The Chicago Cubs became the first MLB team to score 20-plus runs in a game so far this season on Saturday afternoon as part of a 21-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates (box score). Previously, the Cleveland Guardians‘ 17-run outburst against the Kansas City Royals April 10, or Opening Weekend, had served as this year’s high water mark.
The Cubs notched 23 hits on the day, including at least one from all 10 batters who took a plate appearance. Shortstop Nico Hoerner led the way with four knocks, and outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, as well as catcher Willson Contreras, each pitched in three of their own.
Saturday marked the first time that Suzuki, signed over the offseason from Japan, recorded three hits in an MLB contest. He’d previously tallied two hits in three of his first 14 games, with two of those multi-hit efforts coming in the past week.
Rookie first baseman Alfonso Rivas, who was recalled from the minors on Friday as the corresponding move to Clint Frazier going on the injured list, led the Cubs with five runs batted in; three of those came on a second-inning home run that doubled as his second career big-league dinger.
While the Cubs’ hitters ran roughshod over the Pirates, their own pitching staff did an admirable job of keeping Pittsburgh off the board. Starter Kyle Hendricks threw seven shutout innings, surrendering two hits and no walks along the way. Recent acquisition Sean Newcomb threw a clean inning in his Chicago debut, and fellow reliever Scott Effross closed out the game with a pair of strikeouts that offset a hit.
The Cubs are now 7-8 on the season, putting them into a tie with the Pirates for third place in the National League Central. Both teams are well ahead of the Cincinnati Reds, who have opened the year with a miserable 2-12 mark.