Cubs Receive Championship Rings in Wrigley Field Ceremony

“And after that, we’re here to win a baseball game”.

Players received the treasures Wednesday, before the Cubs lost 2-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. He gave up two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings last Friday against the Rockies.

A tricky easterly wind did batters no favors Wednesday but Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Andrew Toles still found a way to deliver.

Brandon McCarthy was lights out last night vs. the Chicago Cubs. “If you try to do what you normally do against that fellow, he’s going to eat you alive”. We’re hitting balls hard.

The Dodgers’ role? Somebody had to play the foil, and the schedule makers chose a not-so-random matchup between the Cubs and Dodgers, a rematch of last season’s National League Championship Series.

CARDINALS 6, NATIONALS 1: In Washington, Mike Leake outpitched 2016 NL Cy Young Award victor Max Scherzer and Stephen Piscotty homered and had five RBI as St. Louis avoided a three-game sweep. He just has to come out and play. (It was a) cutter, up and in.

“He’s so humble and approachable that he just seems like one of the guys. then you remind yourself his number is flying on the flagpole out there”.

Orioles 2, Blue Jays 1 • Orioles closer Zach Britton escaped a nervy ninth inning and visiting Baltimore handed Toronto its sixth straight loss.

Lackey (1-1) allowed one run on four hits and struck out 10 in six innings. He also drove in a run. I knew it wasn’t going to be the easiest or most economical day. Really well thought out. At the start of the game, he looked really rough but settled in nice not allowing a hit after the second inning.

Eventually, even though he wound up loading the bases with another walk, Lackey struck out the side. Corey Seager leads the Dodgers with 10 hits and eight RBI while Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe have combined for 18 hits and four RBI.

Chicago Cubs’ Javier Baez breaks his bat during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Chicago, on Thursday, April 13, 2017.

Koji Uehara entered and almost got out of the inning. It was his first as a leadoff hitter. “I think he touched 91 (mph) but pitched at 87, 88. It threw his arm stroke off”.

The respected first baseman was picked to begin hoisting the 2016 flag, and then he was the player who carried the World Series trophy onto the field.

The Cubs added another in the fourth with bases loaded and one out.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, it was Addison Russell’s turn to send Ryu deep as he teed off on an 88 miles per hour fastball from the Korean national. He was replaced by Scott Van Slyke.

“He’ll know something from the past, but I’m certain that it’s more pertinent to go with what’s being told to him based on actual information”, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Fans and media cannot see into the bullpens from the field except through video feeds, but pitchers can see out. The homer came off a 2-0 pitch and had a total of 36 thrown in the first inning.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-1, 3.46 ERA) will take on RHP Zack Greinke (1-0, 2.31) in a battle of former Cy Young winners and teammates as the Dodgers open a four-game series Friday at home against Arizona.

The Cubs led the league in team ERA last season with a 3.15 ERA, and through the first seven games of 2017 they rank third in the league with a mark of 2.81.