Here are our takeaways from the Cubs' opening day loss to the Nationals, as the Northsiders fell flat on Day 1 after an offseason of anticipation.
Welcome back, baseball.Wrigley Field opened the 150th season of Chicago Cubs ’ baseball on a blustery and chilly day, which carries plenty of promise and boundless anticipation.The Washington Nationals took away those good vibes with a 10-4 win over the Cubs at Wrigley.
Matthew Boyd pitched 3 2/3 innings before getting pulled during a dreadful fourth inning. He gave up five runs as Washington grasped control of the game.That Cubs’ offense, without Seiya Suzuki but with the addition of Alex Bregman, couldn't Here are our takeaways from the Cubs' opening day loss to the Nationals, as the Northsiders fell flat on Day 1 after an offseason of anticipation.The warm morning gave way to a chilly afternoon, and the cold gusts didn’t help.A seven-strikeout day for Matthew Boyd went south fast as a six-run inning put the Nationals up 7-1 in the top of the fourth inning.The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the third inning as Michael Busch drove home Dansby Swanson. The Cubs mustered one run the rest of the game.There were plenty of reasons to be excited about the 2026 Cubs. There are World Series aspirations. Alex Bregman’s here, Pete Crow-Armstrong got his deserved extension and there was plenty of goodwill built on top of the 2025 season. Regardless of how that season ended, it put the Cubs in a position to build on a roster that we know can make the playoffs."Last year was really good for them," Cubs president Jed Hoyer said. "They had a great season, but they ended in a bitter way. And I think they spent the whole winter thinking about it and talking about it and think sometimes that's the best catalyst for a good season."Those good vibes from an offseason with key additions stalled and went away on Thursday.The Cubs fell flat.Seiya Suzuki will officially start the year on the injured list, Counsell announced before Thursday’s game started.That confirmed what was expected: that Suzuki will miss time early this season. In the meantime, the Cubs will have to fill his shoes.On Thursday, third baseman-converted-to-utilityman Matt Shaw started in right field. He had an impressive leaping grab. He also struggled a bit in the swirling Wrigley Field winds, which was to be expected for a first-time starter in the outfield.He won’t be locked into right field by any means."I think Counsell will play mix and match up there," Hoyer said. "Hopefully he'll play Matt, hopefully Conforto, hopefully Carlson. Obviously, we want to get Seiya back, but most importantly, we want to get him back healthy."However the experiment develops for the Cubs in right field, multiple players will get a shot. It might depend on whichever player brings the most consistent offense while Suzuki is on the mend.Shaw had a solid first at bat. He worked the count and advanced Swanson from second to third on a popout to right field. But, Shaw finished the game 0-3 in a game where the Cubs needed offense to keep up with the Nationals after that disastrous fourth inning.Conforto pinch hit for Shaw in the eighth inning and struck out. Michael Busch was second in slugging percentage across all first basemen in the Major Leagues last season.He had 34 home runs and 97 RBI. He kept that power going to open the 2026 season.Busch went 3-4 on the day with two doubles, a single, a walk and a RBI. There wasn’t much to be excited about offensively for the Cubs, but Busch provided juice from the leadoff spot.Crow-Armstrong drove in two RBI, too. He was a bright spot on a day marred by struggles elsewhere.
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