Back to the Chicago Cubs Newsfeed

Royals 8, Cubs 6: A tale of two games

In 2016, the Cubs did not have a first- or second-round draft pick because of the signings of John Lackey and Jason Heyward.

So their first pick that year was third-round righthander Thomas Hatch out of Oklahoma State. Hatch pitched last year at Double-A and had a decent year (3.82 ERA, 1.309 WHIP in 26 starts).

Tuesday night was the first time he pitched in a big-league spring game, and it was not successful. Hatch was pounded for six hits, two walks, eight runs (seven earned) and a home run and though the Cubs mounted a late comeback, they lost 8-6 to the Royals, fielding a team of subs and non-roster guys against a Kansas City team that featured most of their regulars.