Base running, timely hits and Justin Steele's 7 shutout innings lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-0 win
The Chicago Cubs have touted their lineup's versatility in how they can manufacture runs since the start of spring.
They expected the depth of their lineup and different hitter profiles to pay off on the chilly nights at Wrigley Field, exactly the environment the Cubs faced in their series opener against the Texas Rangers on Monday. The Cubs used aggressive base running, timely hits and a stellar outing from left-hander Justin Steele in a 7-0 win.
The Cubs (8-5) set the tone in the second and third innings against Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi. Michael Busch hit a lead-off ground-rule double, advanced on Dansby Swanson's sacrifice bunt, and Miguel Amaya drove him in on a sacrifice fly to put the Cubs ahead. Jon Berti reached base to open the third inning after getting hit by a pitch, then stole second and third base sandwiched around a Gage Workman strikeout. With the Rangers' defense playing in, Berti went on contact, beating the throw home on Ian Happ's hard-hit grounder to first baseman Jake Burger.
Both sequences played out as the Cubs envisioned, part of an aggressive approach that led to five stolen bases and five two-out RBIs.
'We played just an all-around really good offensive game,' manager Craig Counsell said. '(Berti) created that run all by himself, took advantage of stolen bases, and then we swung the bats. We had 10 hits on a night that's pretty difficult to hit on.
'It's aggressive. It's good decisions. And yeah, you see one guy do it and you want to be the guy that makes a good, aggressive decision.'
It was anticipated that runs would be at a premium Monday with a first-pitch temperature of 34 degrees, tied for the fourth-coldest in Wrigley Field history.
'We're a good, athletic team, and we're smart base runners, so just to be able to push the envelope when it's there and try to create runs, especially on a night like tonight when you don't know how many runs it's going to take to win — that's big,' Berti said. 'What's really exciting about this offense is that we can score in a lot of different ways, and we showed that a lot of different ways tonight, which was awesome.'
The Cubs used run-scoring singles by Ian Happ (two RBIs), Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki to put up a four-run sixth. Busch collected a double and RBI triple for the only extra-base hits by either team. The frigid weather didn't faze Busch, a native Minnesotan, who fondly remembered playing in cold games growing up.
'Most of it's just the mindset,' Busch said. 'The dugout, thankfully, is a little warmer … but at least for me, a lot of guys just getting in there and focusing on your at-bat and trying to do some damage or just have a good at-bat, it kind of takes over.'
Steele took advantage of the conditions and went on the attack, relying heavily on his fastball to neutralize Texas. After allowing three base runners, two via walks, in the first two innings, Steele only had two Rangers batters reach base over the next five innings.
'When you see the offense moving in sync like that, scoring runs all kinds of different ways, it just gives me confidence to go out there and fill up the zone, especially when we're scoring, it's not all just one inning,' Steele said. 'It's like this inning, this inning, this inning, it makes me feel comfortable going out there and throwing strikes and filling up the zone because I know my offense is going to score.'
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