Cubs win fastest Opening Day game in 35 years originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Chicago Cubs took full advantage of Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock, playing their fastest Opening Day game in more than 35 years.
Thanks to a strong six-inning outing by Marcus Stroman, the Cubs shut out the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0, and did so in a crisp two hours and 21 minutes.
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According to Baseball Reference, that is the fastest Opening Day game the Cubs have played since April 1986, when they fell 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals at the old Busch Stadium.
The game was nearly a full hour faster than their 2022 Opening Day tilt, which lasted for three hours and 18 minutes. In 2021, the Cubs’ first game of the season lasted for a full four hours, according to Baseball Reference.
After games hit an average of three hours and three minutes last season, MLB added pitch clock rules, giving pitchers 15 seconds to throw a pitch when the bases are empty, and 20 seconds when there is a runner on base.
Chicago Baseball
Hitters will need to be in the box with eight seconds left on the clock.
Stroman, who struck out eight batters in six innings, said that getting used to the clock will be an adjustment
“It’s tough, this pitch clock. It’s a big adjustment,” he said. “I don’t think people realize that it adds another layer of thinking. You’re worried about the clock, and the guys on base, and your grip. It adds another layer to the game.”
