CHICAGO — Runs were always going to be at a premium with the frigid conditions at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night.
The Angels had just enough timely hits coupled with another strong outing from Opening Day starter José Soriano to beat the Cubs 2-0 on an icy, 44-degree night where the winds were howling in at 15 mph.
Soriano and his counterpart, Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon, kept both lineups at bay, using the elements to their advantage. The Angels, though, were able to finally break through in the sixth. Jorge Soler had a leadoff walk, then advanced to third on a Jeimer Candelario double that eluded Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field.
Cubs right-hander Phil Maton picked up two outs, but his 1-2 curveball to Logan O’Hoppe hung enough in the strike zone for the Angels catcher to rip a 104.6 mph ground ball that clipped past Alex Bregman to left field, plating the two runs.
Those two runs felt a little safer with the weather and the way Soriano was pitching. The 27-year-old threw six shutout innings for the second outing in a row, striking out four while permitting just two hits and two walks. He induced 10 whiffs and continued his road dominance from last year. Soriano had a 2.91 ERA in 16 starts away from Angel Stadium in 2025, compared to a 5.90 ERA at home.
“Maybe it’s just one of those weird things that happen,” manager Kurt Suzuki said before the game. “I don’t know if he’s thinking about it, but I’m surely not. Whenever he takes the ball, I’m excited and feel like we have a good shot to win.”