The Cubs began the North American portion of the 2025 schedule with an offensive outburst.
Here’s yet another example of why Spring Training results mean nothing.
The Cubs returned from Japan — where their bats were pretty silent — and played five games at Sloan Park, in which they were outscored 35-13, and lost four of the five.
Two days later, the Cubs smashed out 12 hits and drew six walks, scoring in double figures in a 10-6 win over the Diamondbacks.
Now that’s the way to start a season… er, if the season hadn’t already started with the two losses in Tokyo.
Anyway.
The D-backs scored first, with a run in the first inning off Justin Steele.
But the Cubs came right back with three in the second. With one out, Pete Crow-Armstrong walked and stole second. Matt Shaw followed with a walk, and both runners moved up on an infield out.
Ian Happ drove them both in with this double [VIDEO].
The Cubs were not done, though! Kyle Tucker singled in Happ to make it 3-1 [VIDEO].
The D-backs moved to within 3-2 on a solo homer by Eugenio Suárez in the bottom of the second. That guy has made a career out of tormenting Cubs pitching. That was his 32nd career homer against the Cubs, by far his most against any team, and ties him with former D-back Paul Goldschmidt for the most against the Cubs by any currently active player.
Happ matched that homer in the fourth to make it 4-2 [VIDEO].
About that homer, from BCB’s JohnW53:
Ian Happ hit the Cubs’ first home run of the season, as he also did in 2018, 2020 and 2023.
Ernie Banks and Mark Grace also did it four times, Banks in 1956, 1969, 1962 and 1969, and Grace in 1992, 1995, 1997 and 1999.
Frank Schulte did it five times, in 1907-09, 1911 and 1913.
The D-backs did get that run back in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-3, but it might have been more if not for this slick sliding catch by Tucker [VIDEO].
Then the Cubs blew the game open in the top of the fifth. Michael Busch singled and two outs later, the Cubs loaded the bases on a single by PCA and Shaw reaching on a fielder’s choice.
Amaya promptly un-loaded the bases [VIDEO].
As you can see in the clip, that was nearly a great catch by D-backs center fielder Jake McCarthy, but it glanced off his glove for that three-run double. The Cubs will, of course, take any break they can get.
Now it’s 7-3. Steele completed the fifth inning, throwing 77 pitches (55 strikes). It wasn’t his best outing, he struggled at times and struck out only two. But it was one of those “good enough” outings, since the offense was clicking.
The Cubs made it 8-3 in the top of the sixth. Seiya Suzuki led off with a single and went to second on an infield out. One out later, Nico Hoerner singled Seiya in [VIDEO].
The Cubs have a five-run lead with four innings to go. The bullpen’s been improved, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Well, you know the answer to that. Nate Pearson was the first Cubs reliever of the night and he was… not good. He didn’t have command and loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter. (The batter he hit was Suárez and the Arizona crowd didn’t like that, but it absolutely was not retaliatory. Pearson just couldn’t throw strikes.)
Two D-backs sacrifice flies made it 8-5 and you are forgiven if you said, “Uh-oh, here we go again,” because I was thinking that and I know many of you were.
But the Cubs got two solid scoreless innings from Caleb Thielbar and Porter Hodge, and added on two important runs in the ninth. Hoerner walked and one out later, Shaw singled.
Both runners scored on another double by Amaya [VIDEO].
The five RBI for Amaya matched his career high, also done Aug. 22, 2024 against the Tigers at Wrigley Field.
With the lead now at five, I was a bit surprised to see Craig Counsell call on his closer, Ryan Pressly, to throw the ninth. And as is the case with many closers throwing NOT in a save situation, Pressly wasn’t sharp. He gave up a single and double with one out, and a run scored on an infield out to make it 10-6.
Pressly then got Josh Naylor to ground out to end the game [VIDEO].
The offense was varied. In addition to Amaya’s two doubles, three other Cubs had two hits, Happ, Busch and Hoerner, and it was particularly good to see Nico play with no limitations — he certainly looked 100 percent, though I am sure Counsell will give him a day off from time to time in the early going. Every Cub had at least one hit except for Dansby Swanson. And the team hit well with RISP: 5-for-12, and had more opportunities, with 10 left on base.
It’s easy to complain about ball-and-strike calls, but this is a game where there would have been multiple challenges had the ABS challenge system been in place. Dan Bellino’s strike zone was all over the place; I can’t wait to see his ump scorecard later this morning.
And so:
There’s no postgame video from Counsell available, but here’s Happ talking about the Thursday night win [VIDEO].
The Cubs will go for two in a row over the D-backs, and try to even up their season record, this evening at Chase Field. Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs and Merrill Kelly will go for Arizona. Game time is 8:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.