April 1, 2018

 ESPNChicago.com, Cubs keep faith in Yu Darvish after a disappointing debut http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/46553/cubs-keep-faith-in-yu-darvish-after-a- disappointing-debut

 NBC Sports Chicago, Not the debut Cubs had hoped for from Yu Darvish http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/not-debut-cubs-had-hoped-yu-darvish-marlins-maddon

 NBC Sports Chicago, Maddon, Cubs enjoyed Loyola's alongside Sister Jean http://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/maddon-cubs-all-aboard-loyola-bandwagon-sister-jean- final-four-michigan

 Chicago Tribune, Though knocked early, Yu Darvish proclaims Cubs debut not 'too bad' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-yu-darvish-debut-sullivan- 20180331-story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs come through enough in clutch to club Marlins 10-6 in 10 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-yu-darvish-marlins-20180331- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs Joe Maddon suggests adding relievers the day after long games http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-extra--rules-notes- 20180331-story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Yu Darvish struggles with possible nerves, dehydration, cramp in Cubs debut https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/yu-darvish-struggles-with-possible-nerves-dehydration-cramp- in-cubs-debut/

 Chicago Sun-Times, Will 17-inning Cubs-Marlins game stir more debate over rules changes — or ties? https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/will-17-inning-cubs-marlins-game-stir-more-debate-over- rules-changes-or-ties/

 Daily Herald, Darvish not as strong as Cubs hoped in debut vs. Marlins http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180331/darvish-not-as-strong-as-cubs-hoped-in-debut-vs- marlins

 Daily Herald, ' Maddon not sold on changes to make extra-inning games shorter http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180331/chicago-cubs-maddon-not-sold-on-changes-to- make-extra-inning-games-shorter

 The Athletic, Sure, they’ve been sloppy, but the Cubs are still finding ways to win https://theathletic.com/296066/2018/04/01/sure-theyve-been-sloppy-but-the-cubs-are-still- finding-ways-to-win/

 The Athletic, Mistakes, dehydration cramp Yu Darvish's style in Cubs debut https://theathletic.com/296088/2018/04/01/mistakes-dehydration-cramp-yu-darvishs-style-in- cubs-debut/

 The Athletic, Joe Maddon’s solution to extra-innings madness https://theathletic.com/295804/2018/03/31/joe-maddons-solution-to-extra-innings-madness/

 Cubs.com, Bryant leads 4-run 10th as Cubs top Marlins https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/kris-bryant-keys-4-run-10th-as-cubs-beat-miami/c-270356426

 Cubs.com, Darvish's Cubs debut: 5 runs in 4 1/3 https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/yu-darvish-has-uneven-cubs-debut-vs-marlins/c-270302648

 Cubs.com, Schwarber sends one into upper deck in Miami https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/kyle-schwarber-hits-long-home-run-vs-marlins/c-270302592

 Cubs.com, Maddon has rule suggestion for extra innings https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-joe-maddon-talks-extra-inning-rules/c-270298254

--

ESPNChicago.com Cubs keep faith in Yu Darvish after a disappointing debut By Jesse Rogers

MIAMI -- Unfair as it is to question a after only one start, critics of Chicago Cubs righty Yu Darvish will point to his performance -- combined with his season debut for his new team on Saturday -- and declare he wasn't worth the $126 million the team will pay him over the next six years.

Darvish wasn't able to complete five innings against the lowly Miami Marlins on a night when the Cubs desperately needed innings out of him after losing a 17-inning affair the night before. Instead, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Darvish threw at least 100 pitches without finishing five innings for only the second time in his career.

"A lot of pitches for 4.1 innings," manager Joe Maddon said after the Cubs' 10-6 win in 10 innings. "Overall, he just didn't have his best stuff tonight."

Darvish gave up five runs and five hits, two walks and two batters. The best pitcher per nine innings in baseball history didn't whiff a Marlin until the pitcher came to bat in the third inning. The problem was simple: He had no command of his fastball.

"It seems like every time I pitched the first game in Japan things went not so well," Darvish said through his interpreter. "I don't know why that happened. ... It could have been a location problem with my pitches. I don't think I was able to command whatever I wanted to, in terms of fastball."

Darvish indicated it was the same in Texas, where he compiled a 3.65 ERA in his first starts of a season, slightly higher than his career mark. He also had great stuff in his warm-up in the Saturday, according to those that saw it.

So maybe he had some first-game jitters once he took the mound, which isn't unheard of -- even for elite arms in the game. But combined with his World Series performance last fall, he has now given up 13 runs in his past 7⅔ . Just as it might be unfair to judge a pitcher after one game, it's just as unfair to judge him with five months in between.

It won't matter to some. Darvish is going to have to shed the reputation of an underachiever. It's not that he has had a bad career -- it's that his stuff screams he should be better.

None of that mattered Saturday because Darvish had nowhere near his best stuff. To wit: Miami hitters were 3-for-9 in at-bats that ended on his fastball while he generated only one swing-and-miss out of 22 swings on that pitch. That tied for the fewest swings-and-misses on his fastball since the beginning of last season, while the 4.5 percent miss rate was the second lowest for him over the past two seasons. Bottom line: His fastball was a mess.

"They made me throw more pitches than I expected, so the rhythm got inconsistent there," Darvish said.

This is a Marlins team not exactly full of fully developed major league hitters, so it's hard to see the opponent as the big obstacle.

"Was probably too anxious to have a great debut," Willson Contreras said. "He missed a lot of spots with his fastball, even with a slider too. He didn't have it today. He didn't get them to chase a lot. That's something we need from him."

And it came on a night the Cubs needed it. Not the same way the Dodgers needed him last fall, of course, but nonetheless he wasn't able to eat the innings that were needed.

"Nothing was absolutely right today," Maddon said.

A ball hit off Darvish's right leg in his final inning didn't help matters, though he stayed in the game and said he was fine. That was followed by a possible cramp in his arm that "went away" quickly.

Fair or unfair, the jury will be out on Darvish until he proves he can be a consistent, dominant pitcher for his new team -- and earn that big paycheck.

"He's going to have a great year," Contreras said. "The first one wasn't as good as he is."

--

NBC Sports Chicago Not the debut Cubs had hoped for from Yu Darvish By Tony Andracki

MIAMI — Yu Darvish's final line in his Cubs debut probably won't make it into his career scrapbook.

The high-profile pitcher had an outing to forget Saturday as he failed to make it out of the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins.

This isn't what the Cubs had in mind last month when they signed Darvish: Notching just 13 outs against a torn-down Marlins roster. However, Darvish at least kept his team in the game, leaving with the score tied.

Prior to the game, manager Joe Maddon said he was planning on letting Darvish loose for at least 100 pitches in an effort to a stressed bullpen.

"He's a Cub now," Maddon said. "I always anticipate good when he pitches."

That's not quite what played out in the Cubs' third game of the season, with Maddon having to come out to the mound to chat with Darvish three separate times in the fifth inning, eventually pulling the $126-million pitcher with only one out.

Darvish's final line: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

He also hit two batters and served up one homer. He dialed it up to 96 mph on the gun and seemed to have his typical stuff, but his command was off.

