Aroldis Chapman looks like a game-changer in his Cubs debut

2:07 AM ET

CHICAGO – The cheers at Wrigley Field in the ninth inning Wednesday came with a delay. That’s because after each of new Chicago Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman’s pitches, the sold-out crowd had to wait that split second before the number appeared on the scoreboard. Then the buzz would crescendo.

101 mph

102 mph

103 mph

Chapman didn’t make it over 103 in his Cubs debut, but only one of his 13 fastballs thrown to the Chicago White Sox clocked in under 100 mph. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out two in a blowout 8-1 win. And in the process he electrified fans and new teammates alike.

“It’s a sight to see,” winning pitcher Jason Hammel said after the game. “I’ve never seen anything like it. That’s impressive. It’s jaw dropping.”

Hammel actually joked he wasn’t that impressed considering the fastest Chapman threw on Wednesday was a couple miles per hour off his season high. Of course, he had to generate his own adrenaline since he was pitching with such a large lead. But the crowd must have helped. They were standing for every pitch as Chapman just kept firing away.

“It was a pretty exciting moment,” Chapman said through catcher Miguel Montero, who interpreted for him. “The crowd pumped me up a little more.”

The Cubs’ revamped bullpen looked dominant in its first outing with former closer Hector Rondon taking over the eighth inning. He too set the …

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