The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds tried to wait out the stormy weather to conclude their three-game series Wednesday.
Instead, after a 1-hour, 43-minute rain delay before a pitch was thrown, the series finale was postponed.
The game was rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader Sept. 1 at Great American Ball Park. Both games, scheduled to start at 12:10 and 5:40 p.m. CDT, will be nine innings. Major League Baseball played seven-inning doubleheader games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The postponement gives the Cubs back-to-back days off with Thursday’s scheduled day off. They are pushing their starters back one game, lining up Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon to start the weekend series at Wrigley Field against the Texas Rangers.
Here are three more things we learned during the Cubs-Reds series.
1. The top of the lineup is setting the tone.
The top third of the Cubs lineup has raked to open the season.
Nos. 1-3 hitters Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ are a combined 24-for-60 (.400) with four RBIs, eight extra-base hits, 11 walks, 11 strikeouts and 18 runs scored through five games. While they won’t replicate that production over the full 162-game season, the trio’s performance in the first week provides a glimpse of how the rest of the lineup can be set up for success.
The combination of Hoerner’s knack for putting the ball in play and Swanson working the counts and spraying the ball around the field sets up Happ to be a run producer and keep the lineup churning.
“Those two guys grind down the pitcher before, it makes my job a lot easier,” Happ said, smiling.
Wednesday’s postponement prevented Happ from adding to his incredible numbers at Great American Ball Park. In 44 career games in Cincinnati, Happ has hit .322 (49-for-152) with 29 extra-base hits, including 16 home runs, and a 1.155 OPS. The former first-round pick from the University of Cincinnati has been right at home in the Reds ballpark.
“I see well here, my mom’s always here,” Happ said. “She drives down. I’ll give her credit. But I went to school here, I’m comfortable here. Been able to see it well for three years now. But it’s all my mom.”
2. Seiya Suzuki and Brandon Hughes continue to progress.
The Cubs were hopeful near the end of spring training that right fielder Seiya Suzuki could return by mid-April. That optimistic timeline seems in play as he continues to ramp up after a left oblique strain.
Suzuki took four at-bats as the designated hitter in a simulated game Tuesday in Arizona. He was expected to get additional at-bats Wednesday and play the field during another sim game.
Cubs manager David Ross reported before Wednesday’s postponement that Suzuki’s oblique is currently a “10 out of 10.″ Should Wednesday’s sim game go well for Suzuki, he could begin a minor-league rehab assignment.
Left-hander Brandon Hughes (left knee) was expected to face Suzuki in Wednesday’s sim game. Hughes is eligible to come off the injured list Tuesday.
3. The Cubs were multihit machines Tuesday.
In Tuesday’s 12-5 win, the Cubs had four players record three-hit games: Hoerner, Happ, Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom.
It was only the fifth time since 2015 the Cubs had at least four players tally three or more hits in a game. They last did it June 30 last season versus the Reds (Hoerner, Wisdom, PJ Higgins and Christopher Morel).
Bellinger’s three-hit performance came after his three-run homer Monday ended an 0-for-11 start to the season at Wrigley Field.
“Definitely that first (hit) is always probably the hardest one to get for whatever reason,” Bellinger said. “I was feeling good, balls were hit right at people, which is the game. Just stick with the process and continue to try to hit my pitch.”
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