Some of you might have taken note of Owen Caissie’s two-run walk-off homer for the Marlins on Sunday.
The other part of that deal, Edward Cabrera coming to the Cubs, also had a very good game for his new team. Cabrera was dominant over six innings, allowing just a walk and a fourth-inning single (and the latter was immediately erased on a double play). The Cubs offense did their job against Angels rookie Ryan Johnson and the result was a satisfying 7-2 win, evening up the Cubs’ early season record
at 2-2.
The Cubs got right to work on Johnson in the first inning… or, rather, Johnson couldn’t throw strikes. He walked three of the first four hitters he faced, loading the bases with one out. Nico Hoerner’s sac fly made it 1-0 Cubs [VIDEO].
Runners remained at first and second for Carson Kelly [VIDEO].
Take close note in that clip of PCA running. The ball hasn’t even landed and he is blazing around second base. Eventually PCA scores from first on a bloop single. He’s really been using his speed quite a bit in the early going. That made it 3-0.
The Cubs put three more on the board in the third. With one out, Ian Happ launched his third homer of the season [VIDEO].
About that homer, from BCB’s JohnW53:
Ian Happ is the 20th different Cub since 1901 to hit at least three home runs in his first four games of a season. Gabby Hartnett and Billy Williams did it twice. They are two of the three who hit four homers. The other was Randy Jackson. Happ is the eighth this century, after Sammy Sosa (2002), Derrek Lee (2006), Donnie Murphy (2013), Javier Baez and Jorge Soler (both 2014), Anthony Rizzo (2020) and Seiya Suzuki (2022).
PCA followed that with a single and went to third on a double by Nico.
Moisés Ballesteros singled in both runners to make it 6-0 [VIDEO].
After that, Cabrera continued cruising through the Angels lineup. He struck out five [VIDEO].
Had this been later in the year, Craig Counsell might have let Cabrera throw the seventh. But early on, there are still some pitch limits and Cabrera was removed after 80 pitches (49 strikes). Here’s more on Cabrera’s outing [VIDEO].
Colin Rea relieved Cabrera and the first batter he faced was Mike Trout. Carson Kelly got the second pitch of the at-bat overturned [VIDEO].
Rea completed that at-bat by striking out Trout. One out later, though, Jorge Soler singled and Yoan Moncada hit a Rea mistake for a towering home run that might have had a bit of help from the strong wind blowing out.
The Cubs put their final run on the board in the seventh. Nico led off with a walk, stole second (the Cubs now have six steals this year without being caught) and advanced to third on an infield out.
Dansby Swanson’s single scored Nico [VIDEO].
Rea finished things up, but not until allowing two singles in the ninth, at which point Counsell had Daniel Palencia warming up just in case. Rea responded by striking out the last two hitters, including this K of Moncada to end it [VIDEO].
Rea collects a save since he threw three innings, the Cubs’ first save of 2026.
Here are some postgame comments from Cabrera [VIDEO].
And here are Counsell’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].
Apart from the Moncada homer, the complaint department is closed again.
The Cubs will go for two in a row over the Angels Tuesday evening (weather permitting). Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs and José Soriano goes for the Angels. Game time is again 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
