{"id":597153,"date":"2026-02-28T00:53:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/597153\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T00:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:53:18","slug":"chicago-cubs-score-and-recap-2-27-26-cubs-8-guardians-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/597153\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (2\/27\/26): Cubs 8, Guardians 6"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cubs welcomed the Guardians to Sloan Park on Friday afternoon in a game that featured the debut outing for new pitching acquisition Edward Cabrera<\/a>. It was a typical seesaw Cactus League contest that the home team eventually won in the late innings.<\/p>\n

Dansby Swanson<\/a> gave Chicago the lead in the bottom of the 1st inning with a two-run homer off of Logan Allen<\/a>. Cabrera was sharp in his first start, throwing two perfect innings with three strikeouts. Closer Daniel Palencia<\/a> followed with a clean frame in the top of the 4th.<\/p>\n

Dansby Swanson two-run BOMB! \ud83d\udca3 pic.twitter.com\/dz5mb1FutV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Cubs Insider (@realcubsinsider) February 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Swanson added an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th to put the North Siders ahead 3-0. Porter Hodge<\/a> took over in the top of the 7th and got rocked for five runs, which gave Cleveland a 5-3 advantage. Former Phillies infielder Scott Kingery<\/a> blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to get the home team back within 5-4.<\/p>\n

The Cubs broke out for four in the bottom of the 8th inning to retake the lead for good. Leonel Espinoza<\/a> singled home a pair of runs, and Jefferson Rojas<\/a> doubled in two more to bring the score to 8-5. The Guardians scored a run in the top of the 9th, but it was not enough as Chicago won 8-6. (Box score)<\/a><\/p>\n

Key Moment<\/p>\n

The Cubs bounced back from blowing the lead in the 7th with a big rally in the 8th to go up for good.<\/p>\n

Why the Cubs\u00a0Won<\/p>\n

The bats did not go quiet in the late innings, allowing them to overcome the deficit.<\/p>\n

Stats That Matter<\/p>\n

Swanson had a very nice day with two hits and three RBIs.Alex Bregman<\/a> had two hits, including a double.Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> hasn\u2019t gotten a hit yet in a handful of spring games.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/p>\n

With a big caveat around health, Cabrera could be a huge addition to the rotation for Chicago. He can throw in the upper 90s with very nasty offspeed pitches. It\u2019s the kind of stuff that could make him ace material.<\/p>\n

On Deck<\/p>\n

The Cubs head to Camelback Ranch Saturday afternoon for a contest against the Dodgers starting at 2:10pm CT. Colin Rea<\/a> makes his second start and the Los Angeles broadcast is on MLB.TV.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n