Cubs Win Nail-Biter in First Game Back

Cubs Nation was on the edge of their seats in first game back after All-Star break.

Rob Pobre/ via Flickr.com

Everyone that calls themselves a Cubs fan was chomping at the bit to see what team showed up to start the second half of the season. Would it be the team that we all watched struggle through the first half of the season, or the team that never said die in 2016?

Well the answer was we got a little bit of both on Friday night.

The Cubs would come out on fire to start the game with the kind of fire power we have all grown to expect. After a double by Ben Zobrist and a single by Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras would connect for his 12th home run of the season to give the Cubs a 3–0 lead. Up next was Kyle Schwarber who connected also on a long ball to give the Cubs a 4–0 lead in the top of the 1st inning.

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Mike Montgomery would cruise through the first inning as he retired the Orioles 1–2–3 and give the Cubs a rare first inning lead. The Cubs would strike again in the 2nd inning when Addison Russell doubled to right field. Ben Zobrist would extend the Cubs lead on a 2-run shot to right center to push the Cubs lead out to 6–0.

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Again in the bottom of the 2nd inning Mike Montgomery would retire the side in order and the Cubs would hold on to the 6–0 lead after 2 innings of play.

The Cubs would continue to excite their fans in the 3rd when Ian Happ worked a 2-out walk and Jason Heyward sent a bomb flying onto Utah street in right field. The Cubs were now off to an 8–0 lead with 4 homers in 3 innings.

In the bottom of the 3rd the Orioles would finally get on the board. Former Cub Wellington Castillo homered to center field with a solo shot to make the score 8–1. After a shaky inning Montgomery managed to escape the inning only giving up the one run.

The tides would begin to turn at this point after the Cubs went down in order in the 4th the Orioles tacked on another run. Chris Davis doubled on a sharp liner to center to score Mark Trumbo and bring the score to 8–2 Cubs. Again Montgomery would manage to escape a troublesome inning on a force out at 2nd base.

The Cubs again would go down easily in the 5th as Orioles Reliever Richard Bleir retired Rizzo, Contreras and Schwarber in order. The Orioles would continue to inch their way back in the bottom of the 5th inning. The Orioles would go Single, double, single to drive in another run and make the score 8–3. Reliever Justin Grimm would strike out Chris Davis before Trey Mancini singled to center to bring another run across for the O’s. The Orioles weren't done yet in the 5th. A walk for Castillo and a Joey Rickard single scored 2 more runs and the O’s would end the inning with the score now being 8–6.

The Cubs and the Orioles would go quietly in the 6th and the 7th as neither team could get anything going. The Cubs bats remained silent in the top of the 8th after Zach Britton entered the game to shut them down. In the bottom of the 8th the unthinkable happened for Cubs fans. With one out Johnathan Schoop singled to bring up Mark Trumbo. With Koji Uehara on the mound for the Cubs Trumbo connected for his 15th homer of the year and brought the O’s all the way back from their 8–0 deficit.

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So far in 2017 teams were 1–185 when trailing by 8 runs at any point in a game. In the top of the 9th the Cubs would try to make that number 1–186.

With one out Addison Russell stepped to the plate and launched his 8th home run of the season to give the Cubs a 9–8 lead heading to the bottom of the 9th.

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In the bottom of the 9th Cubs closer Wade Davis entered the game. Davis who just gave up the winning home run in the MLB All-Star game would show fans what he can do in a game that actually has meaning. With the help of a great play by Jason Heyward in right field and some quality pitching the Cubs were able to hold on and win game 1 of the 3 game series.

MLB.com

MLB.com

It wasn’t pretty, but the Cubs were able to hold on and win a hard fought game right out of the gate. The Cubs and Orioles will meet up again on Saturday night at 7:05 ET. On the Mound for the Cubs will be Jake Arrieta (8–7 4.35 ERA) who will face off against the O’s Wade Miley (4–7 4.97 ERA).

For more Cubs news and Live tweeting follow us on twitter @WrigleyRapport or you can find me conversing with Cubs fans @Craig_House3.