"He was too anxious to have a great debut," catcher Willson Contreras said. "He missed a lot of spots with the fastball and even the slider. He didn't have it today. He didn't get them to chase a lot and that's something that we need."

Just 10 pitches into his Cubs debut, Darvish was already watching Derek Dietrich round the bases after giving the Marlins a 2-0 lead on a slider that wound up in the upper deck in right field.

Darvish settled down from there, setting down eight in a row and tossing three straight scoreless frames.

The wheels came off in the fifth when Miguel Rojas led off with a single off Darvish's foot. Maddon and Cubs trainer P.J. Mainville came out to chat with the 31-year-old pitcher, but walked back in the dugout after less than 30 seconds.

A couple batters later, Darvish again had a visit from Maddon and Mainville due to a sensation he worried could turn into cramping in his pitching arm, but it never developed into a cramp, so Darvish stayed in the game.

Here's how the rest of the inning played out:

—Darvish walked the next batter on four pitches.

—Cubs pitching coach Jim Hickey went out for a mound visit with Darvish and the infielders.

—The very next batter (Tomas Telis) singled to load the bases with nobody out.

—Lewis Brinson followed with a soft single to center to score one run.

—Dietrich lined out to third.

—Starlin Castro continued to batter his former team, singling into left field to plate two runs to tie the game.

—Darvish was pulled for Brian Duensing, who got two quick outs after coming into the game.

"He wasn't really sharp overall," Maddon said.

Given Saturday already had extra weight attached to it with his team debut, the lack of bullpen support was just another factor placing pressure on Darvish, who wasn't expecting to be pushed to the limit right out of the gate with the Cubs.

"I mean overall, I don't think it was too bad, but they made me throw more pitches than I expected, so the rhythm got inconsistent there," he said.

Darvish will enter his second start in a Cubs uniform (set for Friday in Milwaukee) with a 10.38 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.

"He's going to have a great year," Contreras said. "The first one wasn't as good as he is."

--

NBC Sports Chicago Maddon, Cubs enjoyed Loyola's run alongside Sister Jean By Tony Andracki

MIAMI — Joe Maddon likened Loyola's miracle run to the Final Four to the Cubs' World Series two years ago.

And hey, it's hard to argue with it. The way each team captured the attention of the nation is very similar.

So it's no surprise the Cubs were all-in on Chicago's NCAA team and in particular, the now-legendary Sister Jean.

During batting practice and stretch Saturday, the Cubs wore Loyola T-shirts:

However, the Cubs weren't able to watch any of Loyola's 69-57 loss to Michigan in San Antonio Saturday night due to a conflict with their own game in Miami.

"I love it," Maddon said. "I think it's gotta be tantamount to what we did a couple years ago. So we're all for it.

"Sister Jean, I'd like to meet her at some point. Listen, I was raised by the nuns, so I gotta meet her at some point. I think it's great. Those kinds of things pick up an entire city or a region and maybe even a whole country.

"...Good for them. They're handling it great. Sister's handling it great. I'm jacked up."

--

Chicago Tribune Though knocked out early, Yu Darvish proclaims Cubs debut not 'too bad' By Paul Sullivan

Yu Darvish’s Cubs debut couldn’t have been much more low-key going into Saturday night’s game at Marlins Park.

Now only was the attention of Chicago focused on Loyola’s Final Four appearance in San Antonio, but Darvish was following and in the Cubs’ rotation, taking the No. 3 slot in the rotation despite all the all the hype surrounding his signing.

Darvish was brought in to be the difference-making starter that would bring the Cubs back to the World Series. Normally those kinds of would start opening day, or at the very least get the second game.

But the Cubs took some pressure off Darvish in slotting him third, giving him a chance to acclimate himself to his new surroundings without the kind of scrutiny Lester faced at the start of his first season on the North Side in 2015.

“He’s a Cub now, just go out and pitch,” manager Joe Maddon said before the game.

Maddon said he wanted to get at least six innings out of Darvish, a reasonable expectation, especially after Friday’s 17-inning loss made several relievers unavailable.

But Darvish couldn’t deliver on that modest expectation, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings in a game the Cubs won 10-6 after scoring four times in the 10th inning.

“Overall I don’t think I was too bad,” Darvish said. “They made me throw more pitches than I expected, so my rhythm got inconsistent there.”

Darvish’s velocity was down a bit from , but said everyone’s velocity is lower “and it might be different from stadium to stadium.”

He said he didn’t feel nervous, and pointed out he always had bad first starts in Japan.

“I don’t know why that happens,” he said.

Maddon conceded it “was not Yu’s best effort,” but was optimistic it was a blip.

“Just nothing was absolutely right today,” he said. “You have Lester and Yu struggling a little bit in their first outings, but you know good stuff is on the way.”

The last time Darvish took the mound in a game that mattered was on Nov. 1, 2017, in Game 7 of the World Series. He faced only 10 batters that night, putting the Dodgers in a 5-0 hole before manager Dave Roberts yanked him with two outs in the second.

It was a bad ending to a woeful World Series for the Japanese star, and afterward it was revealed in the Astros said he was tipping his pitches. Darvish didn’t sign until the weekend before the start of spring training, agreeing to a six-year $126 million deal with the Cubs.

Though Darvish got the biggest free-agent contract of the offseason, it was still much lower than what many had speculated he would get going into the winter. So whether the Cubs got a bargain or not will be debated for the next several years, depending on how he performs and whether the signing brings them another championship.

Darvish started off like it was Game 7 all over again, hitting Lewis Brinson, the first man he faced, and hanging a slider to Derek Dietrich, who deposited it into the upper deck beyond right field for a two-run homer.

But Kyle Schwarber answered with a two-run upper deck homer of his own in the second, giving Darvish a chance to settle down. He did just that for a few innings, and the Cubs took a 5-2 lead on Anthony Rizzo’s bases-clearing single in the fifth.

After the to Dietrich, Darvish didn’t allow another hit until Miguel Rojas singled off the pitcher’s foot to start the fifth. Then it all fell apart.

Cubs’ trainer P.J. Mainville came out to the mound to check on Darvish, who was pronounced good to go and continued pitching. But a walk and a single past Rizzo loaded the bases with no outs for the top of the Marlins’ order.

Brinson followed with a bloop single to center to make it 5-3, and after Dietrich lined out, Darvish’s first pitch to Starlin Castro was high and wide, leading catcher Willson Contreras to come out to the mound. Mainville was called upon again, and Darvish threw a few warm-up tosses.

Again he stayed in the game, but Castro delivered a two-run, game-tying single to left to tie things up, and Darvish was toast after 102 pitches.

Darvish said he thought his arm was cramping, but then felt fine, blaming it on dehydration.

“Had he said it did (cramp), he would have been out,” Maddon said.

Speaking to the media the day before his debut, Darvish was asked if this was a different feeling for him or just another first start to the season.

“I am with a new team this year, but every year I can’t really predict how the season is going to turn out,” Darvish said through an interpreter.

No one can predict that, but the addition of Darvish led many to pick the Cubs to win it all. That’s the kind of talent he has, and why he’s really a No. 1 and not a No. 3.

Fortunately first impressions aren’t always lasting, so Darvish can recover from his tough debut and become the dominant pitcher everyone expects.

