The Cubs got to christen their new party room Monday night. Addison Russell smacked a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Reds in the home opener in front of 40,882 at Wrigley Field.
“Once I hit the ball, I kind of knew it was gone,” Russell said. “I normally don’t pimp home runs but it’s Opening Night, we’re down, and the occasion called for it.”
Reds starter Brandon Finnegan held the Cubs hitless over 6 2/3 innings and hit his first career RBI single, but the Cubs rallied with one out in the eighth against Tony Cingrani. Ben Zobrist walked and Cingrani hit Jorge Soler with a pitch before being pulled in favor of Jumbo Diaz. Russell launched the first pitch, a 95-mph fastball, into the left-field bleachers for his first home run of the season.
“We really struggled with the first batter for each pitcher, a walk, a two-strike hit and a three-run homer for the first batters that our bullpens faced,” Reds manager Bryan Price said of his bullpen, which lost both games so far for the 5-2 club. “They’ll be better. It just wasn’t a great night.”
Jason Heyward had hit a two-run single in the Cubs’ seventh to close to 3-2. Monday marked the Cubs’ unveiling of their new clubhouse, which includes a designated party room for postgame celebrations.
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