Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks dominates Opening Day against the Brewers

In dominating fashion, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw a complete game shut out on Opening Day, against the Brewers

In his first Opening Day start, Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks was ready to work. Last season he wasn’t as masterful on the mound for the Cubs as he was in 2016. But in 2019, he won 11 games, 150 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.46. He’s not the hardest thrower and doesn’t have the best off-speed pitches in the league.

But his control is out of this world and he showed it last night. Hendricks recorded an Opening Day shut out, which hasn’t been done since Clayton Kershaw in 2013, and the previous Chicago Cub to do it was Bill Bonham in 1974.

Starting the game, he struck out five of the eight batters he faced and made it look easy. In the third inning, Orlando Arcia came up to bat and got the Brew Crew on the board with a base hit. But Hendricks didn’t think anything of it and ended the inning by striking out the side.

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Realizing that Hendricks was going to dominate the Brewers lineup had to do something to make him even more comfortable–if that was even a problem.

In the bottom of the third inning, Ian Happ homered, putting two runs on the board. And in the bottom of the eighth inning, Anthony Rizzo sent one flying down the line in right field to make it 3-0 Chicago Cubs.

Orlando Arcia ended the game with the three hits that were allowed off of starter Hendricks. Going into the game, Hendricks was confident in his arm and thought he would be able to throw up to 100 pitches.

Throwing 103 pitches and a complete game shut out, Hendricks ended the game with nine strikeouts, zero walks, three hits allowed, and got David Ross his first win as a big-league manager.

With two outs in the ninth, Cubs manager Ross went out to the mound for his “standing ovation” from all the fans. After that, Hendricks retired Keston Hiura and got his first win of the 2020 MLB season, hopefully with more to come.

Go Cubs Go!