Guardians and Cubs Trade Early Runs, Then a Ninth-Inning Homer Answers Late

The Cleveland Guardians left this spring matchup at 11-12 after a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs, who moved to 10-14 at Goodyear Ballpark with an 8,008 crowd for the 9-inning game scheduled for 4:05 PM EDT on CLEG.

First inning

The Guardians put up 1 run on 2 hits while the Cubs matched it with 1 run on 2 hits.

The Cubs also logged the game’s only error in the opening inning while the Guardians finished with 0 errors.

Second inning

The Cubs created separation with 3 runs on 3 hits in the second inning, and the Guardians went scoreless with 0 hits.

Gavin Williams carried the Guardians’ start line of 5 earned runs across 4.2 innings with 7 strikeouts on 85 pitches, while the Guardians bullpen followed with 4.1 scoreless innings and a 0.133 opponent batting average.

Third inning through sixth inning

The Guardians’ offense stayed at 1 run through the sixth inning while finishing the day with 5 hits and 3 extra-base hits, and the Cubs added a fifth-inning run during a stretch that included 3 hits in that inning.

Kyle Manzardo drove in 1 run in the previous game, and Austin Hedges posted a .500 average with a .667 on-base percentage in that prior box line as the Guardians looked for traffic after stranding 7 runners in this one.

Seventh inning through ninth inning

The Guardians entered the ninth still at 1 run before a ninth-inning solo home run accounted for the club’s second run on 1 hit in the frame.

Chicago’s pitching held the Guardians to a .152 team batting average while the G-Men stole 1 base and finished with 14 total strikeouts at the plate, and Guardians post-match stats reflected a 0.555 team OPS alongside 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Tactical snapshot

The Guardians vs Cubs tactical recap centered on the Cubs’ early scoring inning and the Tribe’s relief work that kept the margin from growing after the starter exited.

A Guardians match rating will point to the bullpen’s 0 runs allowed as a counterweight to the second-inning damage, and what went wrong for Guardians showed up in 1 hit in 10 chances with runners in scoring position.

The Guardians are scheduled to face the Cincinnati Reds on 03/17/2026 at 9:05 PM EDT at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona, and the broadcast is set for CLEG.

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