Cubs Dominate Diamondbacks 8-1 with Swanson and Kelly’s Home Runs

In a breezy afternoon at Sloan Park, the Chicago Cubs showcased their power, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-1. Dansby Swanson and Carson Kelly each launched home runs, proving that the wind was no factor for their impressive swings.

The Cubs wasted no time getting on the board, scoring two runs in the first inning. Michael Busch set the stage with a leadoff double, followed by Nico Hoerner’s triple that rattled around the right-field corner, allowing him to reach third base. One out later, Swanson delivered with a single, bringing Hoerner home.

Pitcher Colin Rea faced some early challenges, giving up a couple of hits in the first inning. However, he quickly regained his composure, retiring eight of the next nine batters. A standout moment came when Kevin Alcántara made a spectacular diving catch in center field, showcasing his defensive prowess. Rea’s only blemish was a homer allowed to Pavin Smith to lead off the fourth inning. He finished the day with six strikeouts and 57 pitches, 41 of which were strikes.

The Cubs’ offense continued to roll, extending their lead to 4-0 in the third inning. After Ian Happ walked with two outs, Swanson stepped up and delivered a powerful opposite-field home run, a testament to his growing confidence at the plate. The Cubs were firmly in control by the fifth inning when Carson Kelly also went deep, driving in Michael Conforto, who had reached second base.

With the score at 7-1, the Cubs’ bullpen maintained the momentum with solid performances from Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Caleb Thielbar, and Corbin Martin. Luke Little, despite throwing a scoreless eighth, struggled with command, walking two batters and raising concerns about his potential placement in the upcoming season.

In a notable moment, Brady Counsell, son of Craig Counsell and a recent 10th-round pick by the Diamondbacks, made his appearance in the seventh inning and was one of the two batters Little walked in the eighth.

Attendance for the game was impressive, with 12,824 fans filling the stands, bringing the total for the spring season to 92,201 over eight games, averaging 11,525 fans per game.

Looking ahead, the Cubs are set to play their first spring night game of 2026 against the San Diego Padres on Friday in Peoria. Ben Brown will take the mound for the Cubs, while Germán Márquez will pitch for the Padres. Fans can catch the action at 8:10 p.m. CT on Padres TV and MLB Network, along with radio coverage on KWFN 97.3.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.