CHICAGO -- Monday was a special day for baseball fans, especially those in Chicago. Despite a 2-1 loss to the Nationals, it marked the first Memorial Day game at Wrigley Field since 2009 that the ballpark was a gathering place for fans looking toward the summer with genuine excitement about their team for both this season and those ahead.
Washington fans had to know the feeling. It happened at Nationals Park in 2012, with Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg on the roster for the first time. And as the schedule makers had it, the Nationals were at Wrigley on Monday to start a stretch in which the Cubs will play 12 of 15 games against the Royals, Tigers and Nats (including four games in Washington).