This was the mood at Wrigley Field *before* The puppies continued to score another 7 (!) Runs:
You could say that the mood has improved at Wrigley Field since the opening of the day. pic.twitter.com/34HQEqKEXH
– Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) April 22, 2021
So, yes, it was a very good night.
But it certainly didn’t start that way. Opponent starter David Peterson faced the minimum in the first three innings. And while the Mets offense only managed two runs so far, Zach Davies gave up a TON of hard contact (allowed * seven * balls in the game over 104 MPH … in 3.0 IP). We’ll have to put that aside and talk about it tomorrow.
But then there was the fourth half – that sweet and sweet fourth half – and everything changed.
After Ian Happ broke out to start, the Cubs paid seven runs on six singles, a walk and a few (a dozen?) Errors. Six singles. Some of them were hit well. Some were simply flukey. And some were helped by the concrete hands of the Mets, but if there was ever a night to encourage the Cubs to put the ball in play, it was. And let me give a special shout out to Willson Contreras and Javy Baez, both of whom were rushing like crazy in this half to beat the games at the beginning, reach an error and score that extra run on a shallow bloop. This is the kind of intensity and extra effort that can make a small difference at the edges now and a big difference over a full season.
Later, Contreras ‘agitation turned a must-out into a really weird double, which was, at the time, the Cubs’ only additional base hit in the entire series. Of course, that didn’t last long, as Javy Baez brought the game in hand with an absolutely mammoth Grand Slam. There were many more shots and runs after that (including several players from a position they pitched in the 8th).
Ah. There was so much goodness in this that we even remember everything (including a well-deserved standing ovation for World Series champion Albert Almora Jr. and Javy Baez beating from the left side of the board). Tomorrow we will have fun with the offensive numbers.
The chicks win the game. The puppies win the series (only their second victory of the year). The chicks have a chance for tomorrow. Good night!
The complete score of the box.