Postgame Wrap: Cubs 5, Mets 1; Ryan Williams Solid (Video)

If it feels like spring training has been going on for a really long time that’s because it has. And it’s so, so close to finally being done, with the regular season less than four days away. This is the most highly anticipated regular season for the Cubs in over ten years. We’ve posted a great series of hype videos to get you ready, so go check them out.

Tonight the Cubs took on the Mets at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada (Box Score here). They sent Ryan Williams out to start this one. Ryan, 24, has had considerable success in the Cubs minor league system since being drafted in the tenth round in 2014 out of East Carolina. He posted a 14-3 record in 2015 (A & AA) with a 2.16 ERA. He was a non-roster invitee to the Cubs big league camp this spring but he’s spent most of his time in Arizona on the back fields at Sloan Complex participating in minor league camp preparing for what is likely to be a AAA Iowa stint.

Ryan was solid on the mound tonight, going three innings and giving up only two hits with one strikeout. It’s quite likely that, as the season wears on, Ryan will see some playing time with the Cubs big-league squad. He has tremendous potential (and he’s really just generally tremendous at 6’4″ and 220 pounds).

The Cubs ended up rotating seven pitchers in total tonight. At this point in spring training it’s all about keeping guys warm enough and not getting any injuries. So far so good on that front. The Cubs limited the Mets to one run on eight (mostly) scattered hits. Their one run came in the fourth inning after David Ross hit a single and scored on an RBI single by Lucas Duda.

The offense for the Cubs came mostly in the fifth inning, where they really executed flawlessly to get three runs. Federowicz led off with a double and Kris Negron laid a perfect sacrifice bunt down to advance Fede. A Ben Zobrist single drove in the run.

After Heyward reached on a error, Kris Bryant singled to drive in Zobrist. And then Trevor Cahill laid down a really nice safety squeeze. It was a thing of beauty, executed to perfection, and everyone was safe. Here’s a good video:

The Cubs win 5-1 and will take on the Mets again tomorrow at Cashman Field at 3:05 CDT. Jason Hammel will take the hill for the Cubs. The game is WGN.