The Chicago Cubs split their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks to kick off the U.S. portion of their 2025 schedule.

The Chicago Cubs were on the verge of taking the series thanks to Kyle Tucker’s three-run home run when an eighth-inning bullpen meltdown thwarted those efforts.

The Cubs are hoping the addition of All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker helps get them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Matthew Boyd is making his Cubs debut this afternoon. He didn’t have a good spring, but his last outing, March 16 vs. the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, was good: four shutout innings with six strikeouts. Current members of the Diamondbacks are batting a small sample size .

The Chicago Cubs kicked off the regular season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan.

The Cubs did enough this winter to improve the roster, but some big holes put a real ceiling on what this team can accomplish.

In the top of the second inning, Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson took Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodríguez deep, absolutely mashing his first home run of the season to deep left field and putting Chicago up 1-0 early: Dansby Swanson powers his first HR of the season to give the @Cubs the lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/BOrBnjWvUs

The Chicago Cubs have had the chance to build through their farm system and with young talent acquisitions in recent years.