Cubs eager to rebound from 'challenging' performance vs. Angels

After being shut out just once at home last season, the Chicago Cubs matched that mark in 2026 with a 2-0 setback to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.

The Cubs will look to rebound from that loss in the rubber match of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.

Chicago rolled to a 7-2 victory in Monday's series opener as left fielder Ian Happ homered for the third straight game. Happ wasn't as electric the next night, though, going 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout Tuesday while four Angels pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout.

"We had four singles, four walks, one error ... challenging, for sure," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "But regardless, you've got to put more pressure on a pitcher in any situation, and we just didn't apply pressure (on Tuesday)."

The Cubs limited the Angels to five hits on Tuesday. Oswald Peraza doubled among his two hits while Logan O'Hoppe had a two-run single to account for lone runs of the game.

Angels leadoff man Zach Neto walked to start the night. He has six walks in as many games after walking only 33 times last season. Neto enters Wednesday with a .345 on-base percentage.

"The past couple years I've been super aggressive, especially on 3-2 (counts), just trying to do too much maybe and swinging at pitches that the pitcher wants me to swing at," Neto said. "I think the league has noticed that I'm a very aggressive hitter. It's just a matter of slowing everything down and taking my pitches when I need to.

Wednesday's pitching matchup will pit a pair of left-handers looking to improve on their first starts of the season.

Chicago's Matthew Boyd (0-1, 14.73 ERA) scuffled Thursday in his first career Opening Day start. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings against the Washington Nationals, allowing six runs and six hits, including a home run, while walking one and striking out seven in a 10-4 loss.

While Boyd pledged to move past a poor performance, he still used the word "awesome" to describe the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day and called the energy "great."

"Regardless of the result, it's still a really special day and I'm really grateful to be a part of it," Boyd said. "Obviously, I wish it was a different result."

Los Angeles' Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 4.15 ERA) took a no-decision against the host Houston Astros on Friday but ultimately contributed to an Angels win. The southpaw spaced two runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.

As with Boyd, Kikuchi surrendered a home run, but blasts from Josh Lowe, Mike Trout and Neto helped Los Angeles to a 6-2 victory.

Boyd is 2-1 with a 2.41 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) vs. the Angels. He has 17 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings.

Kikuchi will face the Cubs for the first time in his career. He has pitched against every other major league team.

--Field Level Media