Marcus Stroman allowed just two hits over six more strong innings, and Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ each delivered two-out RBIs, as the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Texas Rangers 2-0 on Friday.

After Stroman (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out eight with three walks in six innings of Chicago’s 4-0 home victory over Milwaukee on Opening Day, the right-hander on Friday yielded singles to Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Smith, and fanned six while walking three.

The Rangers, 1-3 following an opening three-game sweep of Philadelphia, had runners on first and second with one out in the first and failed to score, then loaded the bags versus Stroman in the sixth with two out, but Josh Jung grounded out to second to end the inning.

Stroman has allowed two runs and 17 hits over 32 innings while winning each of his last five home starts.

Corey Seager’s eighth-inning double was the only other hit for Texas, which totaled 27 runs against Philadelphia in its first two games, but just nine in the last five. The Rangers have already been shut out twice in 2023.

The Cubs, meanwhile, didn’t record their first hit against Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (1-1) until the fourth inning. However, they opened the scoring that inning when Dansby Swanson reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and came home on Bellinger’s two-out single to right field.

Chicago, which has split its first six games of the season, added its next in the sixth when Rangers center fielder Adolis Garcia couldn’t corral Happ’s two-out drive that resulted in a double, and scored Tucker Barnhart. That also ended the day for Eovaldi, who in addition to those two runs, gave up five hits and walked one while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings.

Nico Hoerner had two hits for the Cubs. Teammate Michael Fulmer fanned four while pitching the eighth and ninth innings for his first save of the season.

The Rangers have lost 15 of their last 19 road games.

–Field Level Media