CLEVELAND (Interstat) — In a tense, masterfully pitched duel where hits were a precious commodity, Miguel Amaya’s eighth-inning single broke a scoreless tie and lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday at Progressive Field.

The game, a brisk affair lasting 2 hours and 37 minutes, was defined by dominant starting pitching and squandered opportunities until the Cubs broke through against the Guardians’ bullpen. The victory evened the Cubs’ record at 4-4, while Cleveland fell to 5-4.

The afternoon contest was a stark contrast to the pregame projections, which heavily favored offense. The combined total of one run shattered the over/under line of 7.5, and the Cubs’ narrow win defied both Interstat’s game simulator, which predicted a 4-3 Guardians victory, and its ELO system, which gave Cleveland a slight 50.9% probability to win.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the sixth and the top of the eighth innings. Cleveland’s CJ Kayfus led off the sixth with a double off Cubs starter Edward Cabrera, the Guardians’ first hit of the game. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third with one out. The Guardians then loaded the bases with two outs via a fielder’s choice and two walks, presenting their best scoring chance. Cabrera, however, escaped the jam by inducing a pop-out from Bo Naylor, preserving the stalemate and ending his afternoon after 5 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball.

That missed opportunity proved costly. In the top of the eighth, Chicago’s Michael Conforto worked a leadoff walk against Cleveland reliever Connor Brogdon. Pinch-runner Dylan Carlson advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Shaw. Amaya then stepped in and lined a sharp single to right field, scoring Carlson easily for the game’s only run.

The pitching on both sides was exceptional. Cubs top star Edward Cabrera continued his brilliant start to the season, following up his opening day gem against the Los Angeles Angels with another scoreless outing, striking out four. He was matched nearly pitch-for-pitch by Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi, who was even more dominant, allowing just one hit over six innings while striking out six.

The Cubs bullpen completed the shutout with 3 1/3 perfect innings. Caleb Thielbar earned the win, recording four outs. Daniel Palencia pitched a flawless ninth, striking out one, to secure his first save of the season.

Brogdon took the loss for Cleveland, his first of the year, after surrendering the decisive run in the eighth. Guardians relievers Tim Herrin and Peyton Pallette had earlier combined for three strikeouts over two perfect innings in relief of Cecconi.

Offense was virtually nonexistent. The Cubs managed only two hits—the third-inning single by Conforto and the game-winning hit by Amaya. The Guardians were held to one hit, the sixth-inning double by Kayfus. Both teams combined to go 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

The game was a quick turnaround from Friday’s series opener, which Cleveland won 4-1. The Cubs now look ahead to a three-game series at Tampa Bay beginning Monday, while the Guardians will host the Kansas City Royals for three games starting Monday. The two teams were set to conclude their series with the second game of the doubleheader Sunday evening.