CHICAGO — One of the trademarks of the Cubs early in the season was steady production throughout the entirety of the lineup. On Friday afternoon, that was on display during Chicago’s 6-4 victory over Tampa Bay in the opener of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.
Ian Happ finished a triple shy of a cycle and knocked in a pair, Nico Hoerner reached base three times, rookie Moisés Ballesteros delivered a clutch triple and Dansby Swanson came through with an RBI double. That collective offensive showing helped back a five-inning outing from veteran lefty Matthew Boyd.
Boyd was charged with four runs, with three coming via a home run by former Cub Christopher Morel in the first inning. Boyd settled in from there, allowing an RBI single to Nick Fortes in the fourth but otherwise limiting the damage.
Boyd also picked Everson Pereira off first in the fourth inning, giving the pitcher an MLB-high 11 pickoffs this season. That extended Boyd’s single-season club record and marks the most in the Majors since 2012 (Clayton Kershaw, 11).
The Cubs’ offense chipped away, plating three runs in the second inning, which included run-scoring hits from Swanson, Michael Busch (single) and Happ (single). Ballesteros gave the North Siders a 4-3 lead with an RBI triple in the third inning, and Happ further helped Chicago’s cause with a solo homer (his 21st shot of the year) in the fourth.
