Cubs Put Up Real Highlights in Last Fake Game

Webster’s Dictionary defines “weird” as playing the only exhibition game the same day the baseball season officially opens with three real games. Possessed as it is of centuries of British snobbery, the Oxford English Dictionary defines “hella weird” as playing an exhibition game in a Major League ballpark against the team you’ll be playing when the regular season opens the following day.

No matter which version you prefer, it was certainly odd to see the Cubs and Angels playing while the Cardinals were busy falling down the stairs into the NL Central cellar. Good luck digging back out from that hole, guys. The hometown Los Angeles Angels of Santa Ana/Orange County/SoCal took it easy and kept Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on the bench, but the Cubs went with what is likely their regular lineup. And, oh boy, was it sexy.

The quartet of Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler, Miguel Montero, and Addison Russell would form the heart of a pretty formidable batting order, but they comprised the back end for the Cubs Sunday. Yeah, those guys were marked in at 6 though 9, respectively. I mean…dude. Ahead of them were Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. I say again: Dude.

It’s like having two separate Voltrons named DexWard BryzZo and Kyrge MontRussell. Have I said “dude” yet? Yes? I guess I’m at a bit of a loss then.

Unlike the Cardinals’ loss, the outcome of the Cubs game didn’t matter. That doesn’t mean some of the individual exploits were any less fun though. Russell, Rizzo, and Bryant all went yard and look to be getting warmed up just in time for games that count. Oh, and then there was Albert Almora with yet another diving grab, this time in right field.

I cannot wait for Opening Day.