CHICAGO β Now that's a debut.
Edward Cabrera, acquired from the Marlins in January, threw six scoreless innings on one hit in his first start as a Cub, and the offense backed him early in a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are 2-2 after dropping the Nationals series over the weekend.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| CHC | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 7 | 9 | 0 |
Cabrera Was Everything They Hoped
Six innings. One hit. Zero runs. Five strikeouts. Edward Cabrera's Cubs debut was the best pitching performance of the young season β a Game Score of 74 on just 80 pitches. He held Mike Trout hitless (0-for-4, 2 K) a night after Trout entered hitting .462 with two homers through his first four games. Cabrera was sharp from the first pitch, pounding the zone and generating swings and misses against a lineup that had been swinging hot bats in Houston over the weekend.
The Offense Set the Tone Early
The Cubs jumped all over Angels rookie Ryan Johnson, who was making his first career MLB start after spending all of 2025 in the bullpen. Nico Hoerner drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Carson Kelly β who was 1-for-12 entering the game β ripped a two-out, two-RBI single to right that made it 3-0. Ian Happ went deep in the third (378 feet to left center) for his third home run in four games, and MoisΓ©s Ballesteros followed with a two-RBI single to right that chased Johnson. By the third inning it was 6-0 and the game was effectively over.
The Cubs drew 7 walks on the night β their best plate discipline of the season β and got contributions from spots in the lineup that had been quiet all week. Dansby Swanson finally picked up his first hits of 2026, going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI single in the seventh after entering the night 0-for-8 on the season. Matt Shaw came off the bench in the fifth, singled, and stole a base.
Happ Won't Stop
Happ's solo shot in the third was his third homer in four games. He's slugging .765 and leads the team with 5 RBI. He's been the Cubs' most dangerous hitter from the jump β and the fact that he's doing it from the three-hole, with Bregman and PCA hitting around him, bodes well for the lineup's ceiling.
Up Next
The Cubs and Angels continue Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. CT.