Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (3/1/25, SS Game 2): Cubs 11, Royals 1 – PCA Has Huge Night in Win

The Cubs followed up their victory in the first half of a pair of split-squad games by pounding the Royals in Surprise in the nightcap Saturday. Pete Crow-Armstrong had a monster performance as Chicago scored 10 runs in the first five innings and rolled to an easy win.

The North Siders jumped all over hard-throwing lefty Cole Ragans in the 1st inning with PCA and highly-touted catching prospect Moises Ballesteros each hitting two-run homers to give the road team a 4-0 lead. Ben Brown got the start and gave up Kansas City’s only run of the night on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame.

The Cubs broke it wide open with another four-spot in the top of the 3rd inning. Nicky Lopez and Gage Workman had RBI singles during the rally before Crow-Armstrong tacked on a sac fly. Chicago’s dynamic center fielder wasn’t quite done, following a run-scoring single by Michael Busch with an RBI double to increase the margin to 10-1 in the 5th.

One more run would cross the plate for the Cubs as they prevailed by a final score of 11-1. (Box score)

Key Moment

Chicago immediately grabbed the lead against the Royals ace and never looked back.

Why the Cubs Won

An offensive explosion in the early innings put this game on ice very quickly.

Stats That Matter

• Brown had some traffic on the bases but pitched around it as gets back into shape after missing the back half of 2024: 2.1 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 K, and 1 BB.
• Busch is having a huge spring and had three more hits on Saturday, including a double and a triple.
• Workman also walked twice in addition to his RBI single as he pushes to start the season at third base.

Bottom Line

It would be a huge boost to the Cubs if Crow-Armstrong can carry his strong finish to the 2024 season into this year. With the caveat that these are exhibition games, PCA is showing every indication he’s going to do just that. He’s been driving the ball with authority all spring long. If he plays like this come April, Chicago’s playoff chances get significantly better.

On Deck

It’s back to just a single game for the Cubs on Sunday when they welcome the Reds to Sloan Park at 2:05pm CT. Matthew Boyd takes the hill in a contest available on Marquee.