Series Recap- Cubs right the ship vs Pirates
Cubs get back on track against their division foe as Cubs take 2 of 3 in Pittsburgh
~Game 1(Monday, April 24): Cubs 14 — Pirates 3~
The last time the Cubs saw the Pirates they were getting swept at Wrigley Field, a rare dilema that this newly built Cubs team hasn’t faced much against their rivals from Pittsburgh, so a revenge factor wasn’t at all a foolish driving factor heading into Monday night at beautiful PNC Park.
The first two batters that Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl faced were an easy Schwarber ground out and a Kris Bryant swinging strike out, an all but seemingly 1–2–3 inning for the young pitcher, but after a Rizzo and Zobrist walk, Addison Russell singled to right field to plate the first run of the game as Rizzo came around from second. Russell would finish with a career high 4 hits in the game. The biggest blow of the first inning would come from a rejuvinated Jason Heyward, who is having an outstanding road trip. Heyward crushed a first pitch fastball to right center field to give the cubs a 4–0 lead that they would never relinquish.
The majority of the highlights came in the first two innings on Monday night, the Cubs continued their onslought with a five run second inning highlighted by a three run double off the bat of Ben Zobrist to deep right field. The Cubs would lead 9–1 after just two innings and chasing Pirates pitcher Chad Kuhl through 1.2 innings.
Lately for the Cubs the offense hasn’t been the problem, the pitching has been less than stellar, but with the offense leading the charge in this game to a substantial lead, the pitching just needed to throw strikes and get through innings. Brett Anderson came into Monday night hoping to give the staff a boost and after giving up a run in the first inning,Anderson settled down to give the Cubs their first quality start in nine games. Anderson would go 6 innings allowing only one run as the Cubs would route the Pirates 14–3 in game 1 of the series.
~Game 2(Tuesday, April 25): Cubs 1 — Pirates 0~
Many times in baseball an offensive outburst in one game leads to a lack of the such in the next. This rang true in game 2 of the series as the game took on a completely opposite tone offensively for the Cubs. That is in all due respect to the Pirates first round pick Gerrit Cole, his stuff was on point on Tuesday, but he would be outdueled by a certain know mild mannered professor, in Kyle Hendricks.
The reigning ERA winner Kyle Hendricks has struggled at the start of the season, but you would have to think he’ll come back to form at some point this year. Game 2 of the series was a good start for Hendricks, he wasn’t his dominant 2016 self yet, but he was much better than his previous starts. Hendricks would only throw one 1–2–3 inning of the night, but navigate his way through 6 shutout innings and give the Cubs his first solid performance of the year.
The lone run of the game came early in the second inning after an Addison Russell double, Jason Heyward’s squiwber to second baseman Alen Hanson led to a throwing error and scored Russell from second, this play would be all the Cubs would need on Tuesday night as the bullpen would relieve Hendricks after 6.
Koji Uehara would provide the biggest drama in the game as he allowed a leadoff double to John Jaso to start the seventh, but after a flyout and strikeout, Uehara would get through the seventh inning by coaxing Jose Osuna to fly out to center, leaving Jaso stranded on third. Uehara has been good this year with just one bad outing at Wrigley against these same Pirates.
The eighth and ninth innings would see the Cubs try to figure out the backbone of their bullpen, we all know it’s Wade Davis in the ninth, but the setup man hasn’t been fully established yet. Pedro Strop has struggled and it looks like Joe Maddon might be starting to lean towards his former closer and supposed to be setup man of a year ago in Hector Rondon. Rondon and Davis have been sparkling this year with just 1 run allowed between them in 17.2 innings, it continued on Tuesday night.
Rondon came in the eighth and sat down the first two batters he faced and after a little drama with a two out walk to Andrew Mccutcheon, Rondon finished off the Pirates eighth by getting Polanco to line out to right. Wade Davis would come in the ninth and shut the door on the Pirates in a 1–2–3- ninth and seal a 1–0 shutout victory for the Chicago Cubs in game 2 of the series.
~Game 3(Wednesday, April 26): Pirates 6 — Cubs 5~
The finale of the series was frustrating to say the least, but a historic night for Major League Baseball. Gift Ngoepe made his major league debut as the first African born player to play in the major leagues, he also collected a hit in his first at bat and finished the night 1 for 2 with a walk.
The game itself looked promising with Jon Lester going on the bump and our pitching staff looking like its headed back to its old form. Unfortunately though, Jon Lester has struggled against the Pirates and it continued on Wednesday night at PNC.
Lester started off the game giving up a leadoff home run to Josh Harrison and yeilding one more in the first to put the Cubs in a hole at 2–0 early. Lester would go on to give up 6 runs over 5.2 innings in a less than Lester like performance for the veteran left hander.
Pitching wasn’t the only problem in the finale for the Cubs, the most frustrating part of the game came in the early innings as the Cubs loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, only to see just one run come across on a hit batsmen in the form of Rizzo. The Cubs would strand 13 baserunners in the game.
The Cubs would claw their way back into the game with a ringing double by Kris Bryant and a lacing single off the bat of Anthony Rizzo in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 5–3, but Lester would give up what proved to be the game winning run on a home run by first basemen Josh Bell in the sixth to stretch the Pirates lead to 6–3.
What is so great about this Cubs team as compared to the past is that I never see them as down and out and I can imagine a comeback from this team on any given night. Wednesday night the Cubs made a valiant effort, but came up a little short. Anthony Rizzo hit a towering two run homer in the eighth to cut the lead to 6–5 and after a leadoff single in the ninth by Wilson Contreras the Cubs rally was stymied on a game ending double play off the bat of Albert Almora Jr. The Cubs would fall 6–5.
The Cubs take 2 of 3 from Pittsburgh and have now won 6 of their first 7 series of the year. Chicago takes the day off on Thursday before heading to Fenway Park in Boston in what should be an electric series to say the least. Anthony Rizzo has been sizzling on this road trip with 4 home runs and 12 RBI’S. The defending World Champion Cubs are now 12–9 on the young season.
Ross Adams grew up watching the Cubs on WGN in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina and has become as loyal and diehard as they come to baseball on the North Side of Chicago. Ross is pursing an English degree and Journalism minor at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
