Chicago Dubbies and Co. are a must watch this season |
The Cubs are off to a strong start in the 2023 campaign. A win on opening day and a pair of series wins to follow have the Cubs above .500 in the early going. There have been a lot of positives to the season thus far, but the last week, in particular, has given us some of the most electric moments that Wrigley Field and the Cubs have had in a while.
So let’s take a look at them: April 8, 2023 This game against the Texas Rangers at Wrigley Field was big in a lot of ways. We saw Justin Steele pitch six strong innings allowing just one run, as the Cubs grabbed their first series win of the young season. Plus, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Trey Mancini, Patrick Wisdom, and Nick Madrigal all had a pair of hits — not to mention the three RBI single from Ian Happ that featured Swanson racing home on a misplayed relay that juiced up the Wrigley Field crowd. April 10, 2023 The Cubs were playing host to the Seattle Mariners, a team that made the playoffs a year ago and only got better. Seattle’s ace Luis Castillo was on the mound, and the Cubs battled — RBIs from Cody Bellinger and Eric Hosmer kept the Cubs alive into extra-innings where Nico Hoerner lifted a pitch to the opposite field to score Nick Madrigal from third and capture the Cubs’ first walk-off win of the season in the bottom of the 10th. This was the first night game of the year, so the Cubs were also able to showcase their new LED stadium lights that flash into a “W” pattern of light bulbs when the Cubs win a night game. April 11, 2023 The very next day, the Cubs fell behind 7-0 — a classic letdown game after an emotional win the night before, right? WRONG. In gutsy fashion, the Cubs rallied to score eight runs in the third inning and won the game 14-9. Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Trey Mancini, Cody Bellinger, and Yan Gomes all tallied two or more hits, including a perfect 4-for-4 from Swanson and Mancini’s first homer in a Cubs uniform. But none was bigger than Nelson Velasquez, who blasted a go-ahead grand slam to the playoff-like delight of a loud Wrigley faithful. The Cubs also got 7.2 innings of one-run relief from a thin bullpen — a gutsy win all round. April 12, 2023 The Cubs lost 5-2 to the Mariners as they aimed for the sweep, despite another quality start from Cubs ace Marcus Stroman. But the storyline of the day was the Cubs announcing they have extended Ian Happ with a three-year, 61 million dollar deal to keep him in Chicago through 2026. The loss was quickly forgotten with such positive news for the franchise’s future. April 14, 2023 After a day off, the Cubs were in LA to take on the Dodgers, and another awesome game it was. Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki made his season debut after a stint on the injured list and homered. Yan Gomes clubbed a pair of long balls and picked up a steal — the first time he has ever homered and stolen a base in his career. Nico Hoerner stole two bases to take the lead in the NL for stolen bases. Patrick Wisdom also homered, and Cody Bellinger (making his return to LA) lined a double. Plus, the newly extended Ian Happ was 4-for-4, with a home run and two doubles, and three runs were driven in — with all four hits over 103 MPH off the bat. Plus, Justin Steele has continued to prove that he’s picked up right where he left off last season: as one of the best pitchers in the league. The lefty threw seven innings and struck out eight, allowing only two runs to pick up his second win of the season. It’s very early in the season, and a lot can and will change over the course of a 162-game gauntlet. But the fact of the matter is the Cubs have finally made a commitment to winning in the front office, and it is translating on the field — and the results have been both electric and enjoyable. And to the delight of Cubs fans everywhere: the Cubs are so damn fun. Take it from Justin Steele, they’re the Chicago Dubbies.
