MLB Recap · February 21, 2026

Texas Rangers at Chicago Cubs: Final Score & Recap

TEX3
Final
CHC2

Line Score

Team123456789RHE
TEX0102000003100
CHC010100000291

The Story

The Texas Rangers held off the Chicago Cubs 3-2 at Sloan Park on February 21, 2026, completing the road win after the DiamondIQ model's estimate of a Cubs victory opened at 54% before the game and fell to 0% by the final out. Texas built its margin across two innings, scratching out a run in the second and then pulling ahead with two more in the fourth, while Chicago answered with single runs in the second and fourth to keep the game close through nine innings. The Rangers finished with ten hits and no errors against the Cubs' nine hits and one error.

The decisive sequences came in clusters. Sam Haggerty's double off Hoby Milner in the top of the fourth was the Rangers' single biggest offensive swing, shifting win probability 20.4 points in Texas's favor and contributing to the two-run inning that proved to be the game's margin. Chicago's best chance to respond in the bottom half evaporated quickly, as Carson Kelly grounded into a forceout off Cole Stasio at a cost of 9.4 win-probability points for the Cubs, and Pete Crow-Armstrong followed with a pop out that shed another 8.7 points. The Cubs threatened again in the eighth, but Ariel Armas's forceout off Ben Anderson swung momentum 18.7 points back toward Texas. The game ended in the ninth when Hayden Cantrelle struck out against Wilian Bormie, a sequence that moved 31.6 points of win probability to the Rangers' ledger and closed out the victory.

Cantrelle led all position players with a WPA of plus-34.2, while Haggerty added plus-24.9 with a RE24 of plus-3.1 that reflected his direct run-environment contribution. Jefferson Rojas rounded out the top offensive contributors at plus-11.4 WPA. On the mound, Ben Anderson paced the Rangers pitching staff at plus-23.3 WPA, with Cole Stasio contributing plus-18.1 and Patrick Murphy adding plus-9.7 to secure the 3-2 final.

Analysis generated by DiamondIQ's model.

Win Probability

755025TEX bats firstFinalCHC win %TEX win %
DiamondIQ model home win probability across the game (pre-game 54% → final 0%).

Biggest Plays by Win-Probability Added

Hayden Cantrelle Strikeout
Bot 9th · off Wilian Bormie
+31.6%
Sam Haggerty Double
Top 4th · off Hoby Milner
+20.4%
Ariel Armas Forceout
Bot 8th · off Ben Anderson
-18.7%
Carson Kelly Forceout
Bot 4th · off Cole Stasio
-9.4%
Bot 4th · off Cole Stasio
-8.7%

Top Batters by WPA

Hayden Cantrelle+34.2%+0.0 RE24
Sam Haggerty+24.9%+3.1 RE24
Jefferson Rojas+11.4%+1.3 RE24

Top Pitchers by WPA

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