Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (4/17/21): Cubs 13, Braves 4 – Cubs Blast Six Homers in Blowout Win
After being mostly silent the first 13 games of 2021, the Cubs bats finally roared to life Saturday at Wrigley Field. The Wrigley faithful witnessed a double-digit outburst that featured six home runs. While the greater offensive questions still loom over Chicago, for at least one day, the blowout win over the Atlanta Braves was a rare feel-good moment for an otherwise bumpy start to the season.
The Cubs’ hottest hitter, Willson Contreras, got the fun started with a solo shot in the 1st inning. Contreras made it a 3-0 lead with his second jack in the 3rd, but the big blow that frame was a three-run bomb from Javy Báez which ended Huascar Ynoa‘s start.
Things really got out of hand in the 5th inning for Atlanta. Kris Bryant clubbed a two-run homer and David Bote took out his frustration with a three-run dong. Bryant added a nearly identical blast in the 6th that made it 13-1 Cubs.
All this hitting was more than enough for Trevor Williams who was solid through five innings in the win. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Won
The Cubs homer-dependent offense finally got some homers. It works better that way.
Key Moment
The Braves had two on and nobody out in the 2nd and Williams was able to get the next three hitters out to preserve the 1-0 lead.
Stats That Matter
- Contreras has homers in three consecutive starts and a team-leading 1.087 OPS.
- Bryant is right on Contreras’s heels with a 1.024 OPS after his big day at the dish.
- Bote also had a run-scoring double in the 2nd inning in addition to his home run.
- Williams looked good after a bad outing in Pittsburgh: 5 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 4 K, and 3 BB.
Bottom Line
That sure felt good to watch didn’t it? It’s just one game, so we’ll see if the Cubs can build on this offensive explosion. Those are questions for another day. Enjoy this fireworks display Saturday for all it’s worth because it’s a clean slate come Sunday.
On Deck
The rubber match of the series is on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball at 6pm CT. Kyle Hendricks battles Bryse Wilson in a game also on 670 The Score.