--

Chicago Tribune Cubs come through enough in clutch to club Marlins 10-6 in 10 innings By Mark Gonzales

Manager Joe Maddon and slugger Kris Bryant theorized that the Cubs were prone to a 20-strikeout performance Friday night while playing 17 innings.

“That’s pretty much our average,” said Maddon, who joked that the strikeout total was accumulated during a doubleheader.

Despite striking out another 11 times Saturday night, the Cubs were able to shore up one shortcoming.

The discovery of the clutch hit resurfaced with Ben Zobrist’s tie-breaking single in the 10th inning, and Bryant followed later with a three-run that provided enough cushion for a 10-6 victory over the Marlins.

After collecting only two hits in their first 22 at-bats with runners in scoring position, the Cubs made the most of a 4-for-16 performance that overshadowed the struggles of starter Yu Darvish in his Cubs debut.

Darvish, who signed a six-year, $126 million contract in February, failed to go very deep into the game to provide rest for a taxed bullpen after Friday’s extra-inning loss.

Darvish lasted only 4 1/3 innings in a 102-pitch outing. Darvish was grazed by Miguel Rojas’s single in the fifth but said he was fine despite later blowing a three-run lead in the inning.

“It was more of a location problem with my pitches,” said Darvish, who allowed a two-run home run to Derek Dietrich in the first.

For the second time in three games, the Cubs’ offense and bullpen picked up the rotation. Javier Baez, who didn’t start because Maddon wanted to give some playing time to Zobrist, started the winning rally with a double for his first hit of the season.

Zobrist pulled his game-winning hit to right off submarine-style pitcher Brad Ziegler, who was yanked after Bryant pulled his double down the left-field line. Bryant and Zobrist have been the exception to the problems that have led to the high strikeout total.

“The pull-heavy (tendency) is indicated by ,” Maddon said. “Let the speed of the ball dictate where you hit it.”

Anthony Rizzo actually foiled a Marlins’ shift with a two-out single to shallow right in the fifth to snap a 2-2 tie.

Kyle Schwarber hit his second homer in three games, a two-run blast that landed midway in the upper deck in right field to tie the game in the second. Schwarber also doubled to start the sixth and that set up a Jason Heyward sacrifice fly.

Despite getting 52/3 innings from his bullpen, Maddon thought he might have enough coverage for Sunday’s series finale. That might be asking a lot from a bullpen that has allowed two runs in 22 innings.

Mike Montgomery, pitching in his third consecutive game, pitched a scoreless 10th. Montgomery has thrown 36 pitches during his stretch.

“I actually feel pretty good,” Montgomery said. “Maybe I’m a little fatigued, but I was able to get a ground ball (for a game-ending double play).”

Carl Edwards Jr. was used for the second consecutive night after throwing 29 pitches Friday. Left-hander Brian Duensing, who needed only five pitches to get Darvish out of more trouble in the fifth, should be available Sunday.

--

Chicago Tribune Cubs manager Joe Maddon suggests adding relievers the day after long games By Mark Gonzales

Cubs manager Joe Maddon prefers that change remain limited in baseball, but he suggested one amendment concerning extra-inning games.

“If you want to do something differently, maybe after a team plays 12 innings, they get an extra pitcher for the next two days,” Maddon said Saturday night.

Maddon’s proposal occurred one day after his bullpen was stretched in a 17-inning loss to the Marlins. The minor leagues adopted a rule last month stipulating extra innings will start with a runner at second base.

Maddon likes his proposal better.

“Straightening out your staff might be the least obtrusive way, as opposed to changing the entire method of the game that has been going on for many years,” he said. “That’s how the records have been kept.”

Maddon pointed out that last year the Cubs played only two games longer than 12 innings — none after May 7.

“So for something that doesn’t happen that often, maybe a minor adjustment might be more in tune than something major,” Maddon said.

Butler’s bid: Eddie Butler hasn’t given up on his wish to become a starter. In relief on Friday he pitched seven innings of four-hit ball.

“I love starting,” said Butler, who earned the last spot in the Cubs bullpen as the second long reliever. “That’s what I like to do. If I can end up in a starting spot, that would be great. Right now, I’m happy being on this team and helping it win.”

Left-hander Mike Montgomery initially was projected as the Cubs’ sixth starter, but he was used in short relief in each of the first two games.

Maddon said he wouldn’t rule out using Butler as a starter but wanted to limit him to 75 pitches and five innings Friday.

Justin’s journey: Aside from using the slide step delivery with a runner at first base, left-hander Justin Wilson said he’s simply pitching the same way he did in the first half with the Tigers last season.

“We haven’t talked about it much,” said Wilson, who hasn’t allowed a run in his first two appearances. “Just keep pitching.”

--

Chicago Sun-Times Yu Darvish struggles with possible nerves, dehydration, cramp in Cubs debut By Gordon Wittenmyer

MIAMI – Yu Darvish’s much-anticipated debut start for the Cubs since signing that $126 million contract last month included everything from a bruised foot and forearm cramp to possible dehydration and nerves.

Everything except fastball command, sharpness on his breaking ball, any sense of tempo or enough outs to meet even his manager’s modest expectation of completing six innings the night after the pitching staff was taxed in a 17-inning game.

When the Cubs scored four runs in the 10th inning – three on Kris Bryant’s big two-out double – to beat the Marlins 10-6 on Saturday night, the bigger questions left to ponder from this third game of the season still involved the four-time All-Star who couldn’t get out of the fifth inning.

Darvish on Saturday

It’s only the first of what the Cubs hope will be 190 or so as a Cub across that six-year deal. And catcher Willson Contreras said he sensed Darvish was “too amped up to make his debut” – though the pitcher denied nerves played a role in his first-game clunker.

Contreras said he also noticed what he thought was cramping when Darvish threw a slider five batters into the fifth inning and shook his hand in apparent discomfort. The next pitch was a 92-mph up-and-in fastball to Starlin Castro that prompted Contreras to call for manager Joe Maddon and the trainer for a second visit in the inning (the first when the leadoff hitter singled off Darvish’s foot).

“It didn’t cramp,” Darvish said threw his interpreter. “I had a sensation of almost cramping, but then again there’s dehydration coming from Arizona so that might be a factor.”

He threw a few warmups, stayed in the game and eventually gave up a two-run, tying single to Castro and was pulled at the 102-pitch mark

“Had he said it did [cramp], he would have been out,” Maddon said. “He gave that little thing with his wrist, and that’s what got me out. H was sweating a lot, dehydration, that was my concern. But he assured me he was fine, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. We’re getting to know one another, and I want to trust him in the moment.

“Overall, it was not Yu’s best effort, but there’s a lot to look forward to after this.”

Darvish, who’s starting his second full season since Tommy John surgery, acknowledged his rhythm was off and his location wasn’t good, especially with his fastball.

Contreras said he expects a big season out of Darvish this year, based on everything he’s seen since the start of camp and plans to talk to him before his next start about speeding up his tempo and finding better rhythm. “I think he let the hitters think too much, like get comfortable in the box,” Contreras said.

