Hello! After every game of the Cubs season, Ill give out some awards, the 4 balls are going to go to the 4 best players, culminating in the final award the 4 balls. (Think hockey stars). The dishonorable mention will get the 3 strikes of the game. With the worst North Sider getting the lowly 3 strikes.

The Cubs torched the Brewers 9-0 today on a chilly Wrigley Field Day. The game on Friday was rained out, but the pitching match-up remained from that rain out for Saturdays game. So lets get to it! Here are the 4 balls and 3 strikes of the afternoon blowout.

Ball 1

Keegan Thompson 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K’s, 1 BB

Thompson came in for the first relief appearance for the Cubs, and was magnificent. He came out and struck out Andrew McCutchen, popped out Adames, then after walking Yelich, he struck out Renfroe. He then sat down the side in the top of the 7th inning. He maybe could have finished the game unscathed, but was ejected for plunking McCutchen after the Brewers hit a couple of Cubs throughout the game. Thompson finished last year with a 3.38 ERA. I think it can be MUCH lower with the right usage.

Ball 2

Ian Happ 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 BB

Happ continued his awesome performance from game 1. Ian was apart of the Woodruff walk-a-palooza in the first inning that plated the first run of the game. In the third he had some batted ball luck, and secured a single, he would score on a Suzuki fly. In the bottom of the 4th inning, he hit a tough that scored Ortega. He was taken out of the game in the 7th inning after getting hit in the knee by Trevor Gott. He has started a season off strong, its just how he has to continue it.

Ball 3

Seiya Suzuki 1-3, 3 RBI, 1 BB
Suzuki is not looking like a player who needs to adjust too much to the show. He collected his first hit yesterday, and he got his first RBI of his career today, he didnt stop there though, he got two more on top of that. He had a sac fly in the first, then snuck a fly ball to center and scored Happ. Then Suzuki’s vision was on display. He took a bases loaded walk in the 4th inning to score Willson Contreras. Suzuki already has 3 walks this season.

Ball 4

Justin Steele 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K’s
Justin had nerves of Steele. (Overused pun today, I know). Justin went through the Brewers lineup without many stressful pitches. The only time the Brew Crew threatened the Cubs was the fourth, when it was 4-0 and the Brewers had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. The Man of Steele went on to throw a middle-middle pitch and blew it by Keston Hiura. He followed that awesome sequence with another strikeout to Taylor. These are the kinda performances that will define the cubs in the short and long term. Seeing guys like Steele develop and threaten to be an every 5th day pitcher. Steele last season only had 2 performances last year with at least 5 innings pitched and didnt allow a run. This is at least the start of a good thing for the Cubs and Steele in 2022.

Now we went through the positives, lets talk about the guys who wished they had a better day. I gotta be honest Im grasping for straws in who had a bad day. The pitching staff didnt allow a run and the lineup tore apart the man who placed 5th in Cy Young voting last year.

Strike 1

Frank Schwindel 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 4 LOB
Frank was good today! Got his 2 hits and 1 RBI. Id like to see him not leave 4 men on base. Was definitely great to see an improvement on opening day.

Strike 2

Patrick Wisdom 1-5, 2 RBI, 1 K, 7 LOB
Patrick capped the scoring with a 2 RBI single past the Brewers shortstop. Patrick left 7 men on base. I will say a lot of that was bad luck because of all the men on base throughtout the game. Patrick does only have 1 hit in 8 AB’s this VERY young season.

Strike 3

Nico Hoerner 0-4
Nico was amazing on opening day and hit the big fly. Nico today though had a very very forgettable game. The good news for the Cubs? Nico only had 2 streaks of 2 games in a row where he didnt get a hit.