Brett Cecil struggles in finale with Cubs

There were also questions to be asked of Cecil, the left-handed reliever who signed a four-year, $30.5-million free-agent deal with the Cardinals in November.

Cecil dressed and left the clubhouse while reporters were in another room talking to Matheny. Cecil faced three left-handed hitters in the seventh and allowed a walk to Jay, a single to Anthony Rizzo and the 404-foot homer to Schwarber.

“After that strikeout, after that play, it changed everything,” Molina said. “We got the walk on JJ; he got a good at-bat. The first pitch (against Schwarber), we tried to go away and we missed in the middle. That was a good swing by Kyle. But if we get that first out, everything changes.”

Cecil, a veteran of eight major-league seasons in Toronto, had limited left-handed hitters to a .226 average and 18 home runs in 809 at-bat in his career.

Cecil allowed seven runs on 10 hits in seven innings in spring training.

“You do have a strikeout there,” Matheny said of the out against Szczur that wasn’t recorded. “Right there close with Jay, too. A couple different things happen and that inning looks different. You can’t take away the home run, but ...”

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Brett Cecil struggles in finale with Cubs."