Watch Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman shut down the Rangers

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman was on the mound on Friday, where he shut down a powerful Texas Rangers lineup and limited them to just 1 unearned run on the day.

Stroman was taken out of the game after throwing 5 and 2/3 innings with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. The only run scored on his watch was after a fielding error by third baseman Nick Madrigal on a ball hit by Ranger outfielder Robbie Grossman. A subsequent groundout by catcher Sandy Leon scored left fielder Josh Smith to put the Rangers on the board, but keep Stroman's ERA clean on the day. 5 total hits were given up by Stroman, but he kept the ball in the yard against a Rangers lineup that hit the fourth-most home runs in the American League last season.

Stroman's outing was encouraging as it continues a string of impressive starts not only in Spring Training but also in the World Baseball Classic for team Puerto Rico. Friday's game will be Stroman's last until he toes the rubber on Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers. That contest will take place at Wrigley Field on Thursday, March 30th at 1:20 Central Time, and Stroman will be opposed by former National League Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes.

This will be Stroman's third time getting the nod on Opening Day, as he received the honor twice while pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016 and 2019. The 31-year-old is looking to lead a deep Chicago pitching staff and improve upon his 2022 campaign, where he started 22 games with a 3.50 ERA. The Cubs vastly improved defense should be very beneficial to Stroman's numbers as his heavy reliance on sinkers induces a lot of balls in play.