(670 The Score) In an 18-3 win over the Athletics on Monday night in Sacramento, the Cubs posted double-digit runs for the second time in their first seven contests of the season.
At the heart of the Cubs’ strong production early on is new right fielder Kyle Tucker, whom they acquired from the Astros in a trade in December. Tucker has homered in three straight games for the Cubs and has been a catalyst for the entire lineup while hitting .323 with 10 RBIs and a 1.142 OPS in seven games.
On the Spiegel & Holmes Show on Tuesday, Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner explained what Tucker has meant for the club.
“He’s right at the heart of it,” Hoerner said. “There’s no bad matchup for him. There’s nobody that you’re going to bring out of the ‘pen that’s going to make him uncomfortable or a starter that he’s not going to look good against, pretty much. So, what he does for everybody else is huge. He lengthens the lineup. You got a true superstar in the middle of it and a bunch of really, really good big leaguers around him too. It's a really dynamic offense that I think can do all parts of offense, from slugging to contact to running the bases like we’ve done so far.”
The Cubs and Athletics play the second game of their series Tuesday at Sutter Health Park. Pregame will start at 8:30 p.m. CT on 670 The Score, with first pitch set for 9:05 p.m.