The Chicago Cubs defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Friday at Wrigley Field. Second baseman Nico Hoerner left early due to neck tightness after contributing a key double. Michael Busch sparked the offense with clutch hits in the win.
In a tight contest at Wrigley Field, the Cubs rallied for a 6-5 victory over the D-backs. Hoerner led off the first inning with a double against Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen, hustling into second base before grimacing in pain. He scored on Busch's opposite-field single, igniting a three-run first inning, but exited after the top of the second as tightness persisted in the left side of his neck. Matt Shaw replaced him at second base and pinch-hit in the bottom of the frame, extending Hoerner's on-base streak to 12 games before his departure. Hoerner had no issues upon arriving at the park but felt discomfort during pregame workouts. “It’s not an injury,” Hoerner said, “but the kind of thing where it didn’t leave me in a place to be myself today.” Cubs manager Craig Counsell called Hoerner the engine of the offense amid his hot start, hitting .297 with four home runs and 26 RBIs in 32 games. “It got worse on the swing and run around the bases,” Counsell said. “He tried to go out there in the second and he couldn’t throw. He just couldn’t move his neck at all. It’s a muscle thing. We’ll see how he’s doing [Saturday]. It may be a day or two, but I think it’ll be fine after that.” Hoerner wondered if it related to being hit on the helmet by a pitch two days earlier but reported no prior symptoms. Busch delivered in the win, adding a double to right-center and multiple hard-hit balls, including a 101.6 mph single. “I’m at my best when I’m able to hit the ball the other way,” Busch said. Arizona's Ildemaro Vargas went 4-for-4 with a walk, extending his season-opening hitting streak to 24 games and 27 dating back to last year. “He's seeing the ball well,” Cubs starter Colin Rea said.
