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Baez became the first Cubs player with a
multi-homer game in the season opener since Corey Patterson in
2003.
David Bote, Jason Heyward and Albert Almora Jr. also had two
hits each, and Kris Bryant drove in two of his three runs with
an eighth-inning homer for Chicago.
Cubs left-hander Jon Lester (1-0) went six innings, allowing two
runs and four hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Elvis Andrus and Nomar Mazara each hit two-run homers for the
Rangers.
Texas left-hander Mike Minor (0-1) pitched 4 2/3 innings,
allowing six runs and five hits with three strikeouts and two
walks.
Minor breezed through the first 3 2/3 innings before giving up a
solo home run to Baez with two outs in the fourth to cut Texas'
lead to 2-1.
Minor hit Bote with a pitch to start Chicago's six-run fifth. He
then gave up a single to Ben Zobrist, moving the runner to
third. Heyward drove in Bote with an infield single to second
base to tie the score, and No. 9 hitter Mark Zagunis followed
with a double to center, scoring Zobrist and putting runners on
second and third.
After Almora fanned, Bryant's groundout to short made it 4-2.
Anthony Rizzo then walked to end Minor's day. Jesse Chavez
entered and gave up a three-run homer to Baez on his first pitch
for a 7-2 lead.
The Cubs tacked on two more runs in the sixth, another in the
seventh and two more in the eighth on the home run by Bryant.
Lester, who went 11-2 with a 2.87 ERA in road games last season
to tie a career high for away wins, only faced trouble in the
first and third innings, both after two were out.
After Texas' Rougned Odor doubled down the right field line with
two outs in the third, Andrus hit a two-run homer for a 2-0
lead.
--Field Level Media
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