Maddon takes solace in the fact the Cubs won Thursday’s opener and Saturday’s game despite short, rough starts from Jon Lester and Darvish.

“You got Lester and Yu struggling a little bit in their first outing,” he said. “You know good stuff’s on the way. So let’s just be grateful we won two out of three so far.”

Sun will come up for Morrow

Cubs closer Brandon Morrow has thrown only two pitches in a long season, but how rare was that RBI single he allowed in Friday’s 17th inning?

Until that walkoff by Miguel Rojas, Morrow hadn’t allowed a two-out hit with a man in scoring position since April 15, 2014. Friday snapped a 0-for-33 streak in that situation.

--

Chicago Sun-Times Will 17-inning Cubs-Marlins game stir more debate over rules changes — or ties? By Gordon Wittenmyer

MIAMI — Five hours, 18 minutes and 17 innings of baseball after starting their second game of the season, the Cubs went into their third game Saturday gassed and taking inventory of their available pitchers.

For a moment, even third baseman Kris Bryant saw the merits of considering measures to set limits or alter rules for extra innings.

‘‘I think anybody that played in that game [a 2-1 Cubs loss] would certainly be up for talking about it,’’ Bryant said.

But that doesn’t mean he has changed his staunch opposition to a rules change such as the one being used in the minors for the first time this year that calls for each extra inning to start with a runner on second base.

‘‘It’s a slippery slope because once you start to talk about that, it’s changing the whole game,’’ said Bryant, the Cubs’ player rep.

Nobody in the Cubs’ clubhouse who was asked was in favor of any change as fundamental as the second-base rule.

‘‘I know there’s going to be conversation after this [game],’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘But overall, I still am a traditionalist with that.

‘‘As a manager sitting in this situation, beating up the bullpen’s no fun. But I also believe that’s an anomaly game.’’

In fact, the marathon Friday marked only the second time in history a game of that length was played in the first two games of the season. (It also happened between the Twins and Royals in 1969.)

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has said he doesn’t anticipate the man-on-second rule being enacted in the majors.

But what about limiting the number of extra innings? Or allowing ties? Or just allowing teams to add a pitcher to the roster for a day or two after an especially lengthy extra-inning game, something Maddon and reliever Pedro Strop advocated?

The game was especially taxing because it was the second during an opening stretch of six games before the Cubs’ first day off.

When Saturday starter Yu Darvish failed to get through the fifth inning in his Cubs’ debut, it exacerbated the issue.

‘‘Maybe after a 12-inning game, you get an extra pitcher for a couple of days,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘As opposed to radical surgery, maybe just some arthroscopic surgery.’’

Or maybe the game just ends in a tie. Or maybe baseball goes to a point system, like hockey or soccer. That’s what former Cubs right-hander of the Giants said in spring training.

‘‘I’ve been watching soccer a ton; I love it,’’ Samardzija said. ‘‘We should steal their idea of points. Do three [for a win] and one [for a tie].’’

And no extra innings at all, he said.

‘‘That way, it makes the ninth inning exciting every game,’’ he said. ‘‘Because you can play to a point.’’

But Bryant disagreed.

‘‘You can’t have a tie in baseball; you just can’t,’’ he said. ‘‘You can’t do a point system.’’

Offered the same pushback by a curmudgeonly writer, Samardzija said: ‘‘Why? Because Americans can’t tie? Someone has to be a winner? We’re talking mentality and social issues here. We play 162 games. We can’t tie in 15 or 20 of them? What’s the big deal? And who’s being hurt by not playing extra innings? Relievers, by not being able to get a win?’’

It’s a big deal to Cubs right-hander Eddie Butler, the reliever who retired 20 of the 26 batters he faced (plus a caught-stealing) in seven innings Friday.

‘‘I don’t like tying in spring training,’’ Butler said. ‘‘Ties are no fun. I like winners and losers, and I like to be winning.’’

--

Daily Herald Darvish not as strong as Cubs hoped in debut vs. Marlins By Bruce Miles

MIAMI -- The Cubs needed 6 innings out of Yu Darvish Saturday night. But during some trying times for the pitching staff early in the season, they're taking whatever they can get.

What the Cubs got out of Darvish was a lackluster 4⅓ innings, one night after they fell 2-1 to the Miami Marlins in 17 innings.

The offense held up its end of the deal Saturday, and Ben Zobrist's RBI single in the 10th brought home Javier Baez with go-ahead run. Kris Bryant later hit a 3-run double, and the Cubs went to win 10-6 and improve to 2-1.

Darvish and the Cubs fell behind 2-0 in the first inning before rallying and taking a 6-5 lead into the eighth. Reliever Pedro Strop, who did not work Friday, gave up a game-tying single to Miguel Rojas to suffer a blown save and set the stage for another long night.

After Friday, Cubs manager Joe Maddon was looking for some relief for the relief corps after using five bullpen guys. It could have been much worse for the Cubs had Eddie Butler not worked 7 innings out of the pen late Friday.

Darvish, who signed a six-year, $126 million free-agent deal with the Cubs on the eve of spring training, wound up throwing 102 pitches in his short start.

"He wasn't really sharp overall," Maddon said. "A lot of pitches. He showed glimpses where the command was good. At other times, fastball command was off. He threw some good sliders, but I would say overall, he just didn't have his best stuff tonight, and he got us through 4⅓."

Darvish, a native of Japan who pitched the past several years in the major leagues, signed with the Cubs on the eve of spring training. He said slow beginnings have been a problem going back to his days in Japan.

"Overall, I don't think it was too bad," he said through a translator. "They made me throw more pitches than I expected. The rhythm got kind of inconsistent there. No nerves. I was out there feeling comfortable. But it seems like every time it was the first game in Japan, it went not so well. I don't know why that happens, but in terms of today, everything was fine."

Derek Dietrich hit a 2-run homer off Darvish in the first. The offensive quickly got Darvish even. Kyle Schwarber blasted a 2-run homer in the second inning. The booming drive to right field carried into the upper deck.

Anthony Rizzo hit a 2-run single in the Cubs' 3-run fifth. Darvish struggled in the bottom of the inning, which began with Rojas singled off Darvish's right foot. Maddon and the athletic trainer paid a visit to Darvish, who said he was OK. It was the first of two trainer visits in the inning for Darvish, who said his right forearm began to feel like it might cramp. Darvish faced six batters in the fifth, putting five on and throwing 28 pitches and giving up 3 runs to allow Miami to tie the game.

Left-hander Brian Duensing, who did not pitch Friday, came in and retired the only two batters he faced.

Jason Heyward's sacrifice fly in the sixth put the Cubs up by 1.

--

Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Maddon not sold on changes to make extra-inning games shorter By Bruce Miles

MIAMI -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn't sound in favor of some of the radical changes that have been talked about to end extra-inning games more quickly.

The Cubs lost 2-1 to the Miami Marlins in 17 innings Friday night and had to use pitcher Eddie Butler for 7 innings of relief.

Some extra-innings changes that have been talked about include beginning an inning with a runner on second base.

"I don't know," Maddon said Saturday. "I still like the least amount of change to our game as possible even to the point where my thought is if we want to do something differently, maybe after a team plays

12 innings that they get an extra pitcher for the next two days. Just give you an extra guy for two days. That's all your looking for, just one lengthy guy in a bad situation. As opposed to radical surgery, maybe some arthroscopic surgery, just permitting one player to come in for two days.

