Nationals beat Cubs 10-4 on opening day for manager Blake Butera’s first win with the team

CHICAGO (AP) — Brady House, Joey Wiemer and Jacob Young homered for Washington on opening day, and the Nationals beat Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs 10-4 on Thursday for manager Blake Butera’s first win with the team.

CJ Abrams hit a tiebreaking two-run single during Washington’s six-run fourth inning on a blustery, overcast afternoon at Wrigley Field. Andrés Chaparro had two hits and scored a run.

Butera is part of a new leadership group for the rebuilding Nationals after they went 66-96 last year in their sixth straight losing season. Paul Toboni took over as the team’s president of baseball operations on Oct. 1, and he hired the 33-year-old Butera out of Tampa Bay’s front office.

Michael Busch had three hits for Chicago, which begins the season with World Series aspirations after losing to Milwaukee in the playoffs last year. Pete Crow-Armstrong had two hits and two RBIs just days after agreeing to a $115 million, six-year contract with the Cubs.

Bregman and Crow-Armstrong each got a loud ovation from the crowd of 39,712 when they were announced with the starting lineup. Bregman went 1 for 4 with a single and a walk in his first regular-season game since signing a $175 million, five-year contract with the Cubs in free agency.

Wiemer hit a solo drive to left off Matthew Boyd in the second. Young capped Washington’s fourth-inning outburst with a two-run shot to right off Ben Brown, and House tacked on another two-run drive in the ninth against Jacob Webb.

Boyd (0-1) was charged with six runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings in his third career opening-day start. The left-hander struck out seven and walked one.

Washington’s Cade Cavalli allowed three runs, two earned, and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his first start on opening day. Brad Lord (1-0) pitched 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball for the win.

Up next

Following a day off, Miles Mikolas makes his first start for Washington on Saturday. Mikolas signed a $2.25 million, one-year deal with the Nationals in February. Cade Horton pitches for Chicago.

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