Key keywords: Cactus League 2024, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, MLB spring training, Cactus League finale, Brewers vs Cubs exhibition, Arizona spring training, MLB Opening Day 2024 The 2024 Major League Baseball Cactus League slate officially drew to a close on Wednesday afternoon, with the Chicago Cubs delivering a dominant 18-3 blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, marking a lopsided end to the month-long spring training series held across the Grand Canyon State. The Cubs wasted no time getting their offense rolling, putting up 8 runs in the bottom of the second inning against Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, who was making his final spring tune-up before his scheduled Opening Day start next week. Peralta lasted just 2.1 innings, giving up 9 earned runs on 10 hits, a rough final outing that he later attributed to experimenting with a new slider grip rather than focusing on securing outs. The Cubs’ lineup kept the pressure on through the middle innings, with top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong notching a two-run home run in the fourth inning and finishing the day 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs, while veteran first baseman Cody Bellinger added two doubles and three runs scored. The team’s bullpen also put in a solid shift, with four relievers combining to give up just 1 earned run across 6 innings of work. For the Brewers, the loss snapped a 5-game Cactus League winning streak, though the team’s coaching staff emphasized that the result carried little weight ahead of the regular season. Former MVP Christian Yelich was one of the few bright spots for Milwaukee, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, as most of the team’s regular position players exited the game after the fifth inning to make room for minor league call-ups getting late-spring reps. Brewers manager Craig Counsell noted post-game that the team had already finalized 90% of their opening day roster before the finale, so the lopsided score would not impact any final roster decisions. This year’s Cactus League drew a record 2.16 million fans across 249 exhibition games, marking a 7% increase from 2023 attendance numbers, as baseball fans flocked to Arizona to catch early looks at their favorite teams. With spring training now officially in the books, both teams will travel back to their home markets this week to finalize their 26-man rosters ahead of Opening Day next Thursday. The Cubs are set to host the Cincinnati Reds in their first regular season game, while the Brewers will hit the road to take on the Minnesota Twins.