"With the exception of that fourth inning," Richards said, "I was cruising."
Richards' first three innings saw him generate 10 swinging strikes and hit 98 mph on the radar gun nine times, not to mention one pitch that was clocked at 99. The Cubs led the Majors in strikeouts last year, by a wide margin, but they were also the best in the game at prolonging at-bats, taking close pitches and shortening the outings of some of the best starting pitchers.
By the fourth, Richards started to feel that.