Michael Busch, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki had two hits each and Justin Steele allowed just three hits over seven innings of work as the host Chicago Cubs rolled to a 7-0 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday in the first of a three-game interleague series.
The game was played in freezing temperatures, with the stout, frigid wind blowing in from over the outfield walls at Wrigley Field.
Steele (3-1) was masterful, allowing three singles and two walks while striking out eight as the Cubs dominated throughout. Colin Rea pitched the final two innings and did not allow a baserunner while striking out one.
Nathan Eovaldi (1-1) took the loss for the Rangers after allowing three runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. Eovaldi walked two and struck out four. He was followed to the mound by Gerson Garabito, who surrendered four runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Kyle Higashioka had two of the three hits for the Rangers, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.
The Cubs got the only run they would need in the bottom of the second inning. Busch doubled to left field, went to third on Dansby Swanson’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Miguel Amaya’s sac fly to center field.
Speed was a huge factor in Chicago’s second and third runs of the game. Jon Berti was hit by a pitch to open the third inning and then stole both second and third base before sprinting home on a fielder’s choice grounder by Ian Happ.
In the fifth inning, Suzuki walked with two out, stole second and easily came home on a triple to the right field corner by Busch that made it 3-0 and chased Eovaldi.
The Cubs blew open the game in the sixth. Amaya and Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to start the inning and both advanced a base when Texas right fielder Adolis Garcia tried to throw out Amaya at third on Crow-Armstrong’s hit. After a groundout and a strikeout, Happ hit a soft single to left field that plated both runners and expanded the Chicago lead to 5-0.
Happ stole second base and rushed across the plate on Kyle Tucker’s single to right field. Tucker, who advanced to second on the throw to the plate, then scored on a single to center by Suzuki that made it 7-0.
