You couldn’t have asked for a better home opener."

WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Chicago Cubs recapsChicago Cubs minor leaguesChicago Cubs essaysChicago Cubs game threadsWrigley Field renovationsFull archiveLibrary Bleed Cubbie Blue Community GuidelinesCurrent time in ChicagoBCB Specials & Site InfoWinter 2019 music threadsCubs StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Cubs newsYahoo Cubs team pageYahoo Cubs reportYahoo Cubs depth chartYahoo Cubs transactionsYahoo Cubs photosOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁旵hicago Cubs recapsCubs 10 Blake Treinen Jersey , Pirates 0: It was a beautiful dayNew,362commentsYou couldn’t have asked for a better home opener.CDTShareTweetShareShareCubs 10, Pirates 0: It was a beautiful dayPatrick Gorski-USA TODAY SportsThe weather was better than just about anyone could remember for a Wrigley Field season opener.The ballpark looked beautiful, the 1060 Project to restore and renovate it nearly complete.And the Cubs capped off a perfect Monday afternoon of baseball with a 10-0 demolition of the Pirates, finally showing us the way we thought they’d be playing all season.Jon Lester threw two very good innings and then the offense got going, thanks in large part to some sketchy Pirates defense. An error on a ground ball by Daniel Descalso which would have been the third out put Descalso on second base. Jason Heyward was intentionally passed to pitch to Lester.Jon’s been a hitter on fire this year [VIDEO].Your browser does not support HTML5 video.Lester’s RBI double brought in what turned out to be the only run the Cubs needed, with Heyward taking third. Ben Zobrist followed [VIDEO].Your browser does not support HTML5 video.That slide into the plate by Lester would come into play later on. Meanwhile, the Cubs offense kept going. Kris Bryant was hit by a pitch and Anthony Rizzo singled in Zobrist. Javier Baez singled in Bryant and it was 5-0, and then the Pirates kicked the ball around when Kyle Schwarber hit what could have been an inning-ending ground ball. Another run scored and the Cubs had a six-run inning, and Wrigley Field felt alive.Lester gave up hits to the first two hitters he faced in the third, there were meetings with coaches and players and the trainer, and Jon left the game in favor of Brad Brach. That slide into the plate apparently caused this:Here’s where I could go into my usual rant about “pitchers shouldn’t be running the bases,” but I’ll spare you that because I’m in such a good mood after this win. Fortunately, this injury does not appear serious:That’s good news, and with an off day Tuesday the Cubs can give Jon extra rest. You know, yes, I admit, it’s fun to see pitchers hit and contribute to the offense Chris Hatcher Jersey , but in my view the risk of injury like this is too great.Anyway, that meant the bullpen had to step up, and that was a scary proposition considering how bad the pen had been the first nine games. Fortunately, this game was the one where they all decided to shine. Brach, Brandon Kintzler, Randy Rosario and Pedro Strop combined for seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and a pair of walks and striking out seven. That’s just outstanding relief work. Fun fact time!That’s just outstanding. Keep up the good work, guys.With a 6-0 lead the cubs could have coasted, but they scored two more in the third and in the fourth, Schwarber came up with Javier Baez on base [VIDEO].Your browser does not support HTML5 video.That ball: Crushed!Also:And, off a lefthander and to the opposite field!Once that 10-0 score was put up, both managers started emptying their benches. All the position players on both rosters got into the game, giving some rest to some Cubs regulars, and neither team got close to scoring the rest of the way.Pedro Strop, who had been a bit shaky earlier this year, threw the ninth and got himself into trouble with a leadoff single and walk. After a strikeout, the Cubs ended the game on a slick double play started by Baez, who stopped a ball headed for center field http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , flipped backhanded to David Bote, whose strong throw to first got Colin Moran for the final out.Wish I had video of that last play to show you, but it’s not available. Trust me, it was a good one.Fun fact time again!And today’s 10-run margin of victory now means the Cubs have a 3-7 record with a run differential of ... +1. It would seem to me that the season-beginning road trip was the anomaly, and the Cubs could easily begin a long winning streak with this victory. Let’s hope so.Wrigley Field opening days can often be a bit chaotic as fans and gameday employees get used to the routine again. I can report to you that today was one of the best home openers on that front that I can recall. Maybe it was the good weather having everyone in a good mood, maybe it was better preparation, but in general things at the gate and inside the park went quite smoothly. I didn’t have any issues