Cubs 1, Guardians 0: A 1968 throwback game

During the Marquee Sports Network broadcast of the Cubs’ 1-o win over the Guardians in Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader, Jim Deshaies referred to it as the headline reads: “a throwback from 1968.” That year was known as “The Year of The Pitcher,” with runs down all across MLB. The Cubs won four games by 1-0 that year, and lost six — and all six of the losses were started by Fergie Jenkins.

This game was much like things were back then, particularly the way the Cubs scored their only run of the game — a walk, a pinch-runner, a sacrifice bunt and another hit scoring said pinch-runner.

This game was the Cubs’ first 1-0 win since Aug. 1, 2025, when they defeated the Orioles by that score at Wrigley Field — in just one hour, 49 minutes! This one was a bit longer (2:37) but still satisfying.

Edward Cabrera didn’t allow any hits through five innings and just one overall in six, but he had trouble throwing strikes. That was his biggest issue when he was with the Marlins, and hopefully it won’t continue to be so as a Cub. Today Cabrera threw 97 pitches, and only 51 were strikes. Nevertheless, he had the Guardians off balance enough to get through six scoreless innings.

Here’s more on Cabrera’s outing [VIDEO].

More on Cabrera from BCB’s JohnW53:

Edward Cabrera has allowed no runs in 11.2 innings. Only four Cubs yielded none and pitched as many or more innings in their first two starts of a season:
18: Bill Lee, 1934
15: Mike Prendergast, 1916
15: Mike Bielecki, 1991
12: Marcus Stroman, 2023
Randy Wells, in 2009, and Matthew Boyd, in 2025, pitched 11.

And still more:

Cabrera gave up one hit and walked five. Only 10 previous Cubs starters had done that. Four were knocked out in 1.0 to 2.1 innings.
The six others, in chronological order:
June 22, 1913: George Pierce (5.0, no runs)
May 2, 1943: Dick Barrett (7.0, one unearned run)
May 30, 1964: Sterling Slaughter (7.0, no runs)
April 8, 1978: Ray Burris (7.0, three runs, one earned)
Oct. 6, 2001: Julian Tavarez (7.1, two runs, both earned)
June 1, 2008: Ted Lilly (6.0, no runs)

The Cubs got some great defense helping keep the game scoreless. Here’s a nice play from Michael Busch in the second [VIDEO].

And here’s Miguel Amaya throwing out Brayan Rocchio trying to steal in the third [VIDEO].

Cabrera got in trouble in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs on a couple of walks after the hit that broke up any idea of a no-hit bid. Caleb Thielbar entered and got out of the jam [VIDEO].

The Cubs finally got on the board in the eighth with the plays I noted at the top of this post. Michael Conforto led off with a walk. Dylan Carlson — hey there, finally getting in a game! — ran for him. Matt Shaw laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, with Carlson advancing to second.

Amaya’s single to right scored Carlson [VIDEO].

Regarding Carlson’s first Cubs appearance, from John:

All players before Dylan Carlson today who did not bat and scored a run in their first game as a Cub, after having played for at least one other MLB team:
Doc Marshall, on June 1, 1908
Tony La Russa, on April 6, 1973 (scored the winning run on a ninth-inning walk-off walk to Rick Monday on Opening Day)
Leonys Martin, on Sep. 4, 2017
Twelve others turned the trick in their MLB debut as a Cub. Mike Fontenot, on April 13, 2005, was the only one of those since the start of 1974.

Hoby Milner got in trouble with a leadoff HBP in the eighth, but got out of it thanks in part to this slick double play [VIDEO].

The Cubs didn’t score in the ninth and Daniel Palencia came on for the save opportunity, his first of 2026. He had no trouble dispatching the Guardians 1-2-3. Here’s the final out — at 100 miles per hour [VIDEO].

Last fun fact from this game, as noted on the broadcast: The three combined hits in this game were the fewest since the Cubs and Dodgers combined for just one hit in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965.

The Cubs will go for a doubleheader sweep shortly, probably 40-45 minutes after this recap posts. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and rookie Parker Messick goes for Cleveland. All the pitcher preview info and other information about Game 2 can be found in this doubleheader preview article. There will be a “Live!” pitch thread posting at just a few minutes before the first pitch of Game 2.