NEWSLETTER
Well that became very enjoyable eventually!
After hitting into terrible luck through six innings, the Cubs started finding grass in the 7th and didn’t look back, ultimately putting up 10 runs in the final few innings. Three-hit nights for Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, and Patrick Wisdom. The only Cubs without a hit were Yan Gomes and Dansby Swanson, incredibly, though Swanson did walk three times.
Hayden Wesneski’s season debut was a mixed one. He had his moments of nasty sliders, and he was touching 96-98 mph with his fastball, which is nuts. But he was also throwing far too many non-competitive balls early in the count, putting himself in a tough spot. It had the look and feel of a guy who was understandably over-amped, as much as we wouldn’t have wanted to believe that about Wesneski. He’s a rookie making his first start of the year in a band-box park, after the high of having made the rotation in spring training. I probably expected too much for him not to have a little extra excitement – some is good, but too much can cost you the precision you need to succeed.
And it wasn’t even that bad of an outing, mind you. If that’s what a bad night looks like for Wesneski, that’d actually be awesome. We’ll see how he bounces back next time out.
Great feeling, I’m sure, to get that one out, and go into the finale with a chance to win the series tomorrow. Again, these are the types of early-season series the Cubs NEED TO win. So tonight was a good start.
