Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/30/26): Cubs 7, Angels 2 – Cabrera Dazzles in Cubs Debut
The Cubs began a series against the Angels on an unseasonably warm night with the wind howling out at Wrigley Field. A high-quality start and early offense led the home squad to a pretty comfortable win.
Chicago got things going immediately with a big opening inning against young starter Ryan Johnson. Nico Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and Carson Kelly followed with a two-run bloop single just off the glove of right fielder Jo Adell that gave the home side a 3-0 lead.
Edward Cabrera was brilliant in his debut performance for the North Siders on Monday, going six shutout innings. Ian Happ added insurance with an opposite-field solo home run to left and Moisés Ballesteros knocked in a couple more on a single to make it 6-0 in the bottom of the 3rd.
Colin Rea took over for Cabrera and gave up a two-run homer to Yoán Moncada that pulled Los Angeles within 6-2 in the 7th. Dansby Swanson got one of those back with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame. Rea went the final two innings to secure an old-fashioned save and close out the 7-2 victory. (Box score)
Key Moment
The Cubs went in front in the 1st inning and kept building on it the rest of the night.
Why the Cubs Won
A great start and several big hits with runners in scoring position decided this game.
Stats That Matter
- Absolute brilliance from Cabrera Monday: 6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 5 K, and 1 BB.
- Swanson had two hits and a walk after going hitless in the first three games.
- Chicago drew seven walks against Angels pitching.
Bottom Line
If Cabrera can pitch like this all season, it will be a huge boost to the Cubs’ chances. This lineup is going to do major damage against mediocre starting pitchers as the year goes on.
On Deck
Game two of the series is Tuesday night at 6:40pm CT. Jameson Taillon goes up against José Soriano in a contest broadcast on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
