Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/31/26): Angels 2, Cubs 0 – Bats Go Cold in Shutout
The conditions were drastically different at Wrigley Field on Tuesday when the Cubs battled the Angels in game two of the series. The temperature was over 30 degrees lower than Monday and the frigid conditions appeared to freeze the bats in the home dugout as Craig Counsell‘s squad was shut out.
Both starting pitchers, José Soriano and Jameson Taillon, were sharp early to keep things scoreless through four innings. Taillon was lifted with two outs and the bases loaded in the 5th, but lefty Hoby Milner retired Nolan Schanuel to keep Los Angeles off the board.
Chicago was not as fortunate in the top of the 6th, when catcher Logan O’Hoppe singled against reliever Phil Maton with runners on second and third to give the Angels a 2-0 advantage. Soriano and the bullpen kept things in check the rest of the way and the North Siders went quietly by the same margin. (Box score)
Key Moment
Los Angeles got runners on second and third with nobody out in the 6th, but Maton got the next two without a run crossing the plate. O’Hoppe fell behind in the count before hitting a smash that deflected off the glove of third baseman Alex Bregman and into left field for the game-winning hit.
Why the Cubs Lost
The lineup could get nothing going offensively the entire night.
Stats That Matter
- Taillon did a decent job and certainly was not the problem in this one: 4.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 K, and 4 BB.
- Moisés Ballesteros had a single and a walk.
- Chicago had no extra-base hits on Tuesday.
Bottom Line
The Cubs have been consistently inconsistent the first five games of the season, alternating wins and losses. Here’s hoping they fall into a better rhythm as they settle into the routine of the 162 game schedule.
On Deck
The deciding game of the series will be Wednesday at 1:20pm CT. Matthew Boyd is on the mound for the second time against Yusei Kikuchi in a matchup available on Marquee with a radio feed on The Score.
