Chicago Cubs rookie Porter Hodge had a dominant MLB debut against the Atlanta Braves.
, 9-2. Justin Steele and the Cubs' bullpen collapsed in the late innings, yielding seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings combined and turning a winnable pitching duel into a one-sided blowout.
On the plus side, the lopsided score gave Chicago a perfect opportunity to give rookie pitcher Porter Hodge his first taste of the big leagues. With the game already out of hand, Cubs manager Craig Counsell summoned the 23-year-old right-hander to handle the top of the ninth.Hodge only needed 10 pitches to mow down the Braves' No. 2-4 hitters, coming within one pitch of an immaculate inning.
Hodge came out throwing pure gas, strictly firing 95 and 96-mph fastballs. He struck out Ozzie Albies looking on three pitches , then did the same to Marcell Ozuna. He needed four pitches to dispose of Matt Olson, who went down swinging on Hodge's 10th and final heater of the day. Blowing away three All-Stars to kick off your MLB career is tough to top, but Chicago fans are eager to see what he can do for an encore. The injury-riddled Cubs could use a boost,. Chicago drafted him out of high school in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, giving him five years to develop. Porter struggled at Double-A last year and Triple-A this year , but the pitching-strapped Cubs are desperate for arms and were willing to give him a shot.
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