Cubs takeaways: What we learned as bats stay warm in win over Giants
Series openers at Wrigley Field this season have been all Cubs, all the time.
Following an emphatic 9-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night, the Cubs are now 6-0 in home series openers for the first time since moving into Wrigley for their home games in 1916.
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That record got a little help from the long ball as Ian Happ and Carson Kelly each went deep.
Here are three takeaways as the Cubs (22-14) bested the Giants (22-14) on a chilly night at The Friendly Confines.
Boyd quiets the noise
Matthew Boyd has been exceptional for the Cubs this season, and the lineups he’s faced have not at all been easy. He’s seen an NL West-heavy schedule, making starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres twice each.
Albeit more of a surprise than their divisional counterparts, the Giants have been right in the playoff race as well, forming a three-headed monster in the West and another tough task for Boyd.
Boyd didn’t see it that way.
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Despite allowing a two-run home run to Luis Matos in the fourth inning, the southpaw was as efficient as ever as he equaled his season-high strikeout total with seven punch-outs over six frames. The home run proved to be the only dent in his line, and Boyd’s ERA now stands at 2.75 in seven starts with Chicago.
With Shota Imanaga out for at least two weeks with a hamstring strain, Boyd is now the rotation piece the Cubs need to lean on — and he’s already owning that responsibility like an ace.
By any means necessary
Consistent production throughout the batting order is what has made the Cubs offense one of the most potent in baseball. They’re patient at the plate, they get on base and they score runs in a variety of ways.
That skill was on display Monday night when the Cubs took the lead in the fourth inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong beat out a short squibbler to Giants third baseman Matt Chapman, who couldn’t come up with the ball as the Cubs center fielder hustled down the line. Nico Hoerner then singled and stole second, and Dansby Swanson drove both in with a bloop single to left off the end of his bat.
The speed is a perfect complement to the power, which included homers by Happ and Kelly for an all-around night from the offense:
The Cubs broke the game wide open in the sixth inning when they loaded the bases with nobody out. New addition Nicky López, playing in just his sixth game with the team, saw out a walk in an excellent plate appearance to grab his first RBI for the club.
The Cubs have an MLB-leading five walks with the bases juiced this season — which only further exemplifies the talent the offense possesses when it comes to finding ways to score and win games.
Eight is still great
Moving down the batting order still has not fazed Dansby Swanson.
The shortstop has been red-hot from the eight-hole and continued that into Monday night as he extended his hitting streak to seven games — all of which have come from his new spot in the lineup.
Swanson’s two-out, two-run single in the fourth inning gave the Cubs the lead, after which they never surrendered. He added two more hits to cap off another strong showing at the plate.
Swanson is now slashing .462/.481/.885 (1.366 OPS) with three home runs, five RBI and eight runs scored since the lineup change, and has shown no signs of slowing down.
The Cubs will look to seize the series in another 6:40 p.m. matchup Tuesday. Colin Rea is slated to take the mound opposite a new-look Justin Verlander, who joined the Giants in the offseason.
