Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/23/22): Cubs 5, Athletics 4 – Cubs Rally Late for Win in Stroman’s Second Start
The Cubs welcomed the Athletics to Sloan Park on Wednesday afternoon in Marcus Stroman‘s second appearance of the spring. The righty struggled a bit but was solid overall and the Cubs were able to rally late for a victory.
The A’s scored a pair of runs against Stroman in his three innings of work. Chicago matched that with a Nico Hoerner RBI single in the 2nd and a Jason Heyward triple in the 3rd. Oakland would take the lead on a pair of runs in the 5th and the 7th.
The Cubs rallied in the bottom of the 7th for three runs to take a 5-4 advantage and they were able to hold on to that slim margin to get the W. (Box score)
Why the Cubs Won
They were able to rally in the 7th inning thanks to a pop-up that got lost in the sun and dropped for an RBI single.
Key Moment
Former second round pick Andy Weber followed that dropped pop-up with a two-run single that put the Cubs ahead for good.
Stats That Matter
- Stroman had some rare control issues, but he threw some nasty pitches as well: 3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 3 K, and 2 BB.
- Ian Happ made his spring debut and had a walk in three plate appearances.
- Reliever Rowan Wick also made his first appearance and threw a 1-2-3 inning.
Bottom Line
The Cubs are starting to get all of their expected contributors onto the spring training playing field. While fighting to earn playing time will be important, it’s also vital with such a short spring training to avoid injuries if at all possible.
On Deck
The Cubs head to Tempe to take on the Los Angeles Angels Thursday at 3:05pm CT as Justin Steele makes another start in a game available on Marquee.
