Mark Grody

It had to happen sometime, right?

It's big because it allows them to end that homestand 3-3, which isn't great, but it's certainly not bad.

It's a solid start to the season when you take into account now that the starting pitching in that series was absolutely phenomenal.

Matt Boyd gives up the one earned run.

That's the only earned run that the Cubs starters gave up.

Over 16 and a third, they strike out 18 batters.

And here's the most encouraging thing.

Last year, if you go back and look at Matthew Boyd's starts, as good as he was, 12-1 at Wrigley, a phenomenal one loss after a Cubs loss, he never reached the bar that he's now reached twice in these two games, which is strikes swinging.

He had 18 strikes swinging in his opener, in the season opener for the Cubs.

He had 16 in this one.

He looks like a guy whose stuff is great.

It's just a matter of can he stay in control.

I love for Matthew Boyd the fact that, and I know, the Angels, to your point, nobody struck out more in baseball as a team than the Angels last season, right?

But to get 10 strikeouts and all of them to be on swinging strikes, that says something about how effective your fastball change-up game is.

Seven of those were on fastballs.

He had a couple on change-up and one on a curve.

I think for the Cubs, though...

I was more relieved, and I know this is going to sound maybe a little off the mark, but I was more relieved with what their offense was doing in this game, given what we had seen in terrible weather for hitters.

I think against a guy like Kikuchi, who, as you mentioned, not a world beater, but hey, two-time All-Star, including last year, that has to register as giving this team some confidence.

And I love what I saw in the third inning.