The Chicago Cubs blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates again tonight, winning their fourth straight game, locking up their third straight series win … and yet the late Christopher Morel homer has me all discombobulated because I was so effing excited. It made me completely lose my train of thought with this post.
OK, let me try to wrap it up …
Keegan Thompson was probably expected to go three or four tonight, but he was so good and so efficient that he managed 5.0 innings despite throwing only 65 pitches. It was borderline a “real start.” There were a couple hard hit balls, but generally speaking, Thompson was as good as we’ve seen him. Everything was working, the velocity was up on the cutter, and the changeup – which he typically hadn’t used much – looked nasty.
Daniel Norris’s early exit (dubbed a sore Achilles) paved the way for Brandon Hughes to make an extra-long big league debut. The lefty relief prospect faced six batters, walking one and striking out the other five. Obviously there will be more scouting forthcoming from opponents, but the Pirates looked absolutely helpless up there, especially against Hughes’ slider.
The MLB debut for @Brando_Hugs:
1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. pic.twitter.com/m3lHZnc6PM
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 18, 2022
.@Brando_Hugs is the first @Cubs pitcher to strike out the first four batters he faced in their MLB debut!
(since 1974) pic.twitter.com/amtTbZEmjN
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 18, 2022
Brandon Hughes of the @Cubs is the first pitcher in the modern era to get 5+ outs in his MLB debut with all of them coming via strikeout.
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) May 18, 2022
Offensively, the Cubs did most of their early damage because the Pirates forgot that defense is a compulsory part of the sport:
Five-run 4th, fun for some! pic.twitter.com/H5ZMguc1ln
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 18, 2022
Willson Contreras and Seiya Suzuki showed off their arms. Jonathan Villar hit his first Cubs home run.
What a night. What a night.
