Milwaukee’s Willy Adames, left, tags out Chicago’s Rafael Ortega at second base during the first inning Thursday in Chicago. Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press
CHICAGO — Ian Happ had three hits, including a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on Thursday on Opening Day.
Nico Hoerner hit the majors’ first homer of 2022 and Kyle Hendricks pitched neatly into the sixth, leading Chicago to the victory on a chilly, overcast afternoon at Wrigley Field. Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki reached three times and scored in his first big league game.
On a day stuffed full of firsts and debuts, Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes and catcher Omar Narváez became the first battery to use baseball’s new electronic pitch-calling system in a regular-season game. The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs and four hits in five innings.
Suzuki singled in the fifth for his first big league hit and walked twice. The 27-year-old finalized an $85 million, five-year contract with Chicago in March in the Cubs’ biggest move of the offseason.
Andrew McCutchen, Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez each had two hits for Milwaukee, and Lorenzo Cain drove in two runs. McCutchen served as the designated hitter in his first game with his new team after agreeing to a one-year deal last month.
The Brewers erased a 3-1 deficit with two runs in the seventh, but the Cubs went ahead to stay in the bottom half.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Happ hit a drive off Jake Cousins that caromed off the wall in center. Clint Frazier and Willson Contreras scored on Happ’s second double of the day.
Aaron Ashby (0-1) got the loss. He was charged with one run and three hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Making his third consecutive Opening Day start, Hendricks permitted one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who had a career-high 4.77 ERA last year, struck out seven and walked three.
CARDINALS 9, PIRATES 0: Adam Wainwright pitched six scoreless innings, Tyler O’Neill hit a three-run homer and drove in five, and St. Louis celebrated Albert Pujols’ return with a season-opening win over visiting Pittsburgh.
The Pirates had just six hits and lost budding star Ke’Bryan Hayes to left forearm spasms in the first inning – just hours after news began to spread that Hayes had agreed to a $70 million, eight-year deal.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ROYALS 3, GUARDIANS 1: Bobby Witt Jr. capped his highly anticipated big league debut with his first hit, a go-ahead double with two outs in the eighth inning, sending Kansas over the visiting Cleveland.
Andrew Benintendi drove in Witt after his clutch hit, giving Royals reliever Scott Barlow (1-0) a cushion. And after a perfect eighth, Barlow struck out Myles Straw with runners on the corners in the ninth to end it.
In a matchup of former Cy Young Award winners, Cleveland ace Shane Bieber and erstwhile Royals star Zach Greinke dueled to a 1-all stalemate before turning the game over to the bullpens on a cold day at Kauffman Stadium.
It remained tied until the eighth, when the Royals’ Michael Taylor worked a walk off Triston McKenzie (0-1) and then took second on Nicky Lopez’s sacrifice bunt. McKenzie struck out Whit Merrifield before Witt, regarded by many as the No. 1 prospect in the game, roped a double down the left-field line to give Kansas City its first lead.
NOTES
GUARDIANS: The Cleveland Guardians began Opening Day by making official a $20 million, five-year contract with Emmanuel Clase, ensuring one of the breakout stars of the rechristened club will be closing games for the foreseeable future.
The deal, which was agreed to over the weekend, includes club options for 2027 and 2028 worth $10 million each.
WHITE SOX: The Chicago White Sox expect third baseman Yoan Moncada to miss the first three weeks of the season because of a strained right oblique.
The team placed Moncada on the 10-day injured list as part of a flurry of moves to get the roster down to 28 players.
The White Sox placed right-handers Ryan Burr (strained right shoulder strain), Joe Kelly (right biceps nerve injury) and Lance Lynn (right knee surgery), left-hander Garrett Crochet (left elbow surgery) and outfielder Yermin Mercedes (fractured left wrist) on the injured list.
Chicago recalled third baseman Jake Burger and right-hander Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte and selected the contracts of lefty Tanner Banks and righty Kyle Crick from the minor league club. Chicago also designated outfielder Micker Adolfo for assignment and outrighted catcher Seby Zavala to Charlotte.
CUBS: The Chicago Cubs placed right-hander Alec Mills, left-hander Wade Miley and shortstop Andrelton Simmons on the 10-day injured list.
Mills has a low back strain, and Miley is dealing with left elbow inflammation. Simmons is working through right shoulder inflammation. Each IL stint was made retroactive to Monday.
METS: Jacob deGrom went on the 10-day injured list with a stress reaction on his right shoulder blade as the New York Mets set their 28-man active roster for Opening Day.
NATIONALS: Stephen Strasburg went on the 10-day injured list as the 2019 World Series MVP continues his return from thoracic outlet surgery, one of a series of moves the Washington Nationals made to set their 28-man active roster for Opening Day.
Right-handed reliever Will Harris was put on the 60-day IL after right pectoral surgery, lefty Seth Romero was recalled and placed on the 60-day IL with a strained left calf,and infielder Ehire Adrianza went on the 10-day IL with that same issue.
Washington selected the contracts of right-handed pitcher Victor Arano, infielder Maikel Franco and utility man Dee Strange-Gordon and recalled infielder Lucius Fox from Triple-A Rochester.
Right-hander Gabe Klobosits was designated for assignment.
CLEMENTE AWARD: Winners of the Roberto Clemente Award will wear his No. 21 on the back of their caps for the rest of their major league careers.
The award is announced during each World Series and given to a player for “extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
Active Clemente winners include Nelson Cruz (Nationals), Carlos Carrasco (Mets), Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), Andrew McCutchen (Brewers), Anthony Rizzo (Yankees) and Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright (Cardinals).
PADRES-TWINS: The Minnesota Twins acquired right-handers Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan from the San Diego Padres for All-Star left-hander Taylor Rogers and outfielder Brent Rooker.
The Twins also will receive a player to be named and the Padres will get $6.6 million in cash.
ASTROS: All-Star closer Ryan Pressly has signed a $30 million, two-year contract to stay with Houston.
The deal covers the 2023-24 seasons and has a vesting option for 2025.
Pressly, who was named to his second All-Star Game last season, had a career-best 2.25 ERA in 64 appearances and had a career-high 26 saves in 28 opportunities. In the postseason, Pressly had a 0.93 ERA with 14 strikeouts in six games.
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