MESA, Ariz. -- The Chicago Cubs fell to the Los Angeles Angels 8-4 in front of another Cactus League record crowd of 15,276.
The Good: Junior Lake hit arguably the longest home run in new Cubs Park as he cleared the grass beyond the left-field fence where fans sit during the game. It was Lake’s fourth home run in his past two games as he’s come alive at the end of spring training. Extra work and fine-tuning have made the difference for Lake, who had struggled much of the spring. Prospect Dan Vogelbach had two hits while starting at first base, and backup catcher George Kottaras doubled off the wall late in the game.
Relievers Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon both threw scoreless innings as Rondon was hitting 99 mph on the in-stadium radar gun.
The Bad: Reliever Alberto Cabrera got rocked in the ninth inning trying to preserve a 4-2 Cubs lead. He gave up a home run, triple, double and single to the first four batters he faced. Cabrera was pitching well this spring to the point of probably making the team, but Tuesday was simply a bad day for the righty, who got only one hitter out before departing. His ERA rose from 1.00 to 5.79. Nothing he gave up was cheap.
What’s Next: The Cubs will make the hour trip to Peoria, Ariz., to take on the San Diego Padres at 9 p.m. CST. Top pitching prospect CJ Edwards will make his Cactus League debut in the game.
