Marcus Stroman made a memorable effort Monday in Chicago in the Cubs’ 1-0 win as he conceded just one hit in nine innings for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 32-year-old pitcher had his second career break, the first dating back to his rookie season in 2014. This time, he mostly pulled off the feat against the best team in Major League Baseball, who boast an impressive 39-17 record.
“Throw a full match against the Wrigley [Field]”It’s one of the best moments of my career,” said Stroman in a press conference after the meeting.
The American wasted no time in forcing the Rays’ front six batsmen into a compromise. He hit Luke Raley with a throw early in the third inning but recovered well, knocking out two opponents with strikes. In total, he fanned out eight opposing players.
Except for one walk, Stroman (5-4) only allowed one man to access the trails: Wander Franco. The shortstop hit a single in the seventh inning, to the dismay of the Cubs gunner, who applauded him for being a good player.
On offense, Chicago scored in the fourth inning. Mike Tauchman lifted a ball into right field that was easily caught by Josh Lowe, but Seiya Suzuki had time to cross the plate.
Receiver Tucker Barnhart summed up Stroman’s encounter well.
“It was like playing a video game. He made it very easy,” he said.
Julien is discreet
In Houston, Quebec’s Édouard Julien had just one of four at-bats in the Minnesota Twins’ 7-5 overtime win over the Astros.
The local favorites never gave up in this encounter despite being behind most of the time. Jose Altuve hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to give Team Texas a run lead.
With two outs against him, Royce Lewis kept the Twins alive with a rewarding single. Kyle Farmer, who replaced Julien at bat in the final few laps, was able to finish his lap on the trails. In the 10th inning, Ryan Jeffers stretched his arms out for a home run while Jhoan Duran (1-1) took the win on the mound.
Julien, who didn’t score against the Toronto Blue Jays the day before, increased his batting average to a 2.26 this season.