The ugly – Jose Urena gets battered
It did not take long for Marlins Opening Day starter Jose Urena to see his day go downhill. Things would only get worse with each pitch.
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The Cubs got on the board after just one pitch, as Ian Happ belted Urena’s first offering to deep right for a leadoff home run. Urena then walked Kris Bryant and hit Anthony Rizzo, as he was obviously shaken up by the bomb. After somehow getting two outs, the Marlins pitcher lost the zone again. He hit Addison Russell to load the bases, and forced in two runs with a walk and a hit batter.
Chicago kept hitting Urena, at least when they were not getting hit themselves. Rizzo homered in the second, and the Cubs loaded the bases in the third before Jon Lester grounded into a double play to end the threat. Somehow, the Marlins managed to look like a viable major league franchise in the bottom of the inning, and tied the game, only to watch Urena again implode. An RBI double to Willson Contreras gave Chicago a lead they would not relinquish, as the Marlins suffered an 8-4 loss.
As would be expected, Urena was particularly brutal. Over the course of his four innings, he was torched for five runs on six hits and four walks. He gave up two homers, and hit three batters. It was not the Opening Day performance that Urena, nor the Marlins, had been hoping for.
Next: Opening Day power rankings
It was a rough day for Jose Urena and the Marlins. At least he cannot be much worse going forward.