CHICAGO β That's the Matthew Boyd the Cubs traded for.
Boyd struck out 10 over 5.2 innings in his best start as a Cub, Nico Hoerner ripped three hits including two doubles, and five different Cubs drove in runs in a 6-2 win over the Angels on a frigid Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Chicago takes the series 2-1 and gets back to .500 at 3-3.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| CHC | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 6 | 10 | 1 |
Boyd Was a Different Pitcher
It's hard to overstate how much better Boyd looked compared to Opening Day. After getting tagged for 6 runs in 3.2 innings against Washington, the left-hander was in total command β 10 strikeouts, just 2 hits allowed, and only 1 earned run over 5.2 innings on 98 pitches. He picked off Zach Neto at first base in the first inning and the Cubs also caught Neto stealing. The two runs Boyd allowed in the sixth came on a Jo Adell RBI single and a Bregman fielding error that let Mike Trout score β only one was earned.
The bullpen was just as dominant. Hunter Harvey struck out 3 in 1.1 innings, Caleb Thielbar added 2 strikeouts in a clean eighth, and Daniel Palencia worked a scoreless ninth. The pitching staff combined for 16 strikeouts and allowed just 1 earned run on the afternoon.
The Third Inning Did All the Damage
The Cubs broke through with five runs in the third against Yusei Kikuchi. Miguel Amaya walked, then Hoerner doubled into the gap in left-center to score him from first. Alex Bregman singled home Hoerner, and Dansby Swanson drove in Ian Happ with a sacrifice fly. With two outs, Matt Shaw singled to center to plate Carson Kelly, and Pete Crow-Armstrong reached on an infield single to first that scored Michael Busch. Five runs, five RBI from five different hitters. Kikuchi lasted 5.1 innings and was charged with all five.
Hoerner Keeps Raking
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a stolen base. He's slashing .318/.385/.500 through six games and has been the Cubs' most consistent hitter from the jump. Shaw added two hits and two RBI on the day β his single in the seventh drove in Kelly, who had reached after Trout dropped a fly ball in center for the Angels' second error of the afternoon.
Up Next
The Cubs head to Cleveland for a weekend series. Cade Horton gets the ball Friday against Joey Cantillo at Progressive Field. First pitch is at 3:10 p.m. CT.