The Cubs bounced back in a significant way after a disappointing Opening Day performance. Cade Horton got them on the right foot with three perfect innings to start, on his way to 6.1 innings and only two runs allowed. Offensively, the Cubs turned nine hits and six walks into 10 runs as they evened this series at a game apiece. I know we all would have loved to see an opening weekend sweep, but in the opener, the Cubs just didn’t find enough space when they did make contact. On Saturday, that wasn’t
a problem. They found space early and often.
Heading into this season, I thought the two questions that mattered to the Cubs most involved Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton. Is PCA more the monster we saw in the first half or the too-aggressive player we saw down the stretch? Is Cade Horton able to sustain his excellence as he looks to throw 175-200 innings? You can always run up and down the roster and find a question or two for virtually every player. But I feel like PCA is the player that takes the offense and makes it extraordinary and that Horton does the same on the other side.
I believe, if you aren’t being argumentative and obtuse, that the Cubs roster is built to be a powerhouse in a regular season. Recognize that an awful lot about surviving the grind is depth of talent. The Cubs have that. Championships are built on elite postseason performances. Clearly, the players most likely to produce elite postseason performances are superstars, but of course, they are no way limited to superstars. The Cubs have enough to win a championship if they were to stay relatively healthy and get hot in the postseason.
To my eye, PCA and Horton are the two guys I think are offensively and pitching-wise, the most likely to produce elite results. That isn’t to knock guys like Alex Bregman or Nico Hoerner or whoever. There are guys who can produce at the highest level. And then there are the guys who are, hopefully, still ascending. I think PCA and Horton are the two most likely to take that next step. Obviously, the World Baseball Classic showed us that guys like Daniel Palencia could be the next stars. But for my money, it’s PCA and Horton. If you already think PCA etched his stardom last year, I get it.
Those are the heavy lifters I see as ascending. On Saturday, Horton led the way. PCA might not have been the key bat. But, he had a pair of hits, for the second straight day. He bunted for a hit. For the second straight day. He stole his first two bases of the year. In turn, he scored two runs. He can be a menace. Horton can be a dominant force. Together, they can anchor this team and lift it even higher. Are they the only path? Of course not. But in any world where this team becomes a championship contender, I’d be surprised if at least one of them weren’t starring and I’d expect both.
Obviously, the Nats are rebuilding. No one is spiking the football on a split of the first two games. A series win on Sunday isn’t going to change any of that. At the end of the day, none of that is fair. That’s the thing about baseball. You don’t draw conclusions in March. This team can compete. There are a lot of things that have to happen. Seasons can be derailed. But, this team is insulated from some amount of issues. No team can survive injuries after a point. This team showed how good they can look Saturday. Unfortunately, they showed how bad they could look on Thursday.
Buckle up, we’re probably in for a very long ride. But I’m pretty certain that you don’t want to miss that ride.
Let’s get to our three stars of the game.
Three Stars:
- Cade Horton. This wasn’t his sharpest outing (2 ER over 6.1 IP). But those three perfect innings to start really quieted things down after a rough opener. Like Ben Brown’s relief appearance in the opener, Cade pitching into the seventh minimized the work for the bullpen here in the early gong.
- Miguel Amaya has been so injury-plagued in his career. But he reminded us on Saturday that, when healthy, the bat plays, Two hits, two runs, two runs batted in. One homer.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong. Two hits and a walk. Two steals. Two runs scored. He’s batting in the middle of the lineup, in what is probably an RBI position. But he helped set the table all day long.
Game 2, March 28: Cubs 10, Nationals 2 (1-1)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
- Superhero: Miguel Amaya (.151). 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
- Hero: Cade Horton (.132). 6.1 IP, 5 H, BB, 2 ER, 4 K (W 1-0)
- Sidekick: Michael Busch (.113), 1-4 BB, RR
THREE GOATS:
- Billy Goat: Alex Bregman (.042). 0-5
- Goat: Matt Shaw (-.001). 1-3, RBI
- Kid: Dansby Swanson (.000). 0-3, BB, R
WPA Play of the Game: Michael Busch batted with runners on first and third and two outs in the second, the Cubs up two. He hit a ground ball to short and reached on an error. Two runs ended up scoring on the play. (.126)
*Nationals Play of the Game: James Wood led off the fourth inning with a solo homer, cutting a four run Cubs lead to three. (.062).
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 1 Winner: Michael Busch (249 of 267 votes)
Up Next: Shōta Imanaga versus Jake Irvin as the Cubs go for the series win.
