Wednesday was a very hot afternoon in the Phoenix area. The temperature reached 101 degrees, breaking the record for the month:
“Hot” also described the Cubs bats, at least early in the game. The D-backs came back, though, hitting Edward Cabrera hard, and won the game 16-8.
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The D-backs scored first, off Cabrera in the first inning. The run was unearned. Corbin Carroll reached on an error by Matt Shaw, who was playing right field. Carroll then stole second and scored on a single by Geraldo Perdomo.
Carroll suffered a broken hamate bone during a BP session earlier in camp and this was just his fourth Spring Training game. Perdomo had been off at the WBC playing for the Dominican Republic and this was his first game back. So the D-backs took advantage of a couple of their good players being back in the lineup.
The Cubs took the lead in the third, when the teams combined for 11 runs. Shaw led off with a double and scored on a Miguel Amaya single. After Michael Conforto hit into a double play, the Cubs loaded the bases on a single by Kevin Alcántara and walks to Jonathon Long and BJ Murray.
Jefferson Rojas followed with a grand slam, his third homer of the spring. This kid is going to be a really good player.
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That ball was a towering drive that went a long way [VIDEO].
Here’s a look at the homer [VIDEO].
The D-backs flipped the script in bottom of the third. First, on a two-run homer by Alek Thomas, another player back from the WBC. Then Cabrera walked Nolan Arenado and he was replaced by minor leaguer Grayson Moore, who gave up a single and two more walks, making it 5-4. A wild pitch tied the game and then Moore gave up a two-run double to give Arizona a 7-5 lead.
Cabrera re-entered the game in the fourth and well, maybe he shouldn’t have. He served up another homer, this one to Carroll, then D-backs hitters continued to tee off on him until the score was 10-5 Arizona. Then minor leaguer Dawson Netz, who had relieved Moore in the third, entered to relieve Cabrera. At this point you are forgiven if you think the heat has gotten to all of these men. The D-backs just kept scoring. One run was charged to Cabrera, but Arizona wound up with an eight-run inning and led 14-5 at the end of the fourth.
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Here’s a look at Cabrera’s outing [VIDEO].
After all the minor leaguers were done relieving Cabrera and each other, Gavin Hollowell shut the D-backs down 1-2-3 in the fifth. Hollowell has thrown well this spring and might have an Opening Day bullpen spot.
Ben Brown entered to throw the sixth, against mostly D-backs minor leaguers. He loaded the bases on three singles, but got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts, both swinging.
Alcántara smacked a two-run homer in the eighth, his first of the spring, and one of three hits he had on the afternoon. Long followed with another long ball, also his first home run of the spring. Alcántara’s homer went a long way [VIDEO]
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Manager Craig Counsell’s son Brady, playing for the Diamondbacks, went 1-for-2 in this game and scored twice.
The Cubs have Thursday off, and then will play their only split-squad game of Spring Training 2026 on Friday. Both games were originally scheduled for Friday afternoon and both have been moved to Friday evening because of a forecast high of 106 degrees.
Against the Reds at Sloan Park Friday, Matthew Boyd will face Brandon Williamson. That game will begin at 8:05 p.m. CT. No TV for the Sloan Park game, there will be a radio broadcast on the Reds flagship station WLW 700.
Against the A’s at Hohokam Stadium Friday, Jameson Taillon will go for the Cubs. At the time of this recap the A’s didn’t have a starter listed. That game will begin at 8:10 p.m. CT and be televised on Marquee Sports Network and NBC Sports California. There will be a radio broadcast with the A’s announcers on ATH Audio.
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