Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/6/24): Yankees 3, Cubs 0 – Cubs Blanked in Rizzo’s Return

It was a very emotional afternoon at Wrigley Field Friday with Anthony Rizzo making his return for the first time as an opposing player. The big first baseman received a rousing ovation before the contest and before his first at-bat. The actual game was very anticlimactic as the Yankees completely shut down the Cubs offense and breezed to a 3-0 victory.

Chicago starter Jordan Wicks was able to escape a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 1st inning but was not so lucky in the 3rd. Likely MVP Aaron Judge hit an RBI double with two on to give his team a lead and catcher Austin Wells followed with a two-run single that made it 3-0.

New York pitcher Luis Gil absolutely dominated the Cubs lineup, giving up just one hit and a walk in six strong innings. Rizzo had a walk and a single and received healthy applause throughout the afternoon.

The rest of the game was largely uneventful, as the North Siders went down to defeat without much of a fight. (Box score)

Key Moment

Gleyber Torres drew a walk to open up the 3rd inning. Giving a free pass to a struggling hitter in front of two of the best players in baseball did not lead to good results for Wicks and the Cubs.

Why the Cubs Lost

They only had a single hit and five total baserunners in this game, which gave them no chance to win despite only allowing three runs.

Stats That Matter

• Wicks did a decent job navigating a very difficult Yankees lineup: 5 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 4 K, and 4 BB.
• Cody Bellinger doubled and walked twice Friday.
• Isaac Paredes continues to struggle mightily with three more strikeouts.

Bottom Line

It was very nice to see Rizzo get such a warm reception from everyone at Wrigley Field. There is no doubt he will always be a god in Chicago and hopefully he will be around often after his career ends. As for the Cubs, they were just completely outmatched by the Yankees and it’s hard to imagine they will still be in the race by the time this series and the next one with the Dodgers is over.

On Deck

Game two of the series is Saturday at 1:20pm CT. Javier Assad takes the mound against Clarke Schmidt in a matchup available on MLB Network (out of market only), Marquee, and 670 The Score.