SEATTLE – For most of the beginning of the 2019 season, Cubs fans were talking about worst case scenarios. Fast forward a little over a month later, and people are now talking about the best case scenario.
That’s because the latter played out in a big way in Seattle on a near perfect Wednesday afternoon, in weather and performance.
The hitting was exceptional, and somehow the pitching was even better. An 11-0 Cubs victory over the Mariners was just about as perfect as you could draw it up.
Hitters got six runs in the second inning to spot Jon Lester a big lead. He didn’t even need it, pitching his best game of the season over seven shutout innings, as the Cubs picked up the two-game sweep of their interleague series.
Thanks to this near-perfect effort, the Cubs continue to offset their far from flawless start. Once 2-7 on the season, the team reached a season-high four games over .500 (16-12) with the triumph at T-Mobile Park.
It was an even performance that saw seven different players knock in runs, with Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo, and Ben Zobrist each netting a pair. Baez started the effort in the second with his 10th homer of the season, which was then followed by a Jason Heyward RBI single, two bases loaded walks, a Rizzo sacrifice fly.
Baez completed the six-run frame with an RBI double that put the Cubs in control. Rizzo and Contreras would each homer in the later innings, and a pair of sacrifice flys in the ninth gave the team their third-highest scoring output of the season.
It was plenty for Lester, who delivered a classic performance. He pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out eight batters with just one walk. This effort continues a strong start to the season for the pitcher, despite losing a few weeks due to a hamstring injury, as he now sports a 1.73 ERA along with a 2-1 record.
Lester was near perfect on Wednesday, and so were the hitters. A dream scenario played out on a dreamy day in Seattle that’s arguably the best so far for the Cubs in a still young 2019 season.
