Edward Cabrera made an immediate impact in his Chicago Cubs debut Monday night, pitching six scoreless innings to lead the Cubs to a 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field.
The right-hander, acquired in an offseason trade with Miami, controlled the game from the start and helped Chicago open its three-game series with an impressive all-around performance. Ian Happ continued his strong start to the season with another home run, while Carson Kelly and Moisés Ballesteros each drove in two runs.
Chicago’s offense built an early lead and never allowed the Angels to recover. The Cubs capitalized on control issues from Los Angeles rookie Ryan Johnson and backed Cabrera with efficient defense and timely hitting.
For the Angels, the loss marked a third straight defeat after beginning the season with optimism following an opening-day win in Houston.
Cabrera Dominates In First Start For Chicago
Cabrera looked comfortable from the opening inning and immediately rewarded the Cubs for acquiring him during the offseason.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander allowed only one hit and one walk across six shutout innings while striking out five batters. He consistently attacked the strike zone and prevented Los Angeles hitters from generating hard contact.
Cabrera threw 80 pitches, including 49 strikes, and worked efficiently throughout the night despite several deep counts early in the game.
The Angels rarely threatened against him.
Mike Trout, who entered the game swinging the bat well after reaching base consistently during the opening weekend, went hitless in four at-bats and struck out twice. Cabrera kept Los Angeles off balance with a mix of fastballs and breaking pitches, limiting opportunities for offensive momentum.
The strong debut immediately energized the crowd at Wrigley Field and gave the Cubs rotation an important early-season boost.
Cubs Take Early Control
Chicago established control quickly against Angels rookie starter Ryan Johnson.
Johnson struggled with command during the opening inning and loaded the bases after issuing several difficult walks. Pete Crow-Armstrong eventually drew an 11-pitch walk that forced in the game’s first run.
Moments later, Carson Kelly lined a two-run single into shallow right-center field. Mike Trout nearly made a diving catch on the play, but the ball landed just beyond his reach to give Chicago a 3-0 advantage.
The Cubs continued adding pressure in the third inning.
Ian Happ extended his home-run streak to three games with a solo shot that pushed the lead to 4-0. Later in the inning, Moisés Ballesteros delivered a two-run single into right field that stretched Chicago’s advantage to six runs.
The early offense allowed Cabrera to attack aggressively without having to pitch under pressure.
Happ Continues Hot Start
Happ remained one of Chicago’s hottest hitters during the opening week of the season.
His solo homer in the third inning marked his third straight game with a home run and continued a strong offensive stretch at the top of the Cubs lineup.
Happ consistently worked quality at-bats throughout the game and helped set the tone offensively alongside Nico Hoerner and Crow-Armstrong.
Chicago’s lineup showed patience against Johnson and repeatedly forced the rookie into stressful situations early in counts.
The balanced offensive approach gave the Cubs consistent baserunning and allowed them to build a quick lead.
Angels Offense Quiet Until Late
Los Angeles struggled offensively for most of the night and managed little against Cabrera.
The Angels finally got on the scoreboard late when Yoán Moncada connected for a two-run homer. However, the blast came after Chicago had already built a comfortable lead.
Outside of Moncada’s homer, Los Angeles generated very little offense and never mounted a sustained comeback threat.
The Angels also continued to search for consistency from their lineup outside of Trout and Moncada. Several hitters struggled to adjust against Cabrera’s movement and command.
Manager Kurt Suzuki’s club opened the season with promise offensively, but cooled significantly during the road trip to Chicago.
Johnson Endures Difficult First Career Start
Ryan Johnson’s first major league start proved challenging from the beginning.
The rookie allowed six runs and seven hits across 3 1/3 innings while struggling to command the strike zone. Chicago’s patience created long at-bats and forced Johnson into difficult situations throughout his outing.
The Cubs consistently took advantage of hitters’ counts and punished mistakes over the plate.
Despite the rough outing, Johnson did show flashes of composure after difficult moments. Still, Chicago’s experienced lineup controlled the game early and forced Los Angeles to play from behind the entire night.
The Angels bullpen stabilized the game later, but the damage had already been done.
Cubs Bullpen Finishes Cleanly
After Cabrera exited, Chicago reliever Colin Rea closed out the game effectively.
Rea worked three innings to earn his first save of the season and limited the Angels to Moncada’s late homer. He finished the game by striking out Moncada with two runners aboard, ending Los Angeles’ final scoring opportunity.
The bullpen’s steady finish completed a clean all-around performance from Chicago.
Defensively, the Cubs avoided mistakes and supported their pitching staff throughout the evening.
Chicago Builds Momentum Early
The victory gave Chicago a strong start to its first home series of the season and highlighted several encouraging developments.
Cabrera’s debut strengthened the rotation outlook, Happ continued his offensive surge, and younger players such as Ballesteros and Crow-Armstrong contributed important at-bats.
The Cubs played aggressively from the opening inning and maintained pressure throughout the game.
For Los Angeles, the loss extended an early skid and exposed concerns about pitching depth behind the top of the rotation.
Up Next
The series continues Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
The Angels will send José Soriano to the mound after his dominant opening-day performance against Houston. Chicago plans to counter with veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon, who will make his season debut for the Cubs.