Cubs steal Marlins’ lunch money, make them say uncle

I love baseball and it’s truly a great privilege to be able to write about it on a regular basis (let alone have people willing to read it). I think about that when I get to watch and recap a game, especially when the game is a lopsided affair such as this one was tonight. It helps to remember that when the hometown nine get stifled and my attention starts to wander.

The Chicago Cubs haven’t quite been the bullies they were last season. They’re not even in first place right now. Nevertheless, they were the over-sized man-child redoing the sixth grade tonight and the Marlins were the tiny nerds, all too easy prey.

Jeff Locke just didn’t have it tonight and the Cubs made him pay to the tune of five runs as the Cubs used the typically lethal combination of three home runs and a very effective Jake Arrieta start to effectively shut the Marlins down from start to finish.

After a quiet first, Locke ran into trouble in the second inning. A 10 pitch walk to Anthony Rizzo was part of a 34 pitch 2nd inning that saw the Cubs plate two.

The Marlins responded immediately in the form of one Marcell Ozuna, who lazered a solo shot into right centerfield to make it 2-1 Cubs.

Unfortunately, that was the extent of the damage on behalf of the Fish. Ozuna had another hit, Gordon and Realmuto had a couple hits apiece, Bour had one, but that was it on the evening.

A Kris Bryant three run shot chased Locke after four innings. Cubs hitters also rattled the pen’s cage, tagging the trio of Dustin McGowan, Junichi Tazawa, and Vance Worley for another six runs. Only Nick Wittgren was effective tonight, giving up one hit and striking out three in his lone inning of work.

Notes:

• Martin Prado and Adeiny Hechavarria both played in their fourth rehab game and are expected back no later than this next series against the New York Mets.
• Addison Russell was particularly lethal tonight. He came up in the eighth a triple shy of the cycle, but was only able to manage a double.

With the loss, the Marlins fall to 32-39 on the season. Tomorrow we have a rematch of the game we saw a couple weeks back, John Lackey vs. Jose Urena, game time at 4:10 pm ET.

Kingfish: Kris Bryant (.181)

Flounder: Jeff Locke (-.310)

Turning Point: Kris Bryant three run shot in the fourth (.248)