Kanye West’s “Homecoming” blared over the Wrigley Field loudspeakers 40 minutes before first pitch Sunday at Wrigley Field.
Marcus Stroman emerged from the Cubs dugout and began walking toward the team’s bullpen, raising his arms up and down to recognize and energize the eager Cubs fans.
“I've been like this forever,” Stroman said. “I love energy. I’m not your typical baseball player who's going to be a robot out there.
“I appreciate the people, and I'm going to let him know that I appreciate them. I've always been like that. I love to feel that from the crowd.”
The Stro Show has officially arrived on the North Side of Chicago, as the Cubs right-hander made his team debut in Sunday’s series finale against the Brewers, a 5-4 loss.
Stroman emerged from the bullpen to another big ovation from the Wrigley Field faithful. A buzz persisted leading up to first pitch, which Stroman said was overwhelming.
“Pretty electric. The energy from the second I stepped out there on the field was amazing,” he said. “To see everyone come out and get there early, that’s the energy I’d like to pitch off all year.
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“The fan base is incredible and just to feel it definitely felt a little overwhelming in the beginning. Tempered those nerves down in the beginning and got going. But the energy the crowd brought from the second I walked out there at 12:30, 12:40 was incredible.”
Stroman’s sinker velocity was up a few ticks in the first inning, touching 95 mph, which he said was part of the adrenaline boost he was feeling.
In fact, Stroman said he usually tries to pitch as calm as possible and doesn’t like to be that revved up that early.
“I feel like when I have too much energy, when I pitch too excited, I make bad pitches,” he said.
He didn’t show that in the first inning, throwing a scoreless frame with one strikeout. He allowed a single — a comeback groundball that deflected off his glove and squirted into right field.
The only damage he allowed was a solo home run to Willy Adames in a 31-pitch third inning. In five innings, he allowed a run, two hits and three walks, and struck out three.
“Marcus pitched his butt off,” manager David Ross said. “I thought he threw the ball pretty well.
“If you asked him, he probably wanted to get ahead a little bit more, those first-pitch strikes I think still. You saw some of that in spring, the balls moving all over the place.
“Just getting ahead of guys I think makes your work a little a little less hard, but yeah, good performance.”
Stroman said he felt good physically, but his mechanics were “pretty off,” noting the long layoff between his final spring outing (April 3) and Sunday’s outing.
“Just back to the drawing board tomorrow,” he said. “This is a journey; this is a process. I'm truly someone who turns the page, whether it be an incredible start or a terrible start.”
But the energy was there throughout the outing. Stroman caught a line drive in the fourth, ran to first base and flipped the ball to Alfonso Rivas for an inning-ending double play. He pumped his fists in celebration as the crowd roared.
When he struck out Kolten Wong to end the fifth, he slapped his hand to his glove and did a slight skip off the mound.
"You could feel that buzz, that energy, the second you go out there, and I'm someone who pitches off that," Stroman said. "I'm excited to be a Cub and I can't wait to have that each and every time out."