Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/1/23): Cubs 5, Mariners 3 – Wesneski Sharp in Win

The Cubs welcomed the Mariners to Sloan Park on a cold and damp Wednesday afternoon looking to stop their recent losing streak. Chicago got an excellent starting pitching performance by one of their best prospects and took home a win.

Hayden Wesneski was very sharp in two innings of work, striking out four hitters with his nasty array of breaking stuff. The Cubs rallied against Seattle’s Matt Brash in the bottom of the 4th inning as Yan Gomes got the scoring going with a two-run double and Christopher Morel knocked in another with a single. A force-out and a bases-loaded Ian Happ hit-by-pitch brought the score to 5-0.

Julio Rodríguez and Jarred Kelenic hit back-to-back home runs off of Roenis Elías in the 5th inning to cut the lead to three, but the Cubs would eventually take home a 5-3 victory. (Box score)

Why the Cubs Won

The offense jumped on its opportunity in the 4th to build a big advantage and held on from there.

Stats That Matter

• Wesneski was showing off the cutter he’s been working on in the offseason and it looked pretty good.
• Cody Bellinger had his first two hits of the spring, including a double.
• Dansby Swanson drew a pair of walks.

Bottom Line

Wesneski has a real chance to make a significant impact for the Cubs this season. Whether he’s a starter or a reliever, he’s going to be very important in 2023.

On Deck

The Oakland A’s head to Sloan on Thursday for a 2:05pm CT start. Marcus Stroman makes his second appearance of the spring and the telecast is again available on Marquee.