MESA, Arizona — If you are thinking that I am really, really happy with the time and pace of Wednesday’s 7-5 Cubs win over the Athletics, you are 100 percent correct. Thrilled, actually, that the game ended an hour and 13 minutes earlier than Tuesday’s. What a difference!
There was good baseball played, too, by the Cubs, so let’s get to that.
Kyle Hendricks might have gotten out of his two-inning stint unscored on, except that Albert Almora Jr. made a rare defensive miscue. With two out in the first inning, Jed Lowrie hit a low line drive right at Almora, and AA misjudged it, breaking in for it when it was actually sailing higher and farther than he expected.