"That might be the least obtrusive way, something like that, as opposed to changing the entire method of the game that has been going on for many years. That's how the records have been kept."

The biggest fear of any manager in these kinds of games is depleting the relief corps. Maddon tried to keep it in perspective.

"I've always been purist with all of this," he said. "As a manager, when you're sitting in the situation with a beat-up bullpen, it's no fun. But I also believe that's the anomaly game. I think it's part of the grind of the season. It's part of testimony to the depth of your team. I know there's going to be conversation after this."

About Friday night: Eddie Butler became the first Cubs reliever to pitch at least 7 innings and surrender no more than 4 hits and 1 run since Ray Burris on Sept. 23, 1973 at Philadelphia. Burris worked 7 innings, allowing 4 hits, in a 9-7 loss. Butler is the first Cubs reliever to go at least 7 since Scott Sanderson went 8 on Aug. 6, 1989 at Pittsburgh in a 5-4, 18-inning defeat.

Friday was just the fourth game in the last 100 years in which Cubs pitching worked at least 16⅔ innings without surrendering an extra-base hit, and the first time since tossing 17 innings, Aug. 11, 1992, against Montreal (a 3-2, 17-inning loss). Before that, it hadn't happened since Oct. 1, 1920 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 3-2, 17-inning win.

He said it: Cubs batters struck out 20 times Friday night.

"There was 20 strikeouts in a doubleheader yesterday," Joe Maddon said. "That's like 10 per game, and that's pretty much our average. I thought about that last night. We also hit some balls really good. We hit the ball well, actually, yesterday with no luck whatsoever, and that happens. The strikeouts is part of our DNA. I still believe we're going to cut back on that. If it was 20 after nine (innings), I'd be much more concerned. I still want to see the ball moved more often, yes."

--

The Athletic Sure, they’ve been sloppy, but the Cubs are still finding ways to win By Sahadev Sharma

MIAMI — Three games into the season, the one word that comes to mind when watching the Cubs play is sloppy. The bottom line is winning, and after topping the Miami Marlins 10-6 in 10 innings on Saturday, through three games, the Cubs have won two of them. But there’s no denying these games haven't been the prettiest.

Earlier in the week, manager Joe Maddon said he had a rotation full of opening day starters. But Jon Lester and Yu Darvish, making a combined $281 million, each failed to complete five innings in their season debuts. The lone outing in which the Cubs did get some depth from their starter, the game went 17 innings.

Their bullpen has pitched admirably. But through three games, they’ve been the most overworked group of relievers in baseball — well, outside of Philadelphia. And with no off-day until Wednesday, Maddon has to be praying for José Quintana and Tyler Chatwood to do in the next two games what Lester and Darvish couldn’t.

After using five relievers to eat 5 2/3 innings Saturday, the Cubs will head into Sunday with their bullpen in even more dire straits than it was after Friday night's marathon. The only relievers certain to be available are Brandon Morrow and Justin Wilson. Brian Duensing tossed only five pitches in 2/3 of an inning, so he should be available as well. A from Quintana would be a godsend at this point. Perhaps that looming storm headed for Cincinnati on Tuesday will turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

“I think we do,” Maddon said when asked if he had enough bullpen coverage for Sunday. “I’m looking at three, maybe four guys. Quintana normally goes deeper, he’s more pitch-efficient, normally (knocks on wood). So we just need pitch efficiency tomorrow as much as anything.”

The offense obviously struggled on Friday, crossing the plate just once in 17 innings. The Cubs have scored a runner from third with less than two outs just once in 10 opportunities through three games. Maddon can see that they’re not where they need to be.

“It’s almost like some of them are trying way too hard,” he said. “Let’s just back it off a little bit. See the ball, don’t try to do so much, get back to the whole field. We’re getting too pull-conscious too early. That’s going to go away. But anybody that is struggling right now is really just playing with the small part of the field. We gotta get back to the big part, meaning the middle to the opposite gap.”

Javier Báez was hitless in 10 at-bats coming into the game. He didn’t start, and Maddon said it was nothing more than a day off. Báez came in as a defensive replacement in the eighth and doubled to start the 10th, kicking off a four-run frame.

Maddon called it “large” for Báez to finally tally a hit and suggested the group as a whole has actually hit the ball hard for the most part, but was just losing the game of inches.

There are clear issues early on. Ian Happ is hitless with eight strikeouts in the 12 at-bats since he slugged a homer on the season’s opening pitch. Willson Contreras has seven strikeouts and Anthony Rizzo has a surprising five. As a group, the team is striking out 27 percent of the time.

But a lot of these trends will go the other way. And here’s the reality: After looking way too sloppy three games into the season against a lowly Marlins team, the Cubs are still 2-1 and along with all the negatives, have multiple positives to point to. Despite being overworked, the bullpen has a 0.82 ERA in 22 innings pitched. They’ve walked too many batters (nine), but they’ve kept them from scoring more often than not.

Mike Montgomery is getting groundballs nearly every time he steps on the mound — and he’s done so in all three games. Wilson has looked strong in 2 2/3 innings of work. Pedro Strop, Duensing and Steve Cishek all look great. They’ve all been used too much, but for the most part, they’ve delivered.

And as easy as it is to criticize the offense for what it hasn't done, the Cubs are still averaging more than six runs a game early on. Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Ben Zobrist are each hitting .400 and each looks legitimately locked in at the plate. Kyle Schwarber has two long home runs, a rocket double and is working the count well. Even Jason Heyward is showing signs of life with three hits and multiple hard-hit balls.

Playing the lowly Marlins in this first series is probably for the best considering this group is trying to find its footing at the moment. Darvish will have better days. Lester should too. Eventually, the bullpen will get some rest. And the offense, even with the obvious issues, has 15 extra-base hits so far on the season.

The hope was that a repeat of last season’s slow start would be avoided. And after a spring filled with positive energy and a team that seemed ultra-focused on the task at hand, seeing three games so aesthetically displeasing is a bit of a surprise. The game may be going more towards shorter outings by starters and a slugfest on offense, but the Cubs aren't doing this by design.

By taking on a Marlins team that, as Maddon said, is playing really hard and giving the Cubs more of a fight than probably expected, they’ve been able to overcome their sloppiness in the win column. This group is unlikely to continue to look so out of sorts for much longer. If they can find their way in short order, the will certainly have something to worry about.

--

The Athletic Mistakes, dehydration cramp Yu Darvish's style in Cubs debut By Patrick Mooney

MIAMI – Yu Darvish handed the ball to Cubs manager Joe Maddon at 9:04 p.m. on Saturday at Marlins Park and walked back to the visiting dugout with his head down. Darvish headed to the Gatorade cooler for a drink – to hydrate rather than channel the old – and sat down on the bench.

Hit collector Starlin Castro had just lifted a two-run, game-tying single into left field with one out in the fifth inning. That left Maddon to navigate a tie game with an exhausted bullpen after a 17-inning loss on Friday night/Saturday morning.

