Ian Happ homered on the first pitch of the major league season, and Anthony Rizzo made his emotional homecoming even more memorable with a home run, leading the Chicago Cubs past Derek Jeter's Miami Marlins 8-4 Thursday.

 

Happ, playing in his first opening day game, pulled Jose Urena's first pitch into the seats to give the Cubs the fast start they sought. They're eager to replicate the quick getaway in 2016 that helped propel them to their first World Series title in 108 years.

 

Kyle Schwarber also homered for Chicago, which overcame two errors and a rocky start by Jon Lester.

 

Doubles by Kris Bryant and Wilson Contreras in the fourth put the Cubs ahead to stay. Tommy La Stella contributed a pinch-hit, two-run double.

 

The Cubs bullpen, revamped after a dismal 2017 postseason, shut out Miami over the final 5 2-3 innings, allowing only one hit. Newcomer Steve Cishek (1-0) stranded four runners in two scoreless innings.

 

Lester, making his seventh opening day start, lasted only 3 1-3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned.

 

In the wake of Jeter's offseason payroll purge, 12 Marlins made an opening day roster for the first time. They included Brian Anderson, who singled home a run in each of his first two at-bats, and Garrett Cooper, who replaced NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton in right field and singled home a run to make it 4-all in the third.

 

Another newcomer, Tayron Guerrero, struck out the first four batters he faced before allowing Schwarber's homer.

 

Urena (0-1) needed 36 pitches to get through the first inning, when the Cubs scored three times with only one hit. The right-hander walked one and hit three batters - after tying for the major league lead last year by hitting 14.

 

In his first opening day start, Urena allowed five runs in four innings.