Cubs Dominate Angels Behind Cabrera’s Stellar Debut

The Chicago Cubs sent a message on Monday at Wrigley Field: they’re done waiting around for offense to materialize. Against a hapless Angels squad that looked thoroughly outmatched, the Cubs unleashed a clinic in run production that made Ryan Johnson‘s Angels debut feel less like the start of his major league career and more like a mercy killing.

Let’s be direct about this. Johnson lasted just 3.1 innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits while walking four batters. For a young pitcher stepping into Wrigley Field for the first time, that’s not a learning experience. That’s a disaster. The Angels brought him to the mound and essentially said, “Go ahead and get your feet wet,” and the Cubs promptly held his head under the water.

On the flip side, Edward Cabrera looked like he’d been pitching at Wrigley his entire career. The Cubs’ new arm was absolutely magnificent, striking out five batters over six shutout innings while allowing just a single hit. In a season where starting pitching depth often determines playoff survival, watching Cabrera work was a reminder that Chicago might have actually made a shrewd acquisition.

Bats Feast Early and Often

The Cubs wasted zero time establishing dominance. Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly in the first inning got things started, but Carson Kelly’s two-run single was the real statement. By the time the Cubs’ half of the third inning concluded, they’d already piled up six runs, and the Angels were left wondering if they should’ve stayed in California.

Ian Happ, the Cubs’ increasingly reliable power source, launched a solo shot that barely cleared the wall. Moisés Ballesteros followed with a sharp two-run single that screamed past Jo Adell in right field. This wasn’t luck or randomness. This was execution, timing, and a Cubs lineup that understood they were facing a pitcher who had no business being on a major league mound.

Moncada’s Homer Can’t Salvage Angels’ Embarrassment

Yoán Moncada deserve credit for his two-run blast in the seventh, and Jorge Soler deserves credit for at least getting on base so the homer meant something. But let’s be honest here, that solo moment of Angels competence felt like watching someone bail out the Titanic with a teaspoon. Colin Rea came in for save duty and methodically shut down any lingering hope with four strikeouts in three innings.

Dansby Swanson tacked on one final insult in the seventh with an RBI single that made it 7-2, and if you were rooting for the Angels, that’s when you stopped watching.

This was supposed to be a spring training-adjacent early season game where both teams were still finding their footing. Instead, the Cubs proved they have the pitching depth and offensive consistency to compete with anyone, while the Angels reminded us exactly why nobody expects much from them. On Monday at Wrigley Field, only one team showed up ready to play.