CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Fans and outside observers might not expect much out of the Cubs in 2022, but for at least one day, there was plenty to enjoy at Wrigley Field.
Cubs outfielder Ian Happ hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the bottom of the seventh, helping lift Chicago to a 5-4 win against Milwaukee on Opening Day on Thursday. Happ initially wasn't expected to be fully ready for the opener after undergoing right elbow surgery in February, but there he was playing left field, going 3-for-4 and coming up with the day's biggest hit.
"All credit to Ian," Cubs manager David Ross said. "He was the one who put in all the work. He did everything that was asked of him along with our medical staff having brought him along nicely. Today, he also had a bunch of balls hit to him in left field."
The Brewers tied the game at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly to Happ in left field in the top of the seventh inning, a play on which Happ didn't have much on his throw home. But Happ made up for it with his swing in the bottom half off Brewers reliever Jake Cousins, one of his two doubles on the day.
"Off of the bat, I thought it was gone," Happ said with a laugh. "I would like the distance checked and the fence remeasured."
Happ feels good physically, he said.
"No, to be honest, I feel pretty good," Happ responded when a reporter suggested he still has limited throwing range. "There are some different angles that I adjust to, but for the most part it carries pretty good. I did get caught on the wrong side of one on the balls (Christian) Yelich hit to me today. That is a part of playing at Wrigley. You must catch the ball first."
The Cubs had envisioned using Happ mostly at designated hitter to open the regular season, but as his throwing improved, Ross decided he could use him in left field and open the DH slot for others.
"He had a ton of throws from left today," Ross said. "You saw the infielders going out a little further for him, but you also saw his at-bats really start to click in a couple of days ago in Arizona. We viewed that when he hit a homer to left center at Sloan Park. He carried that into today and really looks good at the plate. He has good command of the hitting zone right now and looks balanced at the plate. He is able to get his A swing off a lot, and you saw an example of that today."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
