The Craig Kimbrel Era has officially begun. Or, you know, more officially. The closer made his first appearance in live game action Tuesday, pitching a perfect inning for the Iowa Cubs. Kimbrel’s fastball sat 95-96 and he needed only eight pitches to dispatch the Sacramento River Cats in order, tossing six strikes and getting one K on what I-Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen called “a nasty curveball.”
The @Cubs organizational debut for Craig Kimbrel went about as well as could be expected for the @IowaCubs — 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB.