It's a busy weekend for the Chicago Cubs with a total of 5 games, one each day that is on TV. Yesterday the Cubs took on the Brewers in Maryvale while the other half of the team played in Las Vegas against the White Sox. Today, the Cubs have two more game, which we'll preview later in the post.
Brewers 12, Cubs 3
Yesterday it was almost like a day-night double-header since the first game, which started at 2:00 CT, was available for listening on MLB.com and the second game, starting at 9, was on TV. It was a great day of baseball to see a lot of guys in the organization. In game 1, Jeff Samardzija took the hill against Milwaukee in Maryvale. He struggled through 2 innings, giving up 2 longs balls and a total of 4 ER on 5 hits and a walk. One of the homers the Shark allowed was to former Cub Jim Edmonds, who's with the Brewers on a NRI.
Marcos Mateo's wildness cost the Cubs in the 5th when he gave up 5 ER, 5 BB, and 2 H. Mateo, who's the brother of former Cub Juan Mateo, still has an outside chance of making the team as a reliever, but he'll have to bear down the rest of the way. Rafael Dolis got his first appearance of the spring and surrendered 2 ER in 1.1 IP.
Most of the Cubs also had bad days at the plate. Starlin Castro went 0-3, Alfonso Soriano 0-1, Bobby Scales 0-2, and Koyie Hill 1-2. The most concerning story of the day was that Derrek Lee was scratched from Lou Piniella's lineup just before the start of the game. Lee has a bruise on his foot after fouling a ball off it Thursday. He could be back in the lineup today. Brian LaHair, who took Lee's place, went 0-4.
There were some positives in the Cubs' blowout loss at the hands of their division rivals. Tyler Colvin went 2-3, which actually lowered his beastly average to .556. Colvin had a triple against Doug Davis. Aramis Ramirez ripped an RBI double. James Aducci also had a 2-bagger, one of two hits for the young outfielder on the day. John Grabow allowed 2 hits in his inning and an error lead to an unearned run. Grabow didn't look bad and was able to get out of it with minimal damage. James Russell, who's hoping to catch the eye of Lou and his staff, still has an ERA of 0.00 after working around 2 hits and a walk today in 1.2 innings.
Because of the Split Squads, there were a number of guys from the minor league camp that got the chance to dress for the major league games. Jeremy Papelbon faced 2 men, one singled but the other was retired. Second baseman Logan Watkins singled in his only AB. Blake Lalli, Junior Lake, Nelson Perez, Smaily Borgues (who?), and Brandon Guyer all also got into the game. All of them recorded outs in their only ABs.
Cubs 6, White Sox 5
Last night the rest of the Cubs team took the field against the White Sox in Las Vegas at Cashman Field, which is the home of the Pacific Coast League's LV 51s. Tom Gorzelanny, another guy competing for a spot in the rotation, took the mound. Despite one bad inning, Gorzo out-pitched Samardzija by far yesterday. He pitched 3 innings and did not allow a hit, but 3 second inning walks and a wild pitch accounted for a White Sox run against him. Allan Trammell (acting manager) and Lester Strode (acting pitching coach) couldn't have been happy watching 3 straight walks and a wild one, but overall Tom pitched well. Ryan Theriot reached base 3 times out of the leadoff spot with a single and pair of walks. Kosuke was 0-2 but walked twice. Kevin Millar, who was the cleanup hitter, also went 0-2 with 2 walks. He was gunned downed trying to score on a tag play to end the first inning. The Cubs did score 2 runs in the frame before it was ended on the play at the plate.
Geovany Soto and Mike Fontenot also had big games. Fontenot went 3-4 with 2 RBIs, while Geo was 2-3 with a walk. Thomas Diamond allowed only 1 baserunner in his two scoreless innings of work to keep his ERA at 0.00. Sam Fuld has not hit well in Spring Training yet. He dropped a couple of almost-nice plays in foul territory to go along with his 0-5 day at the plate. Fuld's average dipped to .143. Jeff Baker got his first hit of the Cactus League, going 1-4 with an RBI. Xavier Nady (0-3) struck out twice.
After Diamond, the ball was turned over to some minor league hurlers. The Cubs had a 4-0 lead after 5, but that evaporate quickly when Jay Jackson gave up 3 ER in 0.2 IP. Mitch Atkins would come in to get out of that inning, but not before he allowed a base hit that brought in 2 of the runs that were charged to Jackson. The Cubs' bats went back to work in the top of the 7th, scoring 3 more runs. Hung-Wen Chen put a zero on the board in inning number 7. Brian Schlitter, a righty whom the Cubs acquired in the Scott Eyre deal several years back, allowed a run in the 8th to make it 6-5. Blake Parker walked 2 in the 9th to make it interesting, but he was able to get out of it to notch the save.
The only extra base hit for the Cubs was a triple by Josh Vitters, part of the 7th inning rally, that plated 2. DJ LeMahieu, the second round pick from '09, singled in his only trip to the plate.
Today's Games
Today, the Cubs have another split squad. In Las Vegas, they will look for the 2 game sweep of the White Sox at 3:05 CT. Ryan Dempster will pitch against Lucas Harrell. Sean Marshall will make his first start of the spring when the Cubs face the Reds, who are the newest members of the Cactus League, in Mesa. Marshall has pitched better than any of the other 3 rotation options at this point, so we'll see if he can keep it up. Today's game in Mesa is at 2:05 CT, but after the time change here tonight all the rest of the Spring Training games will start at 3:05 central. The game in Vegas will be on CSN with White Sox announcers, while the game against the Reds is available on MLB.com's Gameday Audio package.
That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!
Showing posts with label game recaps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game recaps. Show all posts
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Cubs Pull One Out
It wasn't pretty, but the Cubs got the job done today holding on for an 8-7 win against the San Diego Padres.
Most of the Cubs regulars stayed back in Mesa to work with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo instead of making the trip to Peoria. While the every day guys were getting their work in, we got the chance to see some guys who are fighting for roster spots compete.
Carlos Silva got his second Cactus League start. Coming off an awful first outing, Silva was able to bounce back with 3 scoreless innings. He really needed this strong outing today to stay in the race for the rotation. He did allow 4 hits and a walk, but managed to work around them.
The Cubs jumped right on Jon Garland early, sending him to the showers after just 1.2 innings. They chased him by scoring 2 in the first and twice more in the second. In the middle innings, the Cubs continued to add on and they felt comfortable with an 8-0 lead at the 7th inning stretch.
Then the defense fell apart. The Cubs made 4 errors on the day, and the sloppiness caused them to surrender 7 unearned runs in the final 3 innings. Jeff Stevens allowed 3 of those runs in just 0.2 innings. Stevens has a shot at making the roster, but so far has not pitched well this spring. Esmalin Caridad got rocked in the 9th for 3 runs on 4 hits. Caridad is going to be the Cubs primary right handed set-up man this season unless Hendry is able to add a piece to the bullpen.
Carlos Marmol's stuff looked sharp today as he worked a perfect 4th. David Patton and Vince Perkins both finally got into game action making their spring debuts. Patton, who made the club because of his microscopic ERA last spring, has continued his Cactus League success, while Perkins allowed 1 run. Lefty J.R. Mathes put a zero on the board in the 6th.
Chad Tracy, Josh Vitters, Bobby Scales, and Mike Fontenot all commited fielding errors today, leading to the 7 unearned runs. Fontenot did have a walk, a hit, and an RBI at the plate to help makeup for his miscue. Starlin Castro continued to live up to the hype today by going 2-3 with a solo homer, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, and a base on balls. Castro is hitting .571 so far in Cactus League action.
Brian LaHair and Tyler Colvin both started the game in the outfield. They had two hits a piece. Sam Fuld did not have a good day going 1-4 with 3 Ks. Catcher Robinson Chirinos hit a two run homer in the 6th inning. Josh Vitters reached base both times he came to the plate with a single and walk.
Micah Hoffpaur is another guy who has not helped his cause. He is fighting for one of the final bench spots, and is hitting just .083. He was 0-2 today.
Earlier this week, Lou used the following lineup and hinted that it very well could be the one we see on Opening Day:
Theriot, SS
Kosuke, RF
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Byrd, CF
Soriano, LF
Fontenot, 2B
Soto, C
Piniella did mention that Jeff Baker could still earn a starting job, but Jeff is hitting .000 in Cactus League play.
Time For Vegas
Lou Piniella and part of the team will stay behind to play two games in Arizona, but Alan Trammell will lead half of the squad to Las Vegas to play the White Sox twice this weekend. Tomorrow the Arizona split squad Cubs take on the Brewers at 2:05 CT. That game is not on Chicago TV or radio, but you can hear it if you have MLB.com's gameday audio package. The Vegas part of the team will take center stage in the nightcap, which starts at 9:00 CT on CSN Chicago. Jeff Samardzija will pitch against the Brewers tomorrow afternoon while Tom Gorzelanny faces the White Sox tomorrow night. The Cubs also have a split team on Saturday. Ryan Dempster will start in Vegas and Sean Marshall will get the nod against the Reds in Arizona. The Cubs will need 5 starting pitchers in the month of April, so the outings for Gorzo, Marshall, and Shark this weekend are very important as they battle for rotation spots.
That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!
Most of the Cubs regulars stayed back in Mesa to work with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo instead of making the trip to Peoria. While the every day guys were getting their work in, we got the chance to see some guys who are fighting for roster spots compete.
Carlos Silva got his second Cactus League start. Coming off an awful first outing, Silva was able to bounce back with 3 scoreless innings. He really needed this strong outing today to stay in the race for the rotation. He did allow 4 hits and a walk, but managed to work around them.
The Cubs jumped right on Jon Garland early, sending him to the showers after just 1.2 innings. They chased him by scoring 2 in the first and twice more in the second. In the middle innings, the Cubs continued to add on and they felt comfortable with an 8-0 lead at the 7th inning stretch.
Then the defense fell apart. The Cubs made 4 errors on the day, and the sloppiness caused them to surrender 7 unearned runs in the final 3 innings. Jeff Stevens allowed 3 of those runs in just 0.2 innings. Stevens has a shot at making the roster, but so far has not pitched well this spring. Esmalin Caridad got rocked in the 9th for 3 runs on 4 hits. Caridad is going to be the Cubs primary right handed set-up man this season unless Hendry is able to add a piece to the bullpen.
Carlos Marmol's stuff looked sharp today as he worked a perfect 4th. David Patton and Vince Perkins both finally got into game action making their spring debuts. Patton, who made the club because of his microscopic ERA last spring, has continued his Cactus League success, while Perkins allowed 1 run. Lefty J.R. Mathes put a zero on the board in the 6th.
Chad Tracy, Josh Vitters, Bobby Scales, and Mike Fontenot all commited fielding errors today, leading to the 7 unearned runs. Fontenot did have a walk, a hit, and an RBI at the plate to help makeup for his miscue. Starlin Castro continued to live up to the hype today by going 2-3 with a solo homer, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, and a base on balls. Castro is hitting .571 so far in Cactus League action.
Brian LaHair and Tyler Colvin both started the game in the outfield. They had two hits a piece. Sam Fuld did not have a good day going 1-4 with 3 Ks. Catcher Robinson Chirinos hit a two run homer in the 6th inning. Josh Vitters reached base both times he came to the plate with a single and walk.
Micah Hoffpaur is another guy who has not helped his cause. He is fighting for one of the final bench spots, and is hitting just .083. He was 0-2 today.
Earlier this week, Lou used the following lineup and hinted that it very well could be the one we see on Opening Day:
Theriot, SS
Kosuke, RF
Lee, 1B
Ramirez, 3B
Byrd, CF
Soriano, LF
Fontenot, 2B
Soto, C
Piniella did mention that Jeff Baker could still earn a starting job, but Jeff is hitting .000 in Cactus League play.
Time For Vegas
Lou Piniella and part of the team will stay behind to play two games in Arizona, but Alan Trammell will lead half of the squad to Las Vegas to play the White Sox twice this weekend. Tomorrow the Arizona split squad Cubs take on the Brewers at 2:05 CT. That game is not on Chicago TV or radio, but you can hear it if you have MLB.com's gameday audio package. The Vegas part of the team will take center stage in the nightcap, which starts at 9:00 CT on CSN Chicago. Jeff Samardzija will pitch against the Brewers tomorrow afternoon while Tom Gorzelanny faces the White Sox tomorrow night. The Cubs also have a split team on Saturday. Ryan Dempster will start in Vegas and Sean Marshall will get the nod against the Reds in Arizona. The Cubs will need 5 starting pitchers in the month of April, so the outings for Gorzo, Marshall, and Shark this weekend are very important as they battle for rotation spots.
That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Giants 5, Cubs 1 (Game Recap & More)
We'll get to the Milton Bradley stuff later in the post, but let's start off with a recap of today's Cactus League game. The Cubs hosted the Giants at HoHoKam Park for the first of two Cactus League meetings between the two clubs.
Big Z
Carlos Zambrano worked quickly through the first two innings, but then allowed 5 runs in the 3rd including a Pablo Sandoval grand slam. Big Z would go on to take the loss in the game.
The Cubs got one run back on Aramis Ramirez's second hit of the day in the fourth inning, an RBI single. After that, pitching dominated the game and the silent bats of the Cubs led to a 5-1 loss.
The Short Stops
There were a few bright spots on the offensive side, however. Ryan Theriot went 3-3 as his average climbed to .692! When Starlin Castro took over for Theriot as the Cub lead-off man and short stop, he too hit well. Castro went 2-2 with a pair of singles.
X Man
Xavier Nady made his Cactus League debut a day earlier than expected. Zambrano was willing to sacrifice his ABs to allowed Nady to DH today. Xavier looked good, going 1-2 with a walk. He most likely will travel with the half of the team that is going to Las Vegas to get some more at bats in.
The 0 fors
The Spring Training struggles of Jeff Baker continued today. He was in the lineup for the whole game- starting at second base and then shifting over to third when Ramirez departed. Baker was hitless in 4 trips to the plate, but he did draw a walk. Jeff, who's batting .000, will need to step it up in order to beat Mike Fontenot out for the majority of the second base playing time. Koyie Hill (0-3), Alfonso Soriano (0-3), James Adduci (0-4), Micah Hoffpauir (0-2), and Sam Fuld (0-2) all had bad days at the dish as well.
Lights Out Relievers
After Zambrano's rocky start, the Cubs pitching staff was terrific. John Grabow, Mike Parisi, Andrew Cashner, Thomas Diamond, John Gaub, and Justin Berg all worked scoreless innings. Grabow will be a key to the bullpen as one of the only veterans. The rest of the guys that pitched in this game are looking to win the final few open jobs in the pen. Berg and Diamond looked especially sharp, as they each retired the Giants in order. Thomas was picked up after he was let go by the Rangers last year, and is looking to bounce back from an injury. Justin came over as a minor leaguer in a trade with the Yankees a few years ago. Cashner was the Cubs first round draft choice in 2008, Parisi was drafted in the Rule 5 draft this winter, and Gaub came over in the Mark DeRosa trade in late 2008.
No Action For Dolis or Patton
As Chicago Cubs Online pointed out, the Cubs still have several players who have not gotten into any Cactus League games. Diamond pitched for the first time today, while David Patton, Vince Perkins, and Rafael Dolis have yet to take the mound. Patton is expected to start the year at AAA after he was hidden in the bullpen and on the DL in '09 so the organization could keep him. Dolis is a young prospect that the organization is very high on. Also, Steve Clevenger and Blake Lalli are position player who have not played in any Spring Training games yet. With Clevenger and Lalli, it is very surprising because there have been plenty of opportunities for Lou to get different guys in as defensive subs or pinch hitters. Perhaps there is an injury or some other situation that we do not know about.
Backup Outfield Update
Lou Piniella indicated yesterday that he will keep 5 outfielders on the roster to start the season. According to Carrie Muskat, Nady may not be able to throw at full strength until June. Piniella may not want to waste a roster spot on somebody that can pinch hit only, so the DL is a possibility. Right now, there's a good chance that one or possibility two of these young outfielder could break camp with the big club. Their Spring Training stats so far are included:
Jim Adduci: 6 games, .182 AVG
Tyler Colvin: 5 games, .545 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBIs
Brad Snyder: 5 games, .545 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBIs
Sam Fuld: 4 games, .200 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBIs
Right now, Colvin and Snyder have identical spring numbers. The Cubs are going to need 12 pitchers, so using 5 outfielders would leave them with only 6 infielders plus the 2 catchers. Ramirez, Lee, Fontenot, Baker, and Theriot are 5 infielders on the roster for sure. Therefore, the group of Hoffpauir, LaHair, Tracy, Blanco, and Millar may be competing for 1 spot, with the 4 outfielders listed competing for 1-2 spots depending on the health of Nady. Tyler Colvin and Sam Fuld are the front runners for winning roster spots, with Brad Snyder in the mix as a dark horse.
Can We Just Move On?
Milton Bradley is at it again. Click here for his interview with ESPN in which he describes Cub fans as racist and once again blames the city of Chicago for his failures while he was here. Jim Hendry said that Bradley needs to take a look in the mirror. Hendry and Lou both feel that it is 2010 now, and it's time to focus on 2010. Alfonso Soriano's message to Milton is to leave the negativity in the past. Sori says he thinks Milton is an OK guy. Ryan Dempster defended the city, and says that fans who pay good money to see the team play have every right to boo if they don't like what they see.
Cubs Idol
While Bradley is still discussing the Cubs, it's evident that the current team is much more relaxed. They are putting on their own version of American Idol behind closed doors. Younger players like Andrew Cashner, Jim Adduci, Brett Jackson, and Mike Parisi do the singing while veterans like Kevin Millar and Ryan Dempster put on the competition and serve as judges.
Injury Updates
Cubs LHP Ted Lilly through 30 pitches earlier this week and tossed 35 today. He is feeling good and is hoping to get into a few Spring Training game before the team leaves the valley. Still no word on whether or not Angel Guzman will have surgery or on a timetable for reliever Jeff Gray, who's been out since the start of camp with a groin injury. Andres Blanco is also still sidelined.
A Return of Kerry?
Several sources have mentioned that Kerry Wood could be an option for the Cubs bullpen. Phil Rogers puts him on a list that also includes Brad Ziegler, Jason Frasor, and Heath Bell, but Rogers thinks the Cubs would have to give up lots of talent in return for any of these guys.
Nomar to ESPN
Former Cubs short stop Nomar Garciapara has announced his retirement today. He will take a job as a TV analyst for ESPN. He hit .289 in his two years (2005-2006) in a Cub uniform, playing in just 105 total games.
Random Stat
Kosuke Fukudome hit just .132 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position last season, which was second worst in the league. He has to be better in the clutch in 2010.
Up Next
Tomorrow afternoon the Cubs take on the Padres at 2:05 PM CT in Peoria. The game will not be broadcast on Chicago TV or radio, but you can get it if you have MLB.com's gameday audio package via the Padres Radio Network. Carlos Silva, who has made some mechanical adjustments since his last outing, will take the hill against Jon Garland. On Friday, the Cubs have a split squad game with Jeff Samardzija facing the Brewers in Arizona and Tom Gorzelanny going against the White Sox in Las Vegas.
That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!
Big Z
Carlos Zambrano worked quickly through the first two innings, but then allowed 5 runs in the 3rd including a Pablo Sandoval grand slam. Big Z would go on to take the loss in the game.
The Cubs got one run back on Aramis Ramirez's second hit of the day in the fourth inning, an RBI single. After that, pitching dominated the game and the silent bats of the Cubs led to a 5-1 loss.
The Short Stops
There were a few bright spots on the offensive side, however. Ryan Theriot went 3-3 as his average climbed to .692! When Starlin Castro took over for Theriot as the Cub lead-off man and short stop, he too hit well. Castro went 2-2 with a pair of singles.
X Man
Xavier Nady made his Cactus League debut a day earlier than expected. Zambrano was willing to sacrifice his ABs to allowed Nady to DH today. Xavier looked good, going 1-2 with a walk. He most likely will travel with the half of the team that is going to Las Vegas to get some more at bats in.
The 0 fors
The Spring Training struggles of Jeff Baker continued today. He was in the lineup for the whole game- starting at second base and then shifting over to third when Ramirez departed. Baker was hitless in 4 trips to the plate, but he did draw a walk. Jeff, who's batting .000, will need to step it up in order to beat Mike Fontenot out for the majority of the second base playing time. Koyie Hill (0-3), Alfonso Soriano (0-3), James Adduci (0-4), Micah Hoffpauir (0-2), and Sam Fuld (0-2) all had bad days at the dish as well.
Lights Out Relievers
After Zambrano's rocky start, the Cubs pitching staff was terrific. John Grabow, Mike Parisi, Andrew Cashner, Thomas Diamond, John Gaub, and Justin Berg all worked scoreless innings. Grabow will be a key to the bullpen as one of the only veterans. The rest of the guys that pitched in this game are looking to win the final few open jobs in the pen. Berg and Diamond looked especially sharp, as they each retired the Giants in order. Thomas was picked up after he was let go by the Rangers last year, and is looking to bounce back from an injury. Justin came over as a minor leaguer in a trade with the Yankees a few years ago. Cashner was the Cubs first round draft choice in 2008, Parisi was drafted in the Rule 5 draft this winter, and Gaub came over in the Mark DeRosa trade in late 2008.
No Action For Dolis or Patton
As Chicago Cubs Online pointed out, the Cubs still have several players who have not gotten into any Cactus League games. Diamond pitched for the first time today, while David Patton, Vince Perkins, and Rafael Dolis have yet to take the mound. Patton is expected to start the year at AAA after he was hidden in the bullpen and on the DL in '09 so the organization could keep him. Dolis is a young prospect that the organization is very high on. Also, Steve Clevenger and Blake Lalli are position player who have not played in any Spring Training games yet. With Clevenger and Lalli, it is very surprising because there have been plenty of opportunities for Lou to get different guys in as defensive subs or pinch hitters. Perhaps there is an injury or some other situation that we do not know about.
Backup Outfield Update
Lou Piniella indicated yesterday that he will keep 5 outfielders on the roster to start the season. According to Carrie Muskat, Nady may not be able to throw at full strength until June. Piniella may not want to waste a roster spot on somebody that can pinch hit only, so the DL is a possibility. Right now, there's a good chance that one or possibility two of these young outfielder could break camp with the big club. Their Spring Training stats so far are included:
Jim Adduci: 6 games, .182 AVG
Tyler Colvin: 5 games, .545 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBIs
Brad Snyder: 5 games, .545 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBIs
Sam Fuld: 4 games, .200 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBIs
Right now, Colvin and Snyder have identical spring numbers. The Cubs are going to need 12 pitchers, so using 5 outfielders would leave them with only 6 infielders plus the 2 catchers. Ramirez, Lee, Fontenot, Baker, and Theriot are 5 infielders on the roster for sure. Therefore, the group of Hoffpauir, LaHair, Tracy, Blanco, and Millar may be competing for 1 spot, with the 4 outfielders listed competing for 1-2 spots depending on the health of Nady. Tyler Colvin and Sam Fuld are the front runners for winning roster spots, with Brad Snyder in the mix as a dark horse.
Can We Just Move On?
Milton Bradley is at it again. Click here for his interview with ESPN in which he describes Cub fans as racist and once again blames the city of Chicago for his failures while he was here. Jim Hendry said that Bradley needs to take a look in the mirror. Hendry and Lou both feel that it is 2010 now, and it's time to focus on 2010. Alfonso Soriano's message to Milton is to leave the negativity in the past. Sori says he thinks Milton is an OK guy. Ryan Dempster defended the city, and says that fans who pay good money to see the team play have every right to boo if they don't like what they see.
Cubs Idol
While Bradley is still discussing the Cubs, it's evident that the current team is much more relaxed. They are putting on their own version of American Idol behind closed doors. Younger players like Andrew Cashner, Jim Adduci, Brett Jackson, and Mike Parisi do the singing while veterans like Kevin Millar and Ryan Dempster put on the competition and serve as judges.
Injury Updates
Cubs LHP Ted Lilly through 30 pitches earlier this week and tossed 35 today. He is feeling good and is hoping to get into a few Spring Training game before the team leaves the valley. Still no word on whether or not Angel Guzman will have surgery or on a timetable for reliever Jeff Gray, who's been out since the start of camp with a groin injury. Andres Blanco is also still sidelined.
A Return of Kerry?
Several sources have mentioned that Kerry Wood could be an option for the Cubs bullpen. Phil Rogers puts him on a list that also includes Brad Ziegler, Jason Frasor, and Heath Bell, but Rogers thinks the Cubs would have to give up lots of talent in return for any of these guys.
Nomar to ESPN
Former Cubs short stop Nomar Garciapara has announced his retirement today. He will take a job as a TV analyst for ESPN. He hit .289 in his two years (2005-2006) in a Cub uniform, playing in just 105 total games.
Random Stat
Kosuke Fukudome hit just .132 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position last season, which was second worst in the league. He has to be better in the clutch in 2010.
Up Next
Tomorrow afternoon the Cubs take on the Padres at 2:05 PM CT in Peoria. The game will not be broadcast on Chicago TV or radio, but you can get it if you have MLB.com's gameday audio package via the Padres Radio Network. Carlos Silva, who has made some mechanical adjustments since his last outing, will take the hill against Jon Garland. On Friday, the Cubs have a split squad game with Jeff Samardzija facing the Brewers in Arizona and Tom Gorzelanny going against the White Sox in Las Vegas.
That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Make it 2-0: Cubs 8, Arizona 7
Game Recap
Besides Carlos Zambrano, who was the starting pitcher, the Cubs that took the field at HoHoKam Park today were essentially the "B" team. Big Z retired all six batters he faced in his two innings of work.
Starlin Castro was batting leadoff and starting at short stop. He went 2-4 with a double and a single. Early on, the game was low scoring. After Casey Coleman worked the 3rd and the 4th for the Cubs, the Cactus League battle was scoreless. Then in the bottom of the 5th, the Cubs bats came to life against former Cub Aaron Heilman. Jim Hendry sent Heilman to the D'backs in November, and so far the move looks like a good one. Aaron allowed 4 ER on 5 hits in his inning of work. A Brett Jackson triple was the highlight of the frame.
In the 6th, Arizona got the runs right back, scoring 5 against Jeff Stevens. The Cubs acquired Stevens in the Mark DeRosa trade with Cleveland. He pitched a good fifth, but after one inning of work he fell apart, and was unable to make it through the 6th. Stevens was replaced by another hurler that came over in the DeRo deal, lefty John Gaub. In 1.1 innings, Gaub allowed just two hits but one was a solo homer to make it 6-4.
The Cubs then put a rally together to tie in up, but in the top of inning number 9 the D'backs untied it with a run against Justin Berg to take the 7-6 lead. Brad Snyder came through for the Cubs, cracking a double in the bottom of the 9th to bring Scales and Fuld home to win the game 8-7.
The Cubs have started off the Cactus League with a 2-0 record and have played fairly well in both games. Marcos Mateo, an underrated pitching prospect, also looked good in his one inning on the hill. Josh Vitters was the starting third baseman. The former first round pick had 2 hits and scored twice.
Tyler Colvin has really impressed Cubs brass early on in camp. He has three things going for him:
1. Last year he played great defense when he was called up in September, and the Cubs are hoping to improve their outfield defensively.
2. He put on 20+ pounds of muscle this offseason, and Piniella took notice.
3. He's played great in the Cactus League's first two games, going 2-3 with 2 RBIs today.
Koyie Hill was the starting catcher today. He drove home a run with an RBI single. The Cubs top pick from the 2009 draft, Brett Jackson, reached base all three times. Jeff Baker got the start at second base and went 0-2.
Bullpen Health Update
Carlos Marmol has the closers' duty locked up, but beyond that everything is up for grabs in the Cubs' bullpen. Now, Angel Guzman will most likely not be ready to go on Opening Day. He still has discomfort in his shoulder, and he was going to undergo an MRI today. Jeff Gray is also still sidelined, and he may not be ready to go for the start of the season either. Hendry is working the phone lines, but if he does not bring in any help this bullpen could be in trouble. However, that would give guys like Jeff Stevens, David Patton, Mike Parisi, Mitch Atkins, Andrew Cashner, Thomas Diamond, and John Gaub a chance to make the 25 man roster. Hopefully somebody can step up and become a dependable relief option for Piniella.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow the Cubs take on the White Sox at 2:05 CT on WGN TV and Radio. Carlos Silva, who reported to camp out of shape, will take the mound for the Cubs. Carlos is trying to prove that he's worthy of a spot in the rotation after coming over for Milton Bradley this winter.
Alfonso Soriano will get into game action tomorrow for the first time since being shut down because of a knee injury late last year. Sori is expected to start in left field, with Xavier Nady serving as the Cubs' DH. Both the Cubs and Sox have agreed to use the DH despite the fact that the game will be played at HoHoKam Park.
Bruce Miles has posted the list of all the pitchers that will go this weekend. Tomorrow afternoon Silva will be followed by Carlos Marmol, James Russell, Andrew Cashner, Jeff Kennard, and John Grabow.
On Sunday the Cubs will play a split squad, with Jeff Samardzija pitching against the White Sox on WGN-TV and Tom Gorzelanny going against the Dodgers. Both games get underway at 2:05.
Other Notes:
Besides Carlos Zambrano, who was the starting pitcher, the Cubs that took the field at HoHoKam Park today were essentially the "B" team. Big Z retired all six batters he faced in his two innings of work.
Starlin Castro was batting leadoff and starting at short stop. He went 2-4 with a double and a single. Early on, the game was low scoring. After Casey Coleman worked the 3rd and the 4th for the Cubs, the Cactus League battle was scoreless. Then in the bottom of the 5th, the Cubs bats came to life against former Cub Aaron Heilman. Jim Hendry sent Heilman to the D'backs in November, and so far the move looks like a good one. Aaron allowed 4 ER on 5 hits in his inning of work. A Brett Jackson triple was the highlight of the frame.
In the 6th, Arizona got the runs right back, scoring 5 against Jeff Stevens. The Cubs acquired Stevens in the Mark DeRosa trade with Cleveland. He pitched a good fifth, but after one inning of work he fell apart, and was unable to make it through the 6th. Stevens was replaced by another hurler that came over in the DeRo deal, lefty John Gaub. In 1.1 innings, Gaub allowed just two hits but one was a solo homer to make it 6-4.
The Cubs then put a rally together to tie in up, but in the top of inning number 9 the D'backs untied it with a run against Justin Berg to take the 7-6 lead. Brad Snyder came through for the Cubs, cracking a double in the bottom of the 9th to bring Scales and Fuld home to win the game 8-7.
The Cubs have started off the Cactus League with a 2-0 record and have played fairly well in both games. Marcos Mateo, an underrated pitching prospect, also looked good in his one inning on the hill. Josh Vitters was the starting third baseman. The former first round pick had 2 hits and scored twice.
Tyler Colvin has really impressed Cubs brass early on in camp. He has three things going for him:
1. Last year he played great defense when he was called up in September, and the Cubs are hoping to improve their outfield defensively.
2. He put on 20+ pounds of muscle this offseason, and Piniella took notice.
3. He's played great in the Cactus League's first two games, going 2-3 with 2 RBIs today.
Koyie Hill was the starting catcher today. He drove home a run with an RBI single. The Cubs top pick from the 2009 draft, Brett Jackson, reached base all three times. Jeff Baker got the start at second base and went 0-2.
Bullpen Health Update
Carlos Marmol has the closers' duty locked up, but beyond that everything is up for grabs in the Cubs' bullpen. Now, Angel Guzman will most likely not be ready to go on Opening Day. He still has discomfort in his shoulder, and he was going to undergo an MRI today. Jeff Gray is also still sidelined, and he may not be ready to go for the start of the season either. Hendry is working the phone lines, but if he does not bring in any help this bullpen could be in trouble. However, that would give guys like Jeff Stevens, David Patton, Mike Parisi, Mitch Atkins, Andrew Cashner, Thomas Diamond, and John Gaub a chance to make the 25 man roster. Hopefully somebody can step up and become a dependable relief option for Piniella.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow the Cubs take on the White Sox at 2:05 CT on WGN TV and Radio. Carlos Silva, who reported to camp out of shape, will take the mound for the Cubs. Carlos is trying to prove that he's worthy of a spot in the rotation after coming over for Milton Bradley this winter.
