Miguel Amaya and Ian Happ fuel the Chicago Cubs to their first win, 10-6, over the Arizona Diamondbacks

Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune on Mar 28, 2025

Published in Baseball

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PHOENIX — The Chicago Cubs’ younger players might prove to be the difference between a good and great season on the North Side.

Miguel Amaya hit two doubles and drove in five runs, Pete Crow-Armstrong reached base twice and scored both times, stole a base and beat out a critical forceout attempt and rookie Matt Shaw scored three runs in the Cubs’ 10-6 win in their domestic opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night at Chase Field.

Ian Happ delivered two big hits, his two-run double in the second putting the Cubs ahead and a solo home run in the fourth to extend their lead.

Second baseman Nico Hoerner reached base three times and drove in a run in his season debut after missing the trip to Japan to focus on continuing to build up from his offseason flexor tendon surgery.

The Cubs (1-2) finished with 12 hits, all but one starter tallying one, and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Amaya’s five RBIs tied a career high.

Left-hander Justin Steele navigated around hard contact to hold the Diamondbacks to three runs in five innings. The bullpen held it together well enough to hold on for the win. The Diamondbacks’ biggest threat came in the sixth, when reliever Nate Pearson loaded the bases following a walk, hit by pitch and another walk with the Cubs holding an 8-3 lead. Pearson recovered with three consecutive flyouts, including two sacrifice flies, to end the inning.

The Cubs didn’t want to overreact to their two losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series last week. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer compared it to a pro golfer hitting a bad drive off the first tee.

“I don’t think they freak out and think the rest of the round is ruined,” Hoyer said Thursday. “It’s kind of the same thing. … Last year we lost our first two games against Texas, they didn’t feel that bad because you played on Sunday. I think the hard part was just kind of having a week just to sit on that. And therefore, candidly, we’re probably a little bit tired, a little bit irritable after the trip, so it wasn’t was the most comfortable week.

“It’s nice to get back to playing and realizing those are just two of 162.”

With the victory, the Cubs avoided their first 0-3 start since 1997, when they went 0-14 to open the season. Players are saying the right things as the Cubs face a challenging schedule in the first month, preaching the importance of not looking ahead and focusing on one game at a time. That doesn’t change this being a win-now season, and the expectations for what this group can accomplish are heightened.

“You have to be realistic with where you are,” Hoyer said. “I think that there have been years where you do (say), OK, we have to play probably exceptionally well to make it. And I feel like now we’re a team that obviously you need help, you need breaks, but I certainly think we’re a playoff-caliber team and so that does put more pressure on it.”

Thursday’s domestic opener admittedly felt a little different for Hoyer because of the uncertainty surrounding his future with the organization while in the final year of his contract.

“Jed’s part of the group that drafted me, I was able to sign an extension with Jed — I love Jed,” Happ said Thursday. “He’s been awesome to me and a part of building a lot of great teams that I’ve been a part of. We want to win for each other in this room, but I have nothing but respect for him and want to make sure he stays here.”