This wasn’t the Yu Effect or Darvish Day that Cubs officials had in mind when they made a nine-figure investment just before spring training started. But after 10 innings, the remaining Cubs fans in the lower sections of the ballpark could still hold up white W flags to mark a 10-6 victory.

The 2018 Cubs have won two of their first three games without Jon Lester or Darvish coming close to a , making Sunday another “woof” moment for Maddon’s bullpen management. But once the clubhouse doors opened to the media, there was a new angle to the story.

Maddon's trip to take out Darvish made it four separate mound visits that inning.

Miami’s Miguel Rojas led off the fifth by drilling Darvish’s leg with a ball that ricocheted into foul territory for a single. Darvish walked the next batter and out came pitching coach Jim Hickey. Back-to- back singles loaded the bases. Just before Castro’s bases-loaded swing, Maddon and athletic trainer PJ Mainville visited the mound because Darvish had felt something in his right forearm area.

Through a translator, Darvish said, “I had a sensitivity of almost cramping. But then again, there’s dehydration coming from Arizona, so that might be a factor.”

“I thought he cramped,” Maddon said. “He said it started to cramp. But it didn’t cramp. So he never actually cramped. Had he said it did, he would have been out. He said, ‘No, I’m fine. It didn’t happen.’ He just gave it that thing with his wrist, and that’s what got me out.

“But he threw a couple pitches and then he’s throwing 94 to Castro, so he was fine. But he was sweating a lot, dehydration, that’s my concern. But he assured me he was fine and I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. We’re getting to know one another and I want to trust him in the moment.”

That will be a process, but National League lineups are more forgiving, especially ones like the Marlins. Over time, this Cubs offense should cover up for a lot of mistakes. Darvish’s overall numbers should be there after 30 starts, but it was noticed that his velocity didn’t have quite the same jump that showed up in the Cactus League.

“It’s not just myself,” Darvish said. “By looking at everyone else, it seems like their velocity seems to be lower than they had been throwing in spring training. It might be different from stadium to stadium, so it might be one of those factors.”

Darvish opened at 7:14 p.m. with three straight 94-mph fastballs to Marlins leadoff guy Lewis Brinson. Darvish’s fifth pitch – a 95-mph fastball – hit Brinson. No. 2 hitter Derek Dietrich then launched a hanging slider into the second deck in right field for a two-run homer. Darvish knew it as soon as Dietrich made contact, instantly grimacing and slumping his head.

“No nerves,” Darvish said. “I was out there feeling comfortable. But it seems like every time it’s the first game – even in Japan – things went not so well. I don’t know why that happens.”

As long as Darvish is healthy, this will be a forgettable debut for a pitcher who will be judged in October, anyway, after two disastrous starts for the in last year’s World Series.

In terms of butterflies, this is someone who pitched on national TV as a high school kid in Japan. Don’t think the section after section of empty blue seats at Marlins Park and an announced crowd of 13,422 felt all that intimidating. Plus Jon Lester and the rest of the 2016 Cubs made it so much easier for big- money free agents to come here and play without the burden of 1908.

“He just made a lot of mistakes,” catcher Willson Contreras said. “He’s going to have a great year. The first one wasn’t as good as he is. But the other thing is he’s facing a new team, a completely new team. We don’t know what they’re trying to do. They’re just swinging and swinging. They just take and take. To me, he has to make better pitches than he did today.”

Darvish fired 102 pitches and finished with this line: 4 1/3 innings, five hits, five runs, two walks, four strikeouts, two hit batters.

Darvish has all those different pitches and so much talent that he sometimes lives in a world with too many choices. The Cubs saw flashes of why they gave him a six-year, $126 million contract in February – and why there is a sense that he still hasn’t quite maxed out his potential even after four All-Star selections.

“He showed glimpses,” Maddon said. “Nothing was absolutely right today.”

--

The Athletic Joe Maddon’s solution to extra-innings madness By Patrick Mooney

MIAMI — Throughout spring training, the Cubs talked about the overall strength of their pitching staff, the next layer forming at the Class-AAA level and how they stayed relatively healthy for six weeks in Arizona. Two games into the regular season, the Cubs are already in scramble mode before April Fool’s Day.

“That’s how it plays, man,” manager Joe Maddon said Saturday at Marlins Park. “You just got to go with it.”

The Cubs had Yu Darvish lined up and stretched out for 100 pitches after a 17-inning loss that began on Friday night and ended on Saturday morning in Miami. That marathon left Maddon with three names on his sheet — Steve Cishek, Pedro Strop and Brian Duensing — that he felt comfortable using out of the bullpen in Game 3.

But Maddon accepts that this is the nature of the beast. An open-minded manager doesn’t want to see starting extra innings with a runner on second base or shifting to an NHL-style points system where a game can end in a tie.

“I still like the least amount of change to our game as possible,” Maddon said. “My thought is if you wanted to do something differently, maybe after a team plays 12 innings, they get an extra pitcher for the next two days. Just give you an extra guy for two days to sort that all the way through because that’s all you’re looking for — one lengthy pitcher for today or for tomorrow.

“Just one lengthy guy in a bad situation. As opposed to radical surgery, maybe some arthroscopic surgery, just permitting one player to come in for two days.”

A sarcastic reporter asked: So just legalize what the Dodgers already do?

“I’m not saying that,” Maddon said. “I’m just saying after 12 innings. You play a 12-inning game and you get an extra pitcher for two days. This way, you’re not understaffed. That might be the least intrusive way, something like that, as opposed to changing the entire method of the game that’s been going on for many years. That’s how the records have been kept.”

Eddie Butler technically lost The Eddie Butler Game — he entered in the 10th inning and held the Marlins scoreless through the 16th — but he gets to stay because he’s out of minor-league options.

Brandon Morrow officially faced only one hitter — and gave up the two-out, walk-off single to Miguel Rojas — but he warmed up so much that the Cubs will hold him out until Sunday. That fits into an overall cautious strategy for a new closer with injury history just beginning a two-year, $21 million contract and coming off a grueling run last season with the Dodgers in which he pitched in 14 out of 15 playoff games.

Maddon doesn’t have any interest in moving up the next game’s in late March. The Cubs had issues doing that with John Lackey and have to protect their $126 million investment in Darvish. Injury prevention and pace-of-play initiatives are two of the industry’s front-burner issues.

“Listen, it happens,” Maddon said. “It happened early this year. I think we played two games of 12 innings or more all of last season (May 4 and May 7). When something like that happens, there’s an uproar about change, and it just doesn’t happen that often.

“That’s why I’m saying maybe a minor adjustment might be more in tune than something major.”

The in-game entertainment crew at Marlins Park didn’t really make any adjustments for a 17-inning game or a closed-off upper level, repeatedly showing the same fans on the video board’s Dance Cam and bombarding an announced crowd of 12,034 with loud dance music and manufactured noise.

“I do prefer rock music in between innings, like we do in Chicago,” Maddon said. “I think we have a much more appropriate mix for my tastes. But then again, I don’t live here. And I don’t know what the tastes of the local gentry might be. So if these people appreciate this music better than go-rock, do it, man.

