Bullpen takes back seat to offense as Cubs break out in win over Mariners

9:26 PM ET

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs were a day late for Throwback Thursday, as Friday’s 12-1 drubbing of the Seattle Mariners had a decidedly April or May feel to it. There were the early runs, the good pitching and then the add-on scoring that turned a nice lead into a blowout.

All week, the headlines around Chicago were about the new-look bullpen anchored by flamethrower Aroldis Chapman. But not on Friday; it was the hitters’ turn to shine.

“Up and down the lineup,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the game. “[Ben] Zobrist is starting to show line drives. [Anthony] Rizzo same thing. [Kris] Bryant had a really good day at the plate. A really well-played game.”

Perhaps the best thing to come out of it was Jason Heyward’s performance: The outfielder belted his fifth home run of the season and first since June 11. Even though he grounded out twice, he hit three balls in the air, including the one to right field that departed the park and another that nearly did to left.

“The home run to right would have been way, way gone had it not been for the elements,” Maddon said of the wind blowing in on Heyward’s third-inning blast. “He looked really good. It’s in there. He’s well, he’s healthy, he’s working his butt off. Very happy for him.”

Jason Heyward, right, gets some love from Ben Zobrist after his third-inning home run put the Cubs up 5-0 on the Mariners. AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

The Cubs have had some recent blowouts — they beat the Chicago White Sox 8-1 on Wednesday — but …

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