RE-WATCH 2019: Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs, April 8

(Follow this link for an introduction and overview of this series.)

Date and venue: April 8, 2019 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL.
Pitching matchup: RHP Jameson Taillon (0-1, 3.46) vs. Jon Lester (1-0, 3.00)
Setup and context: Home Opener for the 2-7 Cubs, with all the pagentry pre-game on a beautiful spring day. Pirates at 5-3 came in smoking hot, fresh off a 4-game sweep of the Reds in Cincinnati, which featured the Derek Dietrich-stare/Yasiel Puig-vs-the-world bruhaha. Pittsburgh to this point in the young season had gotten great starting pitching overall. But the game got away from the Buccos early due to fielding miscues, and the Cubs scored early and often and coasted to a 10-0 victory.
Links: Game stories, box score, and video...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Facts & Flukes

A May quad injury cost Alex Bregman seven weeks and seemed to hamper his second half performance—could he be a rebound candidate in 2026? Plus, Drake Baldwin, Tyler Mahle, Mark Vientos, and Braxton Ashcraft.
Jan 21 2026 3:03am
Josh Naylor ran wild, but why? We'll examine the skills and metrics for Naylor Kyle Bradish, Luis Robert Jr., Kris Bubic, and Cedric Mullins.
FREE
Jan 19 2026 3:10am
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is performing well, but why? We examined the skills and underlying metrics for Chisholm, Luis Gil, Daulton Varsho, Dean Kremer, and Julio Rodríguez.
Sep 4 2025 3:05am
Elly De La Cruz offers five-category contributions. Also: Freddy Peralta, Ramón Laureano, Zac Gallen, and Spencer Horwitz.
Sep 2 2025 3:06am
Can Carlos Rodón sustain his success? We'll also be examining the skills and luck factors for Royce Lewis, Reid Detmers, Nathaniel Lowe, and Devin Williams.
Aug 28 2025 3:06am

Tools