Cubs Walk-Off with a Thrilling Win Over Royals in Spring Training
In a sun-drenched afternoon at Sloan Park, the Cubs pulled off a dramatic 9-8 walk-off victory against the Royals, thanks to Matt Halbach's clutch double driving in Scott Kingery in the ninth inning. While Halbach and Kingery might not be regulars for the Cubs this season, Kingery could find himself in Triple-A Iowa, ready to step up if needed.
The game was a slugfest, featuring seven home runs and some unusual batting sequences by the Cubs in the later innings. Let's break it down from the top.
Colin Rea took the mound for the Cubs, allowing a run in the first inning after a triple and an error by Nico Hoerner. The Cubs quickly responded in the second inning.
With two outs, Carson Kelly and Dylan Carlson singled, and Matt Shaw took one for the team with a hit-by-pitch. Pedro Ramirez then stepped up and launched a grand slam, putting the Cubs ahead.
Ramirez, turning 22 soon, has been impressive this spring with solid defense and timely hitting. Definitely a player to watch.
Nico Hoerner redeemed his earlier miscue with a solo homer, pushing the Cubs' lead to 5-1. However, Rea struggled, conceding three home runs in the third and fourth innings, allowing the Royals to tie the game at 5-5.
The score remained knotted until the seventh inning, when Hoby Milner surrendered a homer, giving KC a 6-5 lead. The Cubs answered back in the bottom of the inning, albeit with a bit of confusion.
They appeared to bat out of order, with Moisés Ballesteros leading off with a single, followed by a pinch-runner swap with Joan Delgado. Rojas, who should have led off, struck out next.
Despite the mix-up, the Cubs scored two runs with RBI singles from Brett Bateman and Kingery, taking a 7-6 lead.
In the eighth, an unearned run tied the game again after a dropped infield popup by Halbach, affected by a gust of wind. KC took the lead in the ninth with a homer off Gavin Hollwell, but the Cubs weren't done yet.
Justin Dean challenged a called third strike, won the appeal, and doubled to keep the inning alive. He scored the tying run on Kingery's single, setting the stage for Halbach's game-winning double.
While it's just a spring training game, the use of ABS challenge proved pivotal, showing how technology can influence outcomes. The Cubs will certainly remember this for future reference.
The game drew a crowd of 12,026 fans, bringing the season total to 132,824 over 11 dates, averaging 12,076 per game.
Next up, the Cubs face the Seattle Mariners at Sloan Park. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs, with Emerson Hancock on the mound for Seattle.
The game kicks off at 3:05 p.m. CT, with radio coverage available on Seattle Sports 710 AM.