The Cubs’ Michael Busch, from left, Matt Shaw and Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrate after scoring on Miguel Amaya’s double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix. The Cubs won 10-6. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
The Cubs’ Michael Busch, from left, Matt Shaw and Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrate after scoring on Miguel Amaya’s double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix. The Cubs won 10-6. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya didn’t overthink the situation.
Amaya hunted for a pitch where he could do damage in the Cubs’ biggest spot of the game Thursday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old’s comfort and confidence at the plate can be traced back to his offensive turnaround last July. And when the moment found him with two outs and the bases loaded in a one-run game during the fifth inning, Amaya stayed patient and capitalized.
Amaya turned on a 1-2 fastball from Diamondbacks reliever Ryne Nelson and pulled it toward the left-center field gap where center fielder Jake McCarthy got his mitt on the ball but couldn’t reel it in. All three base runners scored to give the Cubs a cushion they ultimately held on to in a 10-6 victory in their domestic opener at Chase Field.
“That’s what I’ve been doing through the spring and now the beginning of the season,” Amaya said.
Amaya finished with two doubles and five RBIs, which tied his career high.
“We did a great job offensively tonight, just putting pressure on them,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And Miguel came up in a couple of big spots and delivered some big hits, just continues to swing the bat really well.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s speed and hustle set up Amaya’s clutch hit. A great secondary lead and jump towards second on Matt Shaw’s two-out grounder to Arizona shortstop Geraldo Perdomo helped Crow-Armstrong beat his throw to second base for the attempted force out to keep the inning alive and bring Amaya to the plate.
“We’re looking to extend any inning we can, and I think we saw that that was important tonight,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That was worked on plenty of times (in spring training), getting the right play to do that on, and it was nice it worked out that way. But that’s definitely something that is a team-wide understanding, and something that we want to make a part of our identity for sure.”
Ian Happ delivered two big hits, his two-run double in the second putting the Cubs ahead and a solo home run in the fourth to extend their lead.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner reached base three times and drove in a run in his season debut after missing the trip to Japan to focus on continuing to build up from his offseason flexor tendon surgery.
The Cubs (1-2) recorded 12 hits — with all but one starter tallying one — and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Cubs left fielder Ian Happ rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix.
Cubs left fielder Ian Happ rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix.
Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya hits a three-run double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, at Chase Field in Phoenix. Amaya drove in five runs in the Cubs’ 10-6 win. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya hits a three-run double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, at Chase Field in Phoenix. Amaya drove in five runs in the Cubs’ 10-6 win. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Left-hander Justin Steele navigated around hard contact to hold the Diamondbacks to three runs in five innings. The bullpen held it together well enough to hold on for the win.
“(Amaya) was awesome behind the plate tonight, and when he gets going at the plate as well, he’s super dangerous,” Steele said. “Ever since he got to the big leagues, he’s just had this sense of maturity about him, kind of just a natural born leader. He’s able to lead by example. He works extremely hard.”
The Diamondbacks’ biggest threat came in the sixth, when reliever Nate Pearson loaded the bases following a walk, hit by pitch and another walk with the Cubs holding an 8-3 lead. Pearson recovered with three consecutive flyouts, including two sacrifice flies, to end the inning.
The Cubs didn’t want to overreact to their two losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series last week. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer compared it to a pro golfer hitting a bad drive off the first tee.
“I don’t think they freak out and think the rest of the round is ruined,” Hoyer said Thursday. “It’s kind of the same thing. … Last year we lost our first two games against Texas, they didn’t feel that bad because you played on Sunday. I think the hard part was just kind of having a week just to sit on that. And therefore, candidly, we’re probably a little bit tired, a little bit irritable after the trip, so it wasn’t was the most comfortable week.
“It’s nice to get back to playing and realizing those are just two of 162.”
With the victory, the Cubs avoided their first 0-3 start since 1997, when they went 0-14 to open the season. Players are saying the right things as the Cubs face a challenging schedule in the first month, preaching the importance of not looking ahead and focusing on one game at a time. That doesn’t change this being a win-now season, and the expectations for what this group can accomplish are heightened.
“You have to be realistic with where you are,” Hoyer said. “I think that there have been years where you do (say), OK, we have to play probably exceptionally well to make it. And I feel like now we’re a team that obviously you need help, you need breaks, but I certainly think we’re a playoff-caliber team and so that does put more pressure on it.”
Thursday’s domestic opener admittedly felt a little different for Hoyer because of the uncertainty surrounding his future with the organization while in the final year of his contract.
“Jed’s part of the group that drafted me, I was able to sign an extension with Jed — I love Jed,” Happ said Thursday. “He’s been awesome to me and a part of building a lot of great teams that I’ve been a part of. We want to win for each other in this room, but I have nothing but respect for him and want to make sure he stays here.”
This Cubs team looks a lot more dangerous if the lineup can consistently click top to bottom as it did Thursday. Their younger players might prove to be the difference between a good and great season on the North Side.
From Amaya’s two extra-base hits and five RBIs, Crow-Armstrong reaching base twice and scoring both times, stealing a base and extending the fifth with his legs, and rookie Matt Shaw scoring three runs, the Cubs’ depth shined and could be a strength this year.
“That’s a big part of early in the season, getting off and getting some confidence offensively, guys getting some hits and feeling that is important,” Happ said.
