Rangers 11, Cubs 5: The most meaningless of games

There’s almost no point in me even writing a recap of the Cubs’ 11-5 loss to the Rangers Tuesday afternoon at Surprise, Arizona, the final game of the 2022 Cactus League season.

Hardly anyone was there — attendance was just 3,306 — and the guys who are going to be on the Opening Day roster who played in this game all departed early so as to not miss the team flight. According to the Bally Sports Southwest TV broadcast, even Cubs radio announcer Ron Coomer took off in the early innings.

Here, have a look at a three-run homer Michael Hermosillo hit in the first inning [VIDEO].

So that was good, and the only real highlight from a Cubs MLB player in this game. Hermosillo was impressive this spring, hitting .292/.419/500. Small sample size alert, that’s 7-for-24. He’s 27 and it’s probably now or never to establish himself as a MLB player. He’s got talent and it would be great for him, as a Chicago-area native (Ottawa High School), to become a solid contributor to the team he grew up rooting for.

Michael Rucker, who appears to have made the Opening Day roster, allowed an unearned run in the first inning due to a passed ball on John Hicks. Cubs fielders made five errors in this game, but since all of them were by guys who won’t be in the big leagues this year, I’m not concerned. That made seven of the Rangers’ xx runs unearned.

Scott Effross threw another scoreless inning. He hasn’t allowed a run all spring in seven innings, with a WHIP of 0.857 and eight strikeouts. Again, small sample size, but I expect him to be a solid contributor to the pen.

Old friend Spencer Patton threw the ninth inning against a bunch of Cubs minor leaguers. He hit a batter and allowed a hit, but struck out a pair in a scoreless inning that ended this one.

That’s about it, really, for this one.

The Rangers announcers are pretty laid-back, I have to say. Otherwise their broadcast was good. Still not enamored of the Bally Sports scorebox.

That concludes the Cactus League season; the Cubs posted a 11-7-3 record. That, as has been noted, means nothing. Everything starts for real Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field, weather permitting, when the Cubs will face the Brewers at 1:20 p.m. CT. Kyle Hendricks will go for the Cubs and the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, Corbin Burnes, will start for Milwaukee. TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.