field.
Marcus Stroman was brilliant over six strong innings. The 31-year-old needed 90 pitches to keep the Brewers at bay, finishing with a line of: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.
The Cubs' offense plated all four of their runs in the third inning off Brewers starter Corbin Burnes, who had a 2.63 ERA in eight previous appearances at Wrigley Field coming into Thursday.
A few observations from Thursday's win.
Stroman Escapes Jam
The Cubs' ace cruised through the first two innings before running into trouble in the third inning. The Brewers loaded the bases with only one out, but Rowdy Tellez grounded into an inning-ending double play. Nico Hoerner started the play, and Dansby Swanson finished it.
Swanson Delivers
Dansby Swanson will surely remember his first game in a Cubs uniform. After a 109-mph flyout in his first at-bat, the Vanderbilt product delivered a two-run single in the bottom half of the third inning. Miles Mastrobuoni, who got the start in right field, came around to score on the hit. Hoerner also came in to score after the cut-off throw to first got away. Wrigley was absolutely jumping. Swanson would go onto collect three hits in his debut.
Gomes Tough Day Behind The Plate
Marcus Stroman and Yan Gomes appeared to be having some trouble getting on the same page. The latter was responsible for a couple of passed balls, and the former with a wild pitch. Hopefully, it's a non-issue going forward and, frankly, could be attributed to the two not being able to work together all that much in spring with Stroman in the WBC. None of the plays led to runs on Thursday, but it's something to keep an eye on in Stroman's next start for sure.
Thompson Dazzles
The narrative throughout the spring was Keegan Thompson's velocity or lack thereof. However, he needed just 14 pitches to get through the 7th inning, taking over for Stroman. Added, he zipped a 95 mph fastball past Garrett Mitchell for the second out of the inning.
The Cubs (1-0) have the day off on Friday before resuming their series with the Brewers on Saturday. Justin Steele will get the ball for the North Siders in Game 2, with first pitch set for 1:20 pm CST.
More From SI's Inside The Cubs
- Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Chicago Cubs?
- Did David Robertson Net the Cubs a Future Star in Ben Brown?
- Hoerner is the Cubs Shortstop of the Future
- Cubs Could Give Canario a Shot in September
- Could the Cubs Land Trea Turner in the Offseason?
- Chicago Cubs Have a New Top Prospect in Their Rankings
- Is This Top Cubs Prospect Destined for the Mound at Wrigley?
- Steele Offers Glimpse Into Future of Cubs Rotation
- Do the Chicago Cubs Have the National League's Best Bullpen?
- Can Christopher Morel be a Long-Term Solution in Center Field
Make sure to follow Inside the Cubs on Twitter!
