Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (2/27/26): Cubs 8, Guardians 6 – Swanson Homers in Cabrera Debut
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. It was a typical seesaw Cactus League contest that the home team eventually won in the late innings.
Dansby Swanson gave Chicago the lead in the bottom of the 1st inning with a two-run homer off of Logan Allen. Cabrera was sharp in his first start, throwing two perfect innings with three strikeouts. Closer Daniel Palencia followed with a clean frame in the top of the 4th.
Dansby Swanson two-run BOMB! 💣 pic.twitter.com/dz5mb1FutV
— Cubs Insider (@realcubsinsider) February 27, 2026
Swanson added an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th to put the North Siders ahead 3-0. Porter Hodge 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 blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the frame to get the home team back within 5-4.
The Cubs broke out for four in the bottom of the 8th inning to retake the lead for good. Leonel Espinoza singled home a pair of runs, and Jefferson Rojas 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)
Key Moment
The Cubs bounced back from blowing the lead in the 7th with a big rally in the 8th to go up for good.
Why the Cubs Won
The bats did not go quiet in the late innings, allowing them to overcome the deficit.
Stats That Matter
- Swanson had a very nice day with two hits and three RBIs.
- Alex Bregman had two hits, including a double.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong hasn’t gotten a hit yet in a handful of spring games.
Bottom Line
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’s the kind of stuff that could make him ace material.
On Deck
The Cubs head to Camelback Ranch Saturday afternoon for a contest against the Dodgers starting at 2:10pm CT. Colin Rea makes his second start and the Los Angeles broadcast is on MLB.TV.
