The Cubs were thumping the ball right off the bat – herr herr – in this one, driving even their outs with authority. Edwin Jackson did not pitch particularly well, but the offensive output, including some insurance runs late on a desperately-needed Nate Schierholtz single, were enough to get the win. Starlin Castro and Welington Castillo each had three hits, and Junior Lake and Emilio Bonifacio each had two. And Anthony Rizzo … well, more on that in a moment.
For the second time in as many appearances, Neil Ramirez looked fantastic – great velocity and location on the fastball, sharp movement on his slider. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but he did look pretty darn good in Spring Training, too.
Hector Rondon also looked fantastic finishing things off in the 9th, and Wesley Wright struck out Joey Votto (in a one-run game) during his appearance. Great night for the bullpen all around.