Chicago Cubs home opener takeaways: Cubs revel in being home and tame Padres' offense
Excitement swirls around Chicago Cubs home opener
The Chicago Cubs are hosting the San Diego Padres for their 2025 home opener.
CHICAGO - Welcome home, Chicago Cubs. Your reward for coming home is the 7-0 San Diego Padres.
Even if some Cubs didn't know that fact.
"That was their first loss?" outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said after the game.
It's understandable why he didn't know. The Cubs have gone around the world and back as they started their 2025 season.
Still, the Cubs had a day on Friday to get win No. 6.
Never mind the chilly Friday, the Cubs tamed the Padres' offense and handed San Diego its first loss of the season with a 3-1 win.
Here are our takeaways from the Cubs' 2025 home opener, where they were in control of the Padres' offense.
Imanaga continues an impressive start to the season
Through 11 innings pitched to start the season, Imanaga has allowed one run on three hits. He currently has a 0.82 ERA.
On Friday, he continued that solid start with another great outing.
Imanaga pitched 7.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits. Counsell pulled him after 91 pitches.
The Cubs' outfield aided Imanaga in the early innings. Pete Crow-Armstrong made an impressive catch in the wind to rob the Padres of an extra base hit. Ian Happ also made a sliding catch in foul territory of left field for an out, too.
But Imanaga was the guy who earned a standing ovation after a stellar outing at Wrigley Field's 2025 home opener.
The Padres were averaging 5.1 runs per game in their first seven games of the regular season. Imanaga held the Fernando Tatis Jr.-Manny Machado-Jackson Merrill lineup in check.
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The Cubs' offense found ways to get it done
Before the game, Cubs President Jed Hoyer was asked about the Cubs' diverse lineup. They have power hitters, hitters for average and the mix between the two has shined early on.
"I think we've created that," Hoyer said. "I think we have real depth in the lineup. I think we can score throughout the lineup and I think that's going to pay real dividends."
That paid dividends on Friday. The Cubs scored on:
- An RBI walk by Nico Hoerner
- An RBI infield single on a pinch hit by Justin Turner
- An RBI fielder's choice error.
That added up to the three runs the Cubs needed to take Game 1 of the series and win the home opener.
The Cubs really, really appreciated being home
The Cubs' preseason was anything but ordinary.
Usually, teams have spring training and transition to the regular season. The Cubs had more than that on their plate.
"It was hard," Hoyer said. "You go into Japan and then coming back and having exhibition games and then kicking it off again."
Going from two games against the Dodgers in Japan, to exhibition games in Japan, back to spring training and immediately into a road trip to start the season was a lot for the Cubs.
Now, they're finally home.
The grey overcast clouds and 45-degree weather be darned, the Cubs had an attendance of 40,244 that reminded everyone on the roster: There's no place like home.