“But I don’t care. I don’t notice. I rarely use the words ‘I don’t care.’ But it doesn’t matter. I just like a loud place. I like energy. So however they want to choose to develop energy, it’s just different. It’s not as traditional-based as we are, [or] in the Northeast quadrant, [or] the teams that have been around for 100 years.

“They’re down here, they’re trying to attract their fans with different methods. Go for it, man.”

--

Cubs.com Bryant leads 4-run 10th as Cubs top Marlins By Carrie Muskat

MIAMI -- It was the Cubs' turn on Saturday night to celebrate in extra innings.

Kyle Schwarber provided the power, Ben Zobrist delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in the 10th inning and Kris Bryant added a three-run double to lift the Cubs to a 10-6 victory over the Marlins.

The Cubs pieced together just enough pitching after starter Yu Darvish was limited to 4 1/3 innings in his Cubs debut.

"These three games, for the first three games of the year, are so awkward," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The pitching didn't want to work. It was not Yu's best effort, but there's a lot to look forward to after this."

After playing 17 innings on Friday night in a 2-1 loss to the Marlins, the Cubs hoped Darvish could go deep, and that they had enough coffee. Brian Duensing, Steve Cishek, Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop and Mike Montgomery combined for 5 2/3 innings of relief, with Montgomery appearing in his third straight game.

"I was not expecting to get in there today," Montgomery said. "In the eighth inning, all we had left was Strop, and the Marlins tied it up. When we didn't take the lead in the ninth and the 10th comes around, everybody said, 'Hey, can you go?'

"I actually feel pretty good, considering. The big difference was having a four-run lead, which takes a little pressure off being one pitch away from them tying it up. All things considered, I feel good."

The Cubs had built Montgomery up as a possible starter. He just didn't expect to be on pace to appear in 162 games.

"I feel good, but I think I should get tomorrow off," Montgomery said. "We'll see. You never know."

Darvish was charged with five runs on five hits, including a two-run homer by Derek Dietrich before he even recorded an out.

"He wasn't really sharp overall," Maddon said. "A lot of pitches for 4 1/3. He showed glimpses where the command was good. His fastball command was off a little. I would say, overall, he didn't have his best stuff tonight."

Schwarber did. He crushed a 3-1 pitch from Marlins starter Odrisamer Despaigne into the upper deck in right field with a runner on to tie the game at 2 in the second inning.

Despaigne had finished Friday's game, which ended in the early hours Saturday, and got the win. He couldn't do it again.

On Friday, the Cubs struck out 20 times and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. On Saturday, they went 4-for-16 with RISP, including Anthony Rizzo's two-run single in the fifth. Jason Heyward's sacrifice fly in the sixth gave Chicago a 6-5 lead, but the Marlins tied the game in the eighth on Bryan Holaday's two-out RBI single.

In the 10th, Javier Baez doubled to lead off, his first hit of the season, and the Marlins' Brad Ziegler walked Addison Russell. Baez scored on Zobrist's single to right, and the Cubs would load the bases to set up Bryant's double.

"We did some really nice stuff," Maddon said. "How about Zobrist? He's swinging the bat as well as anybody on the team right now. Schwarber hits a big bomb, and [Bryant] continues to have good at- bats. It's almost like some of them are trying way too hard. Let's just back it off a little bit, see the ball, don't try to do too much. Get back to the whole field -- we're getting too pull conscious too early."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Keeping the line moving: The Cubs broke through with a crucial two-out hit in the fifth. Jason Heyward singled with one out and one out later, Ian Happ and Bryant drew walks. Rizzo snapped an 0-for-12 skid when he delivered a two-run single off Despaigne, with a third run scoring on the play when right fielder Cameron Maybin bobbled the ball for an .

Russell's hustle: Addison Russell's ability to escape a rundown in the 10th turned out to be a big play because it extended the inning for Bryant to collect his three-run, two-out triple. Russell was caught too far off of third when Marlins catcher Holaday fielded Albert Almora Jr.s swinging bunt in from the plate. Holaday ran Russell back toward third, but waited too long to make the throw, as Russell used a headfirst dive to beat the tag by Brian Anderson. The Marlins challenged that Anderson had tagged Russell's leg before he got back to the base, but the call would stand after a brief review.

QUOTABLE "We had our best pitched game [Friday by Kyle Hendricks] and lost. How does that happen? How does that work? You've got [Jon] Lester and Yu struggling a little bit in their first outings. You know good stuff is on the way. Give the Marlins credit. They're playing really hard, and they care, and that's what you're seeing out there. Their pitching has been outstanding. Their bullpen has been really good." -- Maddon

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY Shortly after losing a challenge on the Russell play, the Marlins issued a second challenge in the 10th after Cubs rookie Victor Caratini was ruled safe at home on Bryant's double. That call would also stand.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: Jose Quintana makes his season debut on Sunday when the Cubs close this four-game series. This will be the left-hander's first career start against the Marlins. This spring, Quintana struck out 13 and gave up three earned runs over 18 1/3 innings in five starts. First pitch will be 12:10 p.m. CT.

Marlins: In Sunday's series finale at 1:10 p.m. ET, left-hander Dillon Peters will face the Cubs at Marlins Park. Miami's No. 15 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, opens the season in the rotation because Dan Straily (right forearm strain) is on the disabled list. Peters made six starts as a September callup in 2017, going 1-2 with a 5.17 ERA in 31 1/3 innings.

--

Cubs.com Darvish's Cubs debut: 5 runs in 4 1/3 By Carrie Muskat

MIAMI -- After a 17-inning marathon game on Friday night, manager Joe Maddon was hoping for at least six innings from Yu Darvish's Cubs debut on Saturday at Marlins Park. The right-hander showed flashes of dominance, but the club's top offseason prize came up a little short.

Darvish was pulled after 4 1/3 innings in the Cubs' 10-6 win in 10 innings vs. the Marlins, giving up five runs on five hits.

"He missed with his location with his fastball a lot," Cubs catcher Willson Contreras said. "I think he was too amped up. ... He made a lot of mistakes with his pitches."

This was Darvish's first regular-season start since signing a six-year, $126 million contract in February. With his arrival, the Cubs have three pitchers in the rotation who made Opening Day starts in 2017 -- Jon Lester, Jose Quintana (White Sox) and Darvish (Rangers).

Cubs fans at Marlins Park greeted Darvish with a chorus of "Yuuuu" as he took the mound for the first inning.

He hit the first batter he faced, Lewis Brinson, then served up Derek Dietrich's first home run of the season, off an 84.6-mph slider. Darvish recorded his first strikeout when he got Odrisamer Despaigne to swing and miss at a cutter to open the third, then fanned Brinson on another cutter. Darvish then hit Dietrich with a pitch but struck out the side when he got Starlin Castro swinging on a slider.

"Overall, I don't think it was too bad," Darvish said of his outing through his interpreter. "They made me throw more pitches than I expected, so the rhythm got inconsistent there."

In Spring Training, the stadium radar guns showed Darvish hitting 96 mph and up. That wasn't the case on Saturday.

"Looking at everyone else, it seems their velocity is lower than what it was in Spring Training," Darvish said. "[The radar guns] might be different from stadium to stadium, and that might be one of the factors."

Was he nervous?

