Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (2/22/25): Cubs 7, White Sox 3 – Steele Sharp in First Spring Start

The Cubs welcomed the White Sox to Sloan Park on Saturday afternoon with Justin Steele getting his first action of the season. Steele was on his game and Chicago’s offense had another big inning early en route to a third consecutive win.

The Cubs lefty hurler piled up five strikeouts in two scoreless frames of work. Steele was so efficient that he threw an additional inning in the bullpen after his outing. Things did not go as well for White Sox starter Jared Shuster, who got tagged for five runs in the bottom of the 2nd.

Ben Cowles doubled home a run while Kevin Alcántara and Michael Busch each had RBI singles to build the 5-0 advantage. Cowles mashed a solo homer and Busch doubled in another to put the North Siders on top 7-2 in the 4th inning.

Several important relievers including Julian Merryweather and Porter Hodge made their first appearances of the spring Saturday as the Cubs rolled to a 7-3 victory. (Box score)

Key Moment

Steele being very sharp and using pinpoint location to rack up strikeouts was a good sign for the season ahead.

Why the Cubs Won

Scoring early and often has been an excellent strategy so far this spring.

Stats That Matter

• Nothing to complain about from Steele Saturday: 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 5 K, and 0 BB.
• Busch looks good early with two hits and three RBIs in this game.
• Cowles, acquired from the Yankees in the Mark Leiter Jr. trade, put a couple of nice swings on the ball.

Bottom Line

Depth may be an issue but the Cubs could have a very solid rotation this season. That’s especially true of the two lefties at the top: Steele and Shōta Imanaga.

On Deck

The Cubs stay in Mesa for a home game against the Texas Rangers on Sunday at 2:05pm CT. Kyle Tucker is expected to make his first appearance for Chicago with television coverage available on Marquee.

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