with the new mobile tickets, and many of the familiar faces among the gameday folks were quite helpful. Kudos to all.The Cubs will have Tuesday off and will resume the series against the Pirates Wednesday evening — weather permitting, and right now it doesn’t look very permissive:Yuck. As good as today’s weather was, it will turn around in an instant and become more winterlike again. “Little or no snow accumulation”? Is that supposed to be encouraging? I realize the Pirates return two more times later this season, but you can be sure that the Cubs will try very hard to play at least one of the two games Wednesday or Thursday (the Thursday forecast isn’t much better). If only they could play one of those games Tuesday, when the weather will be nice.If they play, Yu Darvish will go for the Cubs and Jordan Lyles for the Pirates. Game time Wednesday is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via WGN. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay reached its high-water mark of 2018 by just putting the ball in play.A throwing error on Kevin Kiermaier’s bases-loaded grounder in the bottom of the ninth inning helped the Rays complete their first season sweep of an American League opponent with a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.“A win is a win,” Kiermaier said. “We’ll take it any way possible.”Tampa Bay swept the four-game series and finished 7-0 against the lowly Royals this year. The only other season sweep in team history that included multiple series was a four-game wipeout of the Marlins in 2013.Jake Bauers drew a leadoff walk from Brian Flynn (4-4) in the ninth and went to third on C.J. Cron’s single.After Joey Wendle grounded out and Willy Adames was intentionally walked to load the bases, Kiermaier grounded a 3-2 pitch to first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, who made a wild toss to the plate.“We always say, ‘Put the pressure on the defense Boog Powell Jersey ,'” Kiermaier explained. “Anytime you put the ball in play, you at least give yourself a chance.”Sergio Romo (3-3) worked a perfect ninth and the Rays improved to a season-high six games over .500 (67-61) with their fifth consecutive victory. It is Tampa Bay’s sixth winning streak of at least five games this year.Kansas City, which has lost five in a row and 17 of 21, fell a franchise-record 52 games under .500 at 38-90 and was eliminated from the playoff race.“We wanted to salvage one at the end of the series,” Flynn said. “You don’t want to be the guy that comes in here and gives that one up.”The Rays tied it at 3 when Matt Duffy scored from second on bad throw to first by second baseman Whit Merrifield on a potential double-play grounder hit by Cron.Tampa Bay appeared to go up 4-3 later in the seventh on Kiermaier’s grounder, but the run was taken away after a replay review determined Adames made an illegal slide at second base. The call was changed to an inning-ending double play.“There were a lot of odd things that took place in that game,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.Alex Gordon had an RBI single in a two-run fifth against Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow that put the Royals ahead 3-2.Adames hit a run-scoring infield single against Danny Duffy during a two-run third.Duffy, making his first start in 12 days due to a left shoulder injury, allowed two runs and six hits over five innings.“The last start I felt really bad,” Duffy said. “This start I felt really good.”Lucas Duda drove in a run with a first-inning single and had a potential two-run extra-base hit taken away with two outs in the third on a leaping catch by Rays right fielder Carlos Gomez.Glasnow allowed three runs, five hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out eight.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: INF Adalberto Mondesi (hamstring) was out of the lineup. … RHP Ian Kennedy (left oblique) will throw a simulated game Friday. … OF Jorge Bonifacio (lower back stiffness) missed his third straight game.Rays: OF Tommy Pham (dislocated right ring finger) felt soreness hitting off a tee but could play this weekend.ROAD TRIPFormer Royals George Brett, Mike Sweeney, Bret Saberhagan and Reggie Sanders will visit U.S. troops at four locations in the Middle East next month as part of a USO trip. The group will watch a Sept. 11 telecast with members of the Missouri National Guard’s 35th Combat Aviation Brigade.NUMBERS GAMEMerrifield had three hits, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. … Rays LF Mallex Smith went 3 for 5 and has multiple hits in seven of his last eight games. … The Royals have been swept 15 times this season. . Tampa Bay has played 52 one-run games, most in the majors. The Rays are 24-28 in those games.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Brad Keller (6-5) will face Cleveland RHP Mike Clevinger (9-7) on Friday night.Rays: Will go with a bullpen day, including LHP Jalen Beeks (2-1), against Boston RHP Hector Velazquez (7-1) on Friday night.