The Chicago Cubs handed the Cleveland Guardians a 8-6 loss at Sloan Park on Friday in spring training play. Despite Jonah Advincula's 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI effort at the plate, the Guardians could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Logan Allen turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 2-run ball with two strikeouts. The Cubs out-hit the Guardians 9-8 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Guardians continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Jonah Advincula was the standout at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI. His extra-base hit was a key moment in the game. The Guardians will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Bo Naylor added to the attack, going 1-for-4 with an RBI, Maick Collado provided support, going 1-for-2 with an RBI, and Brayan Rocchio also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a double. The Guardians showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Dansby Swanson led the Cubs offense with a 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI day. Scott Kingery also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. Leonel Espinoza added a 1-for-1 with two RBI effort as well. The Cubs offense proved to be too much for the Guardians pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Logan Allen got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 51 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 3.6 innings of work, allowing 6 earned runs while striking out seven. The Guardians continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Gavin Hollowell recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Hunter Gaddis stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Cubs got on the board first with two runs in the first inning. Cubs tacked on a run in the sixth. The Guardians countered with five runs in the seventh. Cubs struck back with a run in the seventh. Cubs added four runs in the eighth. The Guardians responded with a run in the ninth. The Cubs were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Cubs out-hit the Guardians 9-8, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 11,217 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Guardians will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
