Being part of unpopular trade won't bother Davies
It's really impossible not to categorize the Yu Darvish trade as a salary dump.
But the Cubs did get a major-league pitcher back from San Diego. And after a stellar spring, Zach Davies got his first win for the Cubs on Sunday, beating Pittsburgh 4-3 at Wrigley Field.
Davies practically sailed through five innings, then gave up a 2-run homer to Colin Moran in the sixth. The bullpen gave up a run, but Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth to post his second perfect inning of the season and first save.
After the game, Davies was asked about being the return piece in an unpopular trade.
"In my mind, I've got a big-league job," he said. "Whatever trade you're a part of, you kind of just let it go and do your job out there. Being hung up on that, at least personally, it doesn't do anything for me."
Before pitching for the Padres, Davies spent five years in Milwaukee, so he's someone all of his new Cubs teammates know very well.
"I think I have 55 at-bats off him," Kris Bryant said. "It's crazy just to see him on our side now. Obviously, he reminds us a lot of Kyle (Hendricks) and just how quick he works and the fastball, changeup, cutter, curve. All the pitches for strikes and are going to keep you off-balance. He's going to be a good one for us all year."
Ian Happ, who hit a solo home run in the third inning, used his personal experience to describe what makes Davies successful on the mound.
"He does a great job moving the ball around," Happ said. "He's really a confident pitcher. He doesn't try to do too much. He works both corners and he really understands himself and what pitches he has in his arsenal and he doesn't give in. It's a pleasure to watch him pitch."
The Cubs (2-1) obviously aren't as strong at the top of their rotation without Darvish. He finished second in Cy Young voting last season and has an arsenal of pitches that's likely unmatched in major-league history.
But the Cubs' strategic theory for this season is they can still have an effective rotation. Davies, Trevor Williams and Jake Arrieta are all helping to replace Darvish.
"Do your job. It doesn't have to be fancy," Davies said. "It doesn't have to be 8 innings, 15 strikeouts. You go out there, you compete, you give yourself a chance to win and then you finish with that kind of bullpen."
It figures that after every Cubs hitter had a solid spring except for Bryant, that Bryant is now off to the best start with a .333 average. Joc Pederson, who might have been voted spring MVP, is still looking for his first hit.
After homering Saturday, Bryant went 2-for-3 on Sunday. His RBI single plated the first run of the game. Then he doubled in the sixth, leading to a much-needed insurance run.
The double came just after he ran into the wall while chasing a foul ball. The wall is padded, but the 6-foot-5 Bryant appeared to hit his left knee on the concrete above the padding.
"I just spoke with Jed (Hoyer) and told him to put the padding a little higher," Bryant said, perhaps only half-joking. "See if I have any pull around here."
The Pirates weren't as fortunate with injuries, placing rookie sensation Ke'Bryan Hayes on the injured list Sunday with a wrist issue.
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