Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/3/19) – Cubs 13, White Sox 4: Offense Explodes Early, Darvish Dazzles

The Cubs took on the White Sox this afternoon at Sloan Park with most of the teams’ respective stars playing. This matchup will be highly anticipated for years to come, as the South Siders have considerable stock in former Cubs prospect talent.

Yu Darvish made his second start of the spring as he looks to join the Cubs rotation in full force this season. He was extremely effective and is already showing strong velocity and movement on his numerous pitches. Darvish touched the upper 90’s during his short outing and said afterwards he felt as good as he has in his entire career.

The Cubs’ bats came alive early on in the ballgame and they continued to pour on insurance runs in the later innings as well. They would go on to win this one comfortably, 13-4 (Box Score).

Why the Cubs Won

The Cubs piled on runs early, plating 10 over the course of the first three innings. Despite throwing out lower tier relievers following Darvish, they were able to hold their own and keep the damage to a minimum, leading to an sizable win.

Key Moment

The Cubs erupted for eight runs in the 2nd inning, blowing the game wide open before it even began. Kris Bryant’s home run lead the way in the inning, followed by RBI from Kyle Schwarber, David Bote, Ian Happ, and Johnny Field.

Stats That Matter

• Darvish was lights out in his second start of the spring (2.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB). He spoke with reporters after the game about his early progress and he’s very happy with where he’s at.
• Bryantlaunched his second home run of the spring during the 2nd inning of this contest. It appears that his shoulder truly is 100 percent, as he is now 4-for-9 with two home runs and five RBI thus far in spring training.
• Dillon Maples posted another walkless outing in the 5th, notching two strikeouts and surrendering a two-run home run to Adam Engel. Maples has the potential to be a real X-factor out of the bullpen this season, especially if he can eliminate the lack of control that has been the biggest question mark surrounding his game.

Bottom Line

Darvish started the pitching staff off strong, blanking the White Sox through the first two innings. With enormous help from the Cubs offense, they were able to take firm control of the game early, essentially ending it before it started.

On Deck

The Cubs travel to take on the Reds Monday at Goodyear Ballpark. Alec Mills is set to take on Tony Santillan, while Cole Hamels and Mike Montgomery will stay behind in Mesa for a sim game. First pitch is slated for 2:05pm CT and you can tune in via the Cubs radio broadcast on MLB.com or the Reds call on WLW 700.