Morning Marquee: Kris Bryant launches first big league homer

On a day when pitching was again an issue for the team, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant turned heads when he launched a towering home run that marked his first big-league shot.

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However, despite Bryant’s three-run blast in the third that gave Chicago a short-lived 3-2 advantage, the bullpen and starter Travis Wood struggled and the Cubs dropped Saturday’s contest by a lopsided 12-4 final.

The game was essentially a lost cause by the late innings and Joe Maddon turned the ball over to veteran catcher David Ross, who tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning out of the bullpen. That, coupled with Bryant’s homer, gave Cubs fans at least a few things to enjoy on a disappointing night.

In other big league news, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned the first-ever 4-5-4 triple play in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals and Bryce Harper launched his sixth homer in his last three games to send the Washington Nationals to a walk-off win over the Atlanta Braves.

Here at Cubbies Crib, we took a look at the work Iowa Cubs’ right-hander Donn Roach has turned in to-date. The right-hander moved to 4-0 in six starts with a win at home on Friday night and could very well see time in the Windy City this season – especially with the pitching staff struggling of-late.

Here’s more from around Major League Baseball:

“Harper walks-off Nats with another home run” – District on Deck

“Roach could be a key asset for Cubs’ bullpen” – Cubbies Crib

“Is Marlins’ Gordon poised to break out?” – SI.com

“Cardinals on wrong end of triple play in loss” – Redbird Rants

“Could Cubs’ Baez have a new role with the team?” – Cubbies Crib