Alfonso Soriano will get into game action tomorrow for the first time since being shut down because of a knee injury late last year. Sori is expected to start in left field, with Xavier Nady serving as the Cubs' DH. Both the Cubs and Sox have agreed to use the DH despite the fact that the game will be played at HoHoKam Park.
Bruce Miles has posted the list of all the pitchers that will go this weekend. Tomorrow afternoon Silva will be followed by Carlos Marmol, James Russell, Andrew Cashner, Jeff Kennard, and John Grabow.
On Sunday the Cubs will play a split squad, with Jeff Samardzija pitching against the White Sox on WGN-TV and Tom Gorzelanny going against the Dodgers. Both games get underway at 2:05.
Other Notes:
- Lou Piniella will not go to Vegas when the Cubs travel there for two games against the White Sox March 12-13. Instead, Piniella will stay with the half of the split squad team that will play in Arizona both of those day. Alan Trammell will manage the team that is Las Vegas.
- Mike Fontenot has a minor shoulder injury suffered while running the bases on Thursday. He will not play again until Sunday.
- Sam Fuld's homer on Thursday landed near his wife Sarah and his young son Charlie. A women picked up the ball, and the Fulds tried to bargain with her for it, offering photos and autographs. However, the lady wanted no part of that and kept the ball.
That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on everything Cubs as always!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Cubs Win! Cubs Win!
The Cubs are in the win column to start the 2010 exhibition season! Just the fact that they Boys in Blue were in action on WGN Radio made today a great day, but a 9-3 win against the Oakland A's made today even sweeter.
Although there's still snow on the ground here, the sound of Pat and Ron makes it feel like summer. Spring is officially on the way... let's check out some of the game highlights:
Randy Wells
After a great rookie season, Wells is expected to perform at a high level this year. Today, Randy was handed the ball to kick off the Cactus League schedule. Randy had great stuff today, going 2 shutout innings. He did not allow any men to reach base and sent two down on strikes. Two inning outings are typical of early spring games because manager want the avoid injury risk by building their pitchers' stamina up start by start. By the end of the spring, each guy will be going 5-6 innings.
Marlon Byrd
After signing as a free agent last winter, Marlon swooped into his first game in Cubbie Blue today. He wasted no time in making Cub fans happy by knocking a solo homer to lead off the fourth for his second hit of the game. Byrd went 2-2 with a pair of runs scored before departing.
Sean Marshall
Let the competition for the spots in the back end of the rotation begin! Sean got off to a great start today by throwing 2 scoreless frames in relief of Wells. Marshall did not allow a hit and walked one. Carlos Silva will start against the White Sox on Saturday, with Gorzelanny and Samardzija pitching in Sunday's split squad.
Other Pitchers
After Marshall and Wells each went two innings, three younger guys got a chance to take the hill against the A's. Mike Parisi, who was the Cubs' Rule V Draft pick in June, went two innings. He pitched pretty well but made one mistake, which resulted in an Adam Rosales solo homer. Parisi allowed just the one run on one hit and one walk. Lefty J.R. Mathes pitched the 7th and 8th, surrendering 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk. Esmalin Caridad worked a one, two, three 9th.
The Star
Top prospect Starlin Castro has received tons of sudden praise and attention from the media this offseason. We got our first look at him in a big league setting today. He showed impressive speed as he was able to leg out a triple, which was his only hit of the day (1-3).
Power Surge
After a 2009 season where runs were hard to come by, the Cubs brought the bats today. Perhaps new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo has already made in impact on this club. As a team, they pounded out 9 runs on 16 hits, 5 of them home runs. In addition to Byrd; Derrek Lee, Sam Fuld, Tyler Colvin, and Brad Snyder all went deep. Lee got the scoring started with his first inning blast. Former first round draft pick Tyler Colvin homered in the 6th to cap off a 3 for 3 day. Colvin bulked up over the offseason, putting on 25 pounds of muscle. Snyder and Fuld both hit long balls in the 7th inning. Fuld's two run shot was the only multi-run bomb of the day. Brad Snyder is a long time minor leaguer who played good in Mexico over the winter. He hit a LONG ball according to the call of Pat Hughes. Little Sammy Fuld getting into one very well could have been the biggest surprise of the day.
Other Hitters
Kosuke batted second and put together a 2-3 day behind Ryan Theriot, who was 0-2. Alfonso Soriano was the only regular who did not start the game. Aramis Ramirez went 0-2, D-Lee was 2-3, Geo drove in a run, and Mike Fontenot hit a sac fly and walked. Today we got brief looks at a few guys competing for spots on the bench. Micah Hoffpauir played first base after Lee's departure and was retired in his only plate appearance. Non roster invitee Chad Tracy went 1-2 with a run scored. Brian LaHair, Bobby Scales and Kevin Millar each got pinch hit at bats. Millar singled while LaHair ground into a double play and Scales struck out. Outfielders Fuld and Snyder were impressive coming off the Cub bench. Andres Blanco went 1-2 when he took over at second base for Mike Fontenot. Farm guys James Adduci (OF) and Robinson Chirinos (C)both went hitless.
