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 The roar took place when the stadium scoreboard showed the
highlight of Villanova's game-winning shot in the NCAA basketball
tournament.
Cubs starter Jake Arrieta could take credit for otherwise stifling
the crowd as well as the Angels bats, throwing seven scoreless
innings and leading Chicago to a 9-0 win.
Arrieta gave up a single to Kole Calhoun in the second inning, a
single to Daniel Nava in the seventh, and nothing else. He helped
the Cubs flip the script after they were shut out on Opening Day in
each of the previous two seasons.
The 30-year-old right-hander has a tough act to follow after he went
22-6 with a 1.77 ERA to win the National League Cy Young Award.
However, after his performance Monday, he is on the right track. "Numbers-wise, it's tough to expect that, but I do," Arrieta said of
replicating his 2015 performance. "I expect to pitch this way every
time I take the mound. Obviously, once the ball leaves your hand,
you can't dictate the results, but I expect to execute. If I execute
and I pound the strike zone with my stuff and keep 'em guessing, I
have a pretty good opportunity to have another good year."
 Arrieta (1-0) wasn't overpowering, his fastball typically in the 93
mph range. However, he struck out six, including Mike Trout twice,
and walked only one while preventing any Angels baserunner to get
into scoring position while he was in the game.
He also kept his pitch count down, finally coming out of the game
after making 89 pitches.
"Just trying to force contact within the first two or three
pitches," Arrieta said of his approach. "That's the mindset, and
that's the goal for me every time I take the mound is to force
contact early, put the hitters on the defensive. If you throw
quality pitches in the strike zone, multiple pitches in the strike
zone early on, you're going to make them swing the bats. With good
location and movement, that's kind of the results you expect."
It wasn't the start to the season the Angels were expecting after a
spring in which they went 19-8-6.
"(We don't face) many guys like him, and we've never faced him
before, so that makes it tough," Calhoun said. "That guy's got good
stuff, he's one of the best in the game for a reason, and he
definitely had it tonight.
"He threw the ball where he wanted to, pounded the zone, kept us off
balance, all the stuff you have to do to win. We just came up on the
wrong side today."
Arrieta had plenty of help from the Cubs' offense, which knocked
Angels starter Garrett Richards out of the game after five innings.
Dexter Fowler compiled three hits, a walk and three runs, and Miguel
Montero had a two-run home run and an RBI single. Matt Szczur added
a three-run double in the ninth for good measure.
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"The way we grinded at-bats today, that's the winning formula," Cubs
first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "When you see pitches like we saw
pitches, and grind at-bats and work counts, it's a sign of good
things to come."
Richards, making his first Opening Day start after Jered Weaver
started the previous six for the Angels, struggled with his command
and paid for it. He walked only three but needed 97 pitches just to
get through five innings.
Richards gave up three runs and six hits while striking out seven.
The Angels bullpen was tagged for six more runs.
"Garrett had great stuff, he just couldn't harness it," Angels
manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think he settled down after (41
pitches) in that fourth inning. That was his night. It wasn't what I
know he was looking for, but he'll rebound. He had really good
stuff."
Justin Grimm (eighth inning) and Travis Wood (ninth) completed the
shutout for the Cubs.
NOTES: Angels RHP Jered Weaver will throw four innings of a
simulated game Tuesday at extended spring training in Arizona.
Weaver, bothered for much of spring because of a sore neck, could
start Sunday or Monday if he comes out of Tuesday's outing OK. ...
Jorge Soler got the start as the Cubs' designated hitter, despite
hitting just .145 (8-for-55) in the spring. Three of his spring hits
were home runs. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Monday. ... The game
was only the fifth interleague Opening Day game in major league
history. The Angels also played in one of the other four, beating
the Reds in a 2013 opener. ... The Cubs opened the season without a
rookie on their roster, though they had four players (3B Kris
Bryant, SS Addison Russell, LF Kyle Schwarber and Soler) in the
Opening Day lineup under the age of 25.
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