CI Recap (3/9/18) – Cubs 6, Angels 1: Lester Looks Good, Schwarber Goes Deep
Opening day starter Jon Lester looked very sharp against the Angels Friday. The Cubs got some offensive production from their outfield in another spring win. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Won
The offense struck quickly for four runs in the first three innings of the game. Lester and the rest of the pitching staff breezed through a limited Angels lineup.
Key Moment
Kyle Schwarber batting with a man on in the 3rd inning smacked a laser beam home run to right off of Matt Shoemaker. The two-run shot gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead.
Stats That (Don’t) Matter
- Jon Lester was excellent in his five innings of work. He allowed just three singles while striking out three and walking none.
- Jason Heyward and Albert Almora Jr. hit back-to-back doubles to open the Cubs scoring in the 1st inning.
- Brandon Morrow made his second appearance of the spring Friday. He hit a batter, who subsequently stole second and third before scoring on a sacrifice fly. Thus this odd line: 1 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 1 K, 0 BB.
Bottom Line
Lester looks very good so far this spring. Does it really matter? Not really (it’s spring training), but he seems highly motivated so far this year.
On Deck
The Cubs go split-squad on Saturday, playing the White Sox at 2pm CT and the Dodgers at 8pm CT. Kyle Hendricks faces the Sox and Luke Farrell gets LA. Both games are on TV, with the day game on WGN and 670 The Score while the nightcap is on MLB.tv with audio on cubs.com.