Former Cubs
Utility man Jake Fox was sent to Oakland this winter in a swap that brought pitcher Jeff Gray to the Northside. Gray has been sidelined with a groin injury, so he did not pitch against his former team today, but Fox started at third base for Oakland in his first pro game outside of the Cubs organization. He went 0-2. Eric Patterson, a former Cubs farm hand, was 1-2 off the A's bench. Patterson is the only player who is still with the A's or Cubs that was part of the five player deal between to two clubs at the 2008 trade deadline. The Cubs with play the Athletics in interleague play this season.
Sunny at HoHoKam
Everyone in attendance, with the possible exception of second base umpire Mike Winters, was please with the 66 degree and sunny day. There were 7,496 fans at the ballpark.
Upcoming Games
Tomorrow: VS Arizona 2:05 CT- no broadcast (Zambrano)
Saturday: VS Chicago White Sox 2:05 CT- WGN TV, WGN Radio (Silva)
Sunday: (ss) VS CWS 2:05 WGN
VS LAD 2:05- no broadcast (Gorzelanny/Samardzija)
Injury Updates
Angel Guzman and Ted Lilly were both spotted on the field today before the game according to Chicago Cubs Online. Xavier Nady is expected to make his spring debut on Saturday against the White Sox as the DH. Nady is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Not Him Again
I guess it wouldn't be a Chicago Cubs blog post without Milton Bradley. The outspoken former Cub told ESPNChicago.com today that the city of Chicago was at fault for his 2009 struggles. "Two years ago, I played, and I was good. I go to Chicago, not good. I've been good my whole career. So obviously it was something with Chicago, not me." Oh, Milton. The Cubs travel to Seattle this summer for interleague action. To bad the M's don't visit Wrigley.
Baseball is back! I'll keep you posted.
Although there's still snow on the ground here, the sound of Pat and Ron makes it feel like summer. Spring is officially on the way... let's check out some of the game highlights:
Randy Wells
After a great rookie season, Wells is expected to perform at a high level this year. Today, Randy was handed the ball to kick off the Cactus League schedule. Randy had great stuff today, going 2 shutout innings. He did not allow any men to reach base and sent two down on strikes. Two inning outings are typical of early spring games because manager want the avoid injury risk by building their pitchers' stamina up start by start. By the end of the spring, each guy will be going 5-6 innings.
Marlon Byrd
After signing as a free agent last winter, Marlon swooped into his first game in Cubbie Blue today. He wasted no time in making Cub fans happy by knocking a solo homer to lead off the fourth for his second hit of the game. Byrd went 2-2 with a pair of runs scored before departing.
Sean Marshall
Let the competition for the spots in the back end of the rotation begin! Sean got off to a great start today by throwing 2 scoreless frames in relief of Wells. Marshall did not allow a hit and walked one. Carlos Silva will start against the White Sox on Saturday, with Gorzelanny and Samardzija pitching in Sunday's split squad.
Other Pitchers
After Marshall and Wells each went two innings, three younger guys got a chance to take the hill against the A's. Mike Parisi, who was the Cubs' Rule V Draft pick in June, went two innings. He pitched pretty well but made one mistake, which resulted in an Adam Rosales solo homer. Parisi allowed just the one run on one hit and one walk. Lefty J.R. Mathes pitched the 7th and 8th, surrendering 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk. Esmalin Caridad worked a one, two, three 9th.
The Star
Top prospect Starlin Castro has received tons of sudden praise and attention from the media this offseason. We got our first look at him in a big league setting today. He showed impressive speed as he was able to leg out a triple, which was his only hit of the day (1-3).
Power Surge
After a 2009 season where runs were hard to come by, the Cubs brought the bats today. Perhaps new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo has already made in impact on this club. As a team, they pounded out 9 runs on 16 hits, 5 of them home runs. In addition to Byrd; Derrek Lee, Sam Fuld, Tyler Colvin, and Brad Snyder all went deep. Lee got the scoring started with his first inning blast. Former first round draft pick Tyler Colvin homered in the 6th to cap off a 3 for 3 day. Colvin bulked up over the offseason, putting on 25 pounds of muscle. Snyder and Fuld both hit long balls in the 7th inning. Fuld's two run shot was the only multi-run bomb of the day. Brad Snyder is a long time minor leaguer who played good in Mexico over the winter. He hit a LONG ball according to the call of Pat Hughes. Little Sammy Fuld getting into one very well could have been the biggest surprise of the day.
Other Hitters
Kosuke batted second and put together a 2-3 day behind Ryan Theriot, who was 0-2. Alfonso Soriano was the only regular who did not start the game. Aramis Ramirez went 0-2, D-Lee was 2-3, Geo drove in a run, and Mike Fontenot hit a sac fly and walked. Today we got brief looks at a few guys competing for spots on the bench. Micah Hoffpauir played first base after Lee's departure and was retired in his only plate appearance. Non roster invitee Chad Tracy went 1-2 with a run scored. Brian LaHair, Bobby Scales and Kevin Millar each got pinch hit at bats. Millar singled while LaHair ground into a double play and Scales struck out. Outfielders Fuld and Snyder were impressive coming off the Cub bench. Andres Blanco went 1-2 when he took over at second base for Mike Fontenot. Farm guys James Adduci (OF) and Robinson Chirinos (C)both went hitless.
Former Cubs
Utility man Jake Fox was sent to Oakland this winter in a swap that brought pitcher Jeff Gray to the Northside. Gray has been sidelined with a groin injury, so he did not pitch against his former team today, but Fox started at third base for Oakland in his first pro game outside of the Cubs organization. He went 0-2. Eric Patterson, a former Cubs farm hand, was 1-2 off the A's bench. Patterson is the only player who is still with the A's or Cubs that was part of the five player deