CHICAGO -- Sometimes a second try works out better. In the Cubs’ 4-0 win over the Marlins on Saturday afternoon, the battery of Drew Smyly and P.J. Higgins worked together for just the second time. The outcome this time around was much different from the first.

Against Miami, Smyly tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering five hits and issuing one walk. Smyly’s 106 pitches were his most this season and his highest since he threw 109 on May 20, 2021 with the Braves.

“His fastball had life to it. He was throwing it basically wherever he wanted to,” Higgins said. “Especially toward the end of the game, that last inning it started catching more life.”

Cubs manager David Ross said Smyly used both sides of the plate well and pitched more aggressively than he has seen in a while. 

“He looked like he was pitching completely different today,” Ross said.

Smyly was still able to reach the mid-90s in the seventh inning, even as his pitch count climbed into triple digits. Other than working out of a slight jam in the third inning when the game was scoreless, Smyly kept the Marlins off of the bases. The key to getting out of the third was right fielder Seiya Suzuki’s throw to nab Miguel Rojas at the plate.

“Plays like that, they really do change the whole outcome of the game to give everybody confidence and get everybody to rally around,” Smyly said.

Ross praised Higgins’ execution on the tag, pointing out the way the catcher positioned his glove after catching Suzuki’s throw to tag Rojas’ foot before he could score.

“Just like you’re taught, getting that glove back to the corner of the plate,” Ross said. “That’s how you’re taught as a catcher, and he did it textbook.”

An inning later, the Cubs scored their first run, on consecutive base hits by Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner. They added two more runs in the fifth inning, and Higgins capped off the scoring with a home run that hooked around the left field foul pole.

Compare the victory to the first time Smyly and Higgins teamed up: an 11-9 loss to the Dodgers on July 10. Smyly gave up four runs on five hits across two innings. It was also Smyly’s first appearance since returning from a right oblique strain that had kept him on the injured list since May 31.

“I kind of just throw that one out the window,” Smyly said of his outing in Los Angeles. “Dodgers are one of those teams where you feel like they know what you’re throwing every pitch. It’s really hard to keep them off balance. They have an extremely good approach; it’s a tough lineup to face.”

One of the differences for Smyly and Higgins this time around, aside from facing a less dominant offense in the Marlins, was the time they spent working together between Smyly’s other starts. Higgins caught several of Smyly’s bullpen sessions, and he was a regular presence when Smyly was throwing otherwise. It was an intentional effort by the backup catcher to get to know his pitcher better.

It’s easy to forget that this is Smyly’s second stint with the Cubs. He spent 2018 with them while recovering from Tommy John surgery but never pitched for the team before being traded to Texas. Saturday’s win was Smyly’s first victory in a Cubs uniform at Wrigley Field.

Higgins is also getting a second look with the Cubs. He debuted in 2021 and appeared in only nine games, but that was enough to show him some things he needed to work on to adjust to being a backup catcher. After he was a regular starter in college and the Minor Leagues, long layoffs between starts were something Higgins had to adjust to. One of those adjustments has been how he spends his time before and after games.

“Last year I had no clue, I would just roam around and follow guys around versus go and do my own thing, which gives me confidence,” Higgins said.

Smyly was a possible trade candidate for the Cubs, but he said he was relieved not to have been dealt. Some of that had to do with the birth of his third child just a few weeks ago, but Smyly also said he is enjoying the experience of working with younger players on the team, like Higgins.