"No nerves," Darvish said. "I was out there, feeling comfortable, but it seems like every time I pitched the first game in Japan, things didn't go so well. I don't know why that happens. Today, everything was fine. No nerves."

The Marlins' Miguel Rojas led off the next half-inning with a single that ricocheted off Darvish's right foot, and the Cubs' starter then walked Bryan Holaday on four pitches to prompt a visit from pitching coach Jim Hickey. Pinch-hitter Tomas Telis singled to load the bases, and Brinson blooped a single to center to pull the Marlins within, 5-3.

Darvish's first pitch to Castro was high, and Maddon and athletic trainer PJ Mainville went out to check on the right-hander because they thought he was experiencing some cramping in his forearm. Darvish said he was fine, stayed in the game, and then Castro hit a two-run single on his 102nd pitch to end his outing with the game tied, 5-5. Brian Duensing got Justin Bour on a groundout to second and Brian Anderson on a flyout to right, stranding Castro and ensuring Darvish's Cubs debut would go down as a no-decision.

"It could've been more of a location problem of my pitches," Darvish said. "I don't think I was able to command where I wanted to throughout the game with my fastball."

Said Maddon: "He wasn't really sharp overall. A lot of pitches for 4 1/3. He showed glimpses where the command was good. His fastball command was off a little. I would say, overall, he didn't have his best stuff tonight."

--

Cubs.com Schwarber sends one into upper deck in Miami By Carrie Muskat

MIAMI -- Kyle Schwarber's weight loss isn't affecting his power, and the adjustments he's made at the plate are paying off.

The Cubs' belted his second home run of the season on Saturday, crushing a 3-1 pitch from the Marlins' Odrisamer Despaigne (an 85.8-mph cutter) into the right-field upper deck in the second inning of the Cubs' 10-6, 10-inning victory.

According to Statcast™, the ball had an exit velocity of 111 mph and traveled 407 feet, although it looked as if it went farther as it landed about six rows from the back of the stadium. Schwarber's homer in Thursday's season opener registered at 406 feet.

The 25-year-old slugger dropped more than 20 pounds this offseason to improve his quickness in the outfield. It hasn't affected his strength at all.

"I'm counting the adjustments made more than the weight loss," Schwarber said. "It's allowed me to be more free to get that pitch."

He can feel a difference at the plate.

"Yes, but it's not because of the weight loss," Schwarber said. "It's the adjustments. Being able to talk with [hitting coach Chili Davis] in the offseason and working with him now has helped."

Schwarber grounded out to Despaigne on an excuse-me swing in the fourth, then nearly put the cycle watch on high alert leading off the seventh, thanks to a pair of impressive feats picked up by Statcast™.

Schwarber laced a 115.7-mph line drive into the right-field corner off former Cubs pitcher Jacob Turner that would have ranked as his second-hardest-hit ball of 2017. The trimmed-down outfielder then reached second base in 8.23 seconds -- his fastest home-to-second time since Statcast™ began recording that data. Schwarber rounded the bag hard with designs on a triple, but third-base coach Brian Butterfield held him up with an easy double since there were no outs in a 5-5 game.

Schwarber took third on Addison Russell's single and scored a go-ahead run on Jason Heyward's sacrifice fly.

--

Cubs.com Maddon has rule suggestion for extra innings By Carrie Muskat

MIAMI -- While the Minor Leagues are testing new rules this season in which a runner will be placed at second base to start extra innings, manager Joe Maddon has a different idea after the Cubs and Marlins played 17 innings on Friday night.

"I still like the least amount of change to our game as possible, even to the point where my thought is if you want to do something differently, maybe after a team plays 12 innings, they get an extra pitcher for two days," Maddon said Saturday. "Just give you an extra guy for two days. That's all you're looking for is one guy.

"Maybe as opposed to radical surgery, some arthroscopic surgery, permitting one player to come in for one or two days,."

The Marlins won, 2-1, in the marathon game. According to Elias, the only time in Major League history when two teams played as long as 17 innings in either their first or second game of a season was on April 9, 1969, when the Royals beat the Twins, 4-3, in 17 innings. That was the second game of the season for both teams -- and the second in franchise history for the Royals.

The Cubs were saved on Friday when Eddie Butler was able to pitch a career-high seven innings in relief. Unfortunately for Butler, he also took the loss.

"That was probably his best professional performance at the Major League level, I would think," Maddon said. "Strike-throwing-wise, good stuff, he mixed his pitches up well. Confident -- he looked really confident."

The Cubs are carrying eight pitchers to open the season but could use an extra arm. The team did not make a roster move prior to Saturday's game.

The Cubs played two games of 12 innings or more last season, so Maddon noted that it doesn't happen that often.

"Maybe a minor adjustment [to the rules] might be better," he said.

Who's the new emergency pitcher?

Last season, Jon Jay and Leonys Martin and catcher Miguel Montero pitched in relief in extra- inning games. If the Cubs had run out of pitchers on Friday, who would Maddon call on?

"I have no idea," Maddon said. "Everybody had been used. If we had a full bench, it's easier."

Cishek likes the lumber Reliever Steve Cishek not only picked up his first win with the Cubs in his first outing with the team on Thursday's Opening Day, but he also got to swing the bat for the first time in a Major League game.

Cishek had one other at-bat in 2012 with the Marlins, but Thursday was different.

"It's the first time I got to swing in the big leagues, so that was a lot of fun," Cishek said. "They asked me if I could handle it, and I said, 'Sure, yeah.'"

He'd bunted in his 2012 at-bat. He grounded out in the fifth inning Thursday.

"I might need to take [batting practice] more," Cishek said.

Maddon, Hickey glad to be reunited It's just like old times now that Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey are reunited on the Cubs. The pair were together in Tampa Bay from 2006-14.

"It's like no time has elapsed," Maddon said. "It's crazy. He's got that cynical, sarcastic sense of humor, and he's always giving me a hard time, which I appreciate. He's really good at his work, and the pitchers have taken to him. He's a great worker, and he's really well prepared every day. He's also very funny and very direct and matter of fact, and I like that."

Hickey got that feeling again after Thursday's win against the Marlins in the season opener.

"It didn't really hit me until we shook hands at the end of the game," Hickey said. "The interaction during the ballgame was fun. I definitely prefer the National League game to the American League game. Going through that, especially with the early exit of the starter and talking about double switching and who could pitch multiple innings, that was all good stuff."

Worth noting • The Cubs struck out 20 times in the 17-inning game, which Maddon jokingly referred to as a doubleheader. They also hit the ball hard, he said.

"The strikeouts are part of our DNA, and I still believe we'll cut back on them," Maddon said. "I still want to see the ball in play more often."

• Cubs players wore Loyola-Chicago T-shirts during pregame batting practice on Saturday, which took place right before the Ramblers' Final Four matchup with Michigan tipped off in San Antonio, Texas.

Maddon is hoping the Cubs invite the team to to salute them for their run in the NCAA Tournament.

"I think it's got to be kind of like what we did a couple years ago," Maddon said, referring to the Cubs' World Series run in 2016. "Sister Jean, I'd like to meet her. I was raised by the nuns, so I'd like to meet her at some point. It's a great vibe, a great story."

--