Chicago Cubs: Jason Heyward attacked by swarm of bees in loss to Mariners

With the Chicago Cubs figuring out who will take the final remaining spots on the Opening Night roster, one of their key outfielders found himself in an odd situation. We’ve seen sprinklers go off during games but what happened yesterday is definitely rare to see.

Right-hander Jason Hammel was having himself a fantastic spring until he ran into a brick wall against the Seattle Mariners. Skipper Joe Maddon announced that Hammel will be the Chicago Cubs No. 4 starter, so at least, he’s in the starting rotation.

In 4 1/3 innings of work, the Mariners tagged him for nine earned runs on eight hits, two homers, three walks and four strikeouts. It raised his earned run average up to 5.12 and resulted in him picking up his first loss of the spring.

His counterpart, on the other hand, was issued the win despite giving up seven earned runs himself. 27-year-old southpaw James Paxton was hammered for nine hits, three of which left the yard.

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Leadoff man Dexter Fowler continued to swing a hot bat for the Cubs, clubbing his third homer of the spring during the bottom of the first inning of play. His solo bomb made it a one-run game shortly after Robinson Cano connected on his first of three big flies.

Yes, the former New York Yankees All-Star second baseman took Hammel deep twice and made Trevor Cahill a victim later on in the game. He finished 4-for-4 with three homers and seven RBI, leading the way in the 12-9 victory for the Mariners.

Shortly after outfielder Jason Heyward was attacked by a swarm of bees, he jumped all over Paxton for a two-run homer of his own. The attack resulted in the game being delayed and he even jumped on the fence in an attempt of getting away.

As for the other nine runs that scored for the Cubs, shortstop Addison Russell and outfielder Matt Szczur each hit a home run of their own. Szczur is hoping to win a spot on the Opening Night roster as he’s out of minor-league options.

Next: Who will get the final roster spot?

The 26-year-old played all three positions in the outfield over the course of the game and was the only player in the lineup who wasn’t swapped. Maybe that’s a sign of him possibly making the 25-man roster.

All we know is the next couple of days will be important for Szczur. It’s pretty much due or die at this point. There’s a slight chance he’ll clear waivers but if teams are smart, they’d take the opportunity of scooping him up.

With the Chicago Cubs figuring out who will take the final remaining spots on the Opening Night roster, one of their key outfielders found himself in an odd situation. We’ve seen sprinklers go off during games but what happened yesterday is definitely rare to see.

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