Big Bats Crackin’ Like the Fourth of July, Cubs Crush Cardinals
Man, that was fun. Kinda like a ‘just let it all out’ sort of feeling. YEEEESSSSS!!!!
Ok, I’m good now. The Cubs offense just couldn’t miss tonight. Twelve runs on fifteen hits and ‘it feels like the first time, it feels like the very first time.’ Oops, sorry, a little Foreigner flashback there.
The Cubs led off the game with a six-run first inning and it was all down hill from there. Dexter Fowler set the tone with a lead-off double, Kris Bryant opened the scoring with an RBI single and back-to-back doubles by David Ross and Jason Hammel, who hadn’t yet taken the mound, and this game was out of reach.
Jason Hammel was the perfect compliment to the Cubs punishing offense. He completely baffled the Cardinals hitters all night long and had total command of the zone, from top to bottom.
The Cubs added to their lead in the fifth inning, when Jorge Soler (yeah, the guy we thought was about to start whoopin’ up on opposing pitching — read about it here) crushed a home run to dead center field for a two-run home run. They added four more runs in the top of the ninth inning and it was a regular a$$-whippin’, Cubs style.
Cubs win — and it felt really, really good (in case you couldn’t tell) — by the score of 12-3 (box score).
Stats that mattered
- Jorge Soler was ON FIRE – 2-for-3, 2R, 3RBIs, 2BB, 1HR
- Addison Russell played well – 2-for-5, 2R
- Hammel did it all – 7 2/3IP, 1R, 4H, 3BB, 4Ks, and a two-run double in the first inning
- Every single Cubs’ starter got a walk or a hit tonight – that’s more like it
Bottom line
This game was the release of two weeks worth of frustrating play by the Cubs. Hopefully it’s enough to break them out of their funk. It’s nice to have Jake Arrieta on the mound tomorrow, isn’t it?
Next up
Jake will look to put the Cardinals away in the rubber game against the Cardinals tomorrow. Game time is 12:45 PM CDT.
