HAYDN McGeary blasted a two-run home run in the eighth inning to break a tie and send the host Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in their spring training finale in Mesa, Arizona on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).
Dansby Swanson went 2-for-2 with an RBI double and Carter Trice also had two hits for the Cubs. Trice hit an RBI single in the fifth to knot the game at 2-2 and he singled ahead of McGeary’s homer.
Cubs starter Ben Brown went 4 1/3 innings and struck out four while scattering six hits and two runs. Samuel Armstrong (1-0) fanned six with just one hit in four scoreless innings.
Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run homer to supply Atlanta’s runs. Shay Schanaman (0-1) gave up the go-ahead homer to McGeary.
In other games, it was the Twins 5, Rockies 3; Marlins 4, Yankees 2; Royals 3, Rangers 1; and Guardians 3, Diamondbacks 2.
Twins 5, Rockies 3
Kyler Fedko and Jeferson Morales hit back-to-back RBI singles to break a 3-3 tie and host Minnesota went on to beat Colorado in Fort Myers, Fla.
Trevor Larnach hit a two-run homer for the Twins, whose starter Chris Paddack struck out five and yielded two runs on two hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.
Hunter Goodman had a two-run blast for the Rockies. Starter German Marquez lasted 4 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on six hits.
Marlins 4, Yankees 2
Matt Mervis and Graham Pauley went deep to deliver Miami a win over New York in an exhibition game at the Marlins’ home ballpark.
Max Meyer (1-2) struck out three and gave up five hits and two runs (one earned) in a five-inning start for the Marlins. Four relief pitchers threw a hitless inning apiece.
Cody Bellinger provided the Yankees’ runs by hitting a solo homer in the first inning and coming home on a throwing error in the fourth. Will Warren (4-1) struck out six but gave up four runs on five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
