Justin Steele Dominates as Cubs Beat Angels 5-1 In Series Opener

The Chicago Cubs are riding high thanks to back-to-back wins. A dominant performance on Thursday against the Phillies gave way to a complete game from starter Justin Steele.

With the Angels in town, the Cubs need to capitalize in this series. They got off to a great start on Friday at a time of need. If Steele can continue his dominant stretch, it will go a long way in the Cubs returning to the top of the NL Central.

For once, it felt like the visiting team didn't have a chance in this game. The Cubs were in cruise control and it was refreshing to see it.

Tale of the Tape

The Cubs were firmly in the driver's seat at the very start of this game. Even a walk to Nolan Schanuel in the 1st inning was nothing to sweat thanks to the dominant performance of Justin Steele.

The lefty was at his best on Friday and his offense finally paid back for his efforts. A Seiya Suzuki solo shot in the bottom of the 1st inning gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead out of the gate.

With a lead in hand, Steele went about his business further. After an injury took a good chunk of his 2024 season, it is a welcome sign to see that it has not affected him after.

Through all nine innings, Steele gave up 2 hits to Angels' hitters. An RBI single from Taylor Ward gave them their only run as well. The Cubs are certainly grateful for his heroics due to their bad bullpen this season.

The Cubs were not done after Suzuki's home run. Ian Happ is on fire at the plate and Friday is no different. His first of two RBI singles put the team up 3-0 in the 3rd.

Nico Hoerner put the final nail in the coffin for the Angels on Friday thanks to his own RBI single that put the Cubs further in the lead at 5-1 after 6 innings.

To end this game, Steele made it to 95 pitches before he put a stamp on his incredible start. A rested bullpen should prove dividends for the remainder of this series. The Cubs clearly have the momentum moving forward.

Takeaways

Now with back-to-back wins, the Cubs are playing with a chip on their shoulder heading into Saturday. It's not the first time that they have gotten hopes up this season.

While Friday was encouraging, it's still fair to reserve some judgment on just how this team plays moving forward. If the offense can continue to heat up, it will help quell a lot of problems that this team faces right now.

The Cubs' heart of the order is starting to do its job in unison for once. It will be interesting to see just how long they can keep it up.

What's On Tap Next?

To keep the good times rolling, the Cubs will need starter Kyle Hendricks to turn things around after a disastrous start on Sunday. The Angels will send LHP Tyler Anderson to the mound to oppose him. First pitch is at 1:20 PM CDT on Marquee Sports Network.

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