Baez, Cubs sink Marlins in series opener

Javier Baez led the charge for the Cubs by going 3-for-5 at the plate. (Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

Cole Little - Senior Writer - Monday, April 15 2019

MIAMI, Fla. — Wasting no time in asserting their dominance over the Miami Marlins (4-13), the Chicago Cubs (6-9) took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of a 3-game set at Marlins Park and did not look back. A combination of starting pitcher Yu Darvish's first quality outing of the season and clutch hitting with runners on base culminated in the Cubs picking up a 7-2 victory in the series opener on Monday. For his efforts, Darvish earned the win.

Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Richards hindered his cause with a throwing error on an attempted pick-off in the top of the first. Cubs slugger Kris Bryant, who initially reached base after getting hit by a pitch, was hit by the pick-off throw that ricocheted into the outfield and was then hit by the subsequent throw to third base. Bryant was rewarded for his battle wounds soon afterwards, when a bases-loaded walk of catcher Willson Contreras forced him home. Third baseman David Bote then came through with a 2-run double to left that made the score 3-0. All three runs were scored with two outs.

.@DavidBote13 delivers the big hit in the 1st! #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/nfjfUy2q9f
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 15, 2019

Miami tacked on two unanswered runs after that, including a solo jack from catcher Chad Wallach in the fourth. Bryant made up for it with a double off Richards in the ensuing inning. Shortstop Javier Baez followed that up a few at-bats later with an RBI double to right. Baez went 3-for-5 at the dish and was scored later in the fifth via a Bote groundout.

Leading 5-2 at that point, the Cubs went on to add a few insurance runs to their total. Contreras crushed a 420-foot moonshot in the seventh for his sixth home run of the year. The backstop then collected his third RBI of the evening in the ninth on a single to center field that plated first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The Fish were limited to six hits in the 7-2 contest, with Darvish giving up four hits and striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings of work. Richards, on the other hand, was charged with five runs on four hits and four walks and was handed the loss.