Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/4/19) – Cubs 9, Reds 1: Almora Opens with Homer, Cubs Cruise

The Cubs headed to Goodyear to take on the division rival Reds Monday in a game that saw several regulars staying home in Mesa. Albert Almora Jr. opened the scoring with a leadoff home run to give Chicago a quick 1-0 lead. The Cubs wouldn’t need much more help as Alec Mills, Brian Duensing, and George Kontos held the Reds off the scoreboard.

Mark Zagunis stayed hot with a run-scoring double in the top of the 6th inning to up the lead to 2-0. The Cubs reserves broke the game open in the 7th with the help of a Reds error and the visitors cruised to an easy 9-1 victory. (Box score)

Why the Cubs Won

The pitchers vying for spots in the bullpen all did well against a tough Reds lineup. Experts will tell you giving up only one run leads to a lot of victories.

Key Moment

Almora’s leadoff homer gave the Cubs a lead they would never give up. His new swing has him displaying power this spring, now he just needs to tap into it more consistently to become a more regular force.

Stats That Matter

• Almora also made a couple of excellent catches in center field to add to his homer.
• Zagunis, now hitting .350, picked up RBI number 10 on the spring with his double.

Bottom Line

This was a game where not much happened of note. It was good to see Almora play well and Zagunis is also starting to turn some heads.

On Deck

The Cubs take on the Angels in Tempe Tuesday at 2:10pm CT. Kyle Hendricks takes the mound and the Angels are airing the game so it’s available on MLB.tv.