The Cubs brought their home jerseys on the road with them tonight, hanging them in the lockers before tonight’s game in Cincinnati.
It worked.
The bats came along the road trip, exploding for 12 runs and making the game such a laugher that the Reds went with a position player to pitch the final couple frames, and the Cubs were taking softball hacks at his lobs. And Javy Baez even took an at bat LEFT-HANDED.
Cole Hamels simply did not have it tonight, which, assuming he’s healthy, you can excuse and ignore pretty easily given how many consecutive starts where he definitely did have it. By the time he departed, it was a 5-5 game, and things could have gotten ugly if the bats hadn’t done their thing, and if Tyler Chatwood hadn’t shut the Reds down for the next three innings.
Great nights at the plate for two of the new guys, Nick Castellanos and Jonathan Lucroy, each with three hits. Castellanos homered twice, and Lucroy doubled in his Cubs debut. Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, Almora, and Happ all had a couple hits. Great night all around.
But my hat tip: