Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/1/24): Cubs 10, White Sox 6 – Steele Starts, Caissie Slugs in Cubs Win
The Cubs battled the White Sox and the sun on Friday afternoon at Sloan Park in a roller-coaster affair. The North Siders eventually came out on top thanks to another outstanding offensive performance by several young prospects.
Justin Steele made his first appearance of the spring and pitched pretty well in the first two innings. He came back out for a third frame and surrendered a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch.
The Cubs tied the score in the 4th inning via a base hit by Matt Shaw and a bases-loaded walk by David Bote. Pete Crow-Armstrong had a very hard time seeing fly balls due to the high sky in center and two of them dropped right at his feet for doubles in the 5th, sparking a four-run White Sox rally.
The home team answered right back in the bottom of the frame with five of their own to take a 7-6 lead. Yan Gomes picked up an RBI single but the big blow was a three-run home run from the red-hot Owen Caissie.
.@owen_caissie goes oppo 🌮 for the lead! pic.twitter.com/AbCA9EFplg
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 1, 2024
The Cubs would add three more runs before eventually taking home the 10-6 victory. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Won
Another day with more heroics from top prospects in the system. This time it was enough to overcome a big deficit and get the win.
Stats That Matter
- Caissie is hitting .636 so far this spring with a 1.805 OPS and is really turning some heads.
- Gomes had two hits and is going to be very important for the Cubs’ playoff hopes in 2024.
- Julian Merryweather and José Cuas each were sharp in their relief appearances on Friday.
Bottom Line
Steele is expected to be the staff ace this season and the results Friday don’t really matter, but it’s nice to see him throwing well. It’s hard to believe Caissie is only 21 years old with how composed he looks at the plate. The future is definitely bright for him and the Cubs.
On Deck
The Cubs head to Camelback Ranch to face Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers on Saturday at 2:05pm CT. Shōta Imanaga makes his first appearance in a Cubs uniform in a game airing on Marquee.