MIAMI — Uh-oh?
Cubs starter Jon Lester couldn’t get out of the fourth inning Thursday, blowing a three-run lead, in the Cubs’ only significant negative during an 8-4 victory against the Marlins on Opening Day.
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“I’m not going to sit here and make excuses for anything,” he said after allowing four runs (three earned), seven hits and three walks. “I didn’t throw the ball very well at all, and there’s no excuse for it.
“Guys I got ahead of, I couldn’t put away; guys I got behind, I couldn’t get back ahead. I really had no feel for a breaking ball. Good cutters I did throw were just balls out of hand.”
It followed one of Lester’s healthiest, strongest springs.
Lester said he feels fine physically, and manager Joe Maddon said he’s not concerned.
“There’s a few things in there we need to adjust and make better for Tuesday [in Cincinnati],” said Lester, who’s 1-2 with a 4.14 ERA in seven career openers. “It’s one game. I don’t want to dive into it too much.
“Adjustments have got to be made, and we’ll make them.”
Ouch
Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Javy Baez were hit by pitches by Jose Urena in the first inning — the first time since 2003 that three Cubs were hit by pitches in the same inning.
All escaped serious injury, although that seemed in doubt with Baez at first glance after he was hit on the hand and quickly pulled his batting glove off as he walked in visible pain behind the plate. He finished the game.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Maddon said. “Typically when a guy takes his glove off, his hand’s shaking, which it was. But he was able to press on it quickly, and he knew it was fine.”
Familiar face
Veteran reliever Steve Cishek made his Cubs debut with one out and two on in the fourth inning of a tie game — against the team he spent most of his career with.
He got a strikeout and a routine fly ball to escape the jam. It was the start of 5‰ scoreless innings by the bullpen.
“I’ve always liked pitching here,” said Cishek, who made his first appearance against the Marlins since he was traded to the Cardinals in 2015. “It was fun to be able to do it against my old team.”
Bonus: He got to bat for only the second time in his career and swung the bat for the first time. He grounded out sharply to short.
“They asked me if I could handle it, and I said, ‘Yeah, sure, why not,’ ’’ Cishek said. “I might need to take BP more often. That was fun.”
— Gordon Wittenmyer