How bigger bases, pitch clock affected Cubs’ Opening Day win vs. Brewers

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The safe call at second base came down to mere centimeters. Cubs designated hitter Trey Mancini’s toe touched the bag a split second before the bottom of Brewers shortstop Willy Adames’ cleats made contact on top of the base. 

“He’s probably out with the old bases,” said Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, who helped ignite that third-inning rally. “That’s kind of wild to think about.”

The new rules made their Wrigley Field debut Thursday, as the Cubs opened the season against the Brewers. The game lasted just two hours and 21 minutes with the pitch clock in place. Starter Marcus Stroman became the first Cub to commit a clock violation. Infielders abided by the shift limits. And the Cubs’ fourth run scored with a little help from the bigger bases. 

The Cubs had runners on first and third with two outs when Gomes chopped a ground ball up the middle. Adames fielded it next to second base, and instead of flipping it to the bag, he took two steps to get there himself. 

If Adames had touched the base first, the inning would have been over, and the run wouldn’t have scored. But Mancini’s slide beat him there, to a base that’s three inches wider than last year, and the Cubs took a 4-0 lead. 

“It’s just a little difference, but over the course of 162 [games], every little difference makes a big difference,” Horner said. “So, if we are able to take extra bases, especially early in the year when the slug is going to be down at Wrigley usually, those things do matter a lot. And we’ve got a pretty athletic group that can take advantage of that.”

The new rules also drew focus in the top half of the same inning, when the clock wound down to zero with Stroman on the mound.

Stroman, who pitched for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, didn’t have as much time as his rotation mates to get used to the pitch clock in spring training. But it also didn’t seem to throw him off much.

“If they’re going to make us rush, then I’m going to find a way to be me out there no matter what,” Stroman said after his first Cactus League start. “So, something that I truly don’t even worry about.”

Stroman is still varying the timing of his delivery to take advantage of the pitch clock. And in general, he works quickly on the mound. But the stakes in a regular season game are higher than they are in spring. 

“I’m also someone who’s able to step off the mound and breathe when I need to,” he said. “And I don’t have the opportunity to do that anymore. I think breathing is very important to aligning the body and putting yourself in a perfect position to deliver the ball to the plate. And it’s messing up a lot of guys’ pre-pitch routines, which can ultimately affect how they pitch as well.”

Brewers star Christian Yelich stepped up to the plate with no outs in the third inning and a runner on second (due to an uncharacteristic throwing error by Hoerner). Stroman worked ahead in the count, 1-2. Then, he was called for a clock violation and penalized with an automatic ball. He ended up walking Yelich.

“It’s tough, this pitch clock,” Stroman said. “It’s a big adjustment. I don’t think people really realize it just adds a whole nother layer of thinking. You’ve got to be conscious of the clock, you’ve  got to look at the clock, you’re trying to worry about the pitch, you’re trying to worry about the guys on base, you’re trying to worry about your grip.” 

Stroman pitched himself out of the jam and threw six shutout innings with eight strikeouts. He also walked three batters, something he only did twice all of last season. 

In the end, the new rules achieved what they were supposed to, promoting action and cutting down on the dead air in between. 

“We would just be finishing up the game normally right now,” Hoerner said at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, almost an hour after the game. “I think it’ll be a positive. Obviously, there’s some adjustments within it.”