Cubs Split with Feisty Pirates

     Game 1

    The Cubs won the series opener on the back of strong pitching and the bat of Seiya Suzuki.

     Suzuki launched two solo home runs, one to left and another to right-center field as runs were at a premium. The first of the long balls was to lead off the fifth. After battling Jose Quintana to a full count, Suzuki belted a fastball to right-center to open the scoring.

     The game was still hanging in the balance in the seventh when Suzuki stepped to the plate again. After an 0-1 count, Seiya blasted another fastball out of the park, this time to left field to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

     Chris Martin and Ethan Roberts each delivered a scoreless inning in relief, with Roberts notching his first career strikeout in the seventh.

     The Pirates got a run back when Bryan Reynolds hit a solo shot to center on the first pitch he saw from Mychel Givens in the eighth.

     The scoring would end there as the Cubs held on in the ninth. David Robertson sent the Pirates down in order, to grab his second save of the year and hand the Cubs a 3-1 record to start the season.

     The high quality pitching from the starters continued, as Smyly threw five scoreless innings. The righty only allowed three baserunners, inducing a lot of weak contacts and recording one strikeout.

     Game 2

     The second game did not go the Cubs way, falling 6-2 to split the two-game series.

     The game started brightly, as the Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, off a Wilson Contreras home run to deep center.

     The Pirates responded quickly in the bottom of the inning though. Hendricks walked Tsutsugo with one on and two outs to give the Pirates a chance. Gamel Launched a three-run homer to right that gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead.

     The Pirates struck again in the third. After Hayes doubled and Gamel walked, Newman hit a triple on the first pitch he saw to extend the lead to 5-1.

     The Cubs got one back in the fourth when Contreras doubled and was driven in by Suzuki.

     The Pirates finished the scoring in the fourth, plating another run off a Hayes single as he went 4-4 on the day.

     The Cubs had a chance to get back in the game in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Contreras bounced into an inning-ending double play that essentially put the game away.

     The bullpens shut each other down as niether team gave much of a threat after the fifth.

     The good

     Smyly was brilliant in his Cubs debut, as the starting pitching continues its hot start. The bullpen was stellar in the two games, pitching eight and a third innings of one-run ball. Suzuki Stayed hot with the two home runs and another RBI in the second game as well. A huge positive was Contreras getting going with a double and a homer in game two as he is the heartbeat of this team.

     The bad

     Hendricks struggled in his start and his first innings woes from last year continue to haunt him. Patrick Wisdom and Rafael Ortega are struggling st the dish. Both of them hitting .111 or worse will not suffice for this team to stay successful.

     Looking ahead

     The Cubs head to Colorado to take on the Rockies in a four-game set. Hopefully, the offense outside of Suzuki, Contreras, and Happ can get some momentum in a hitter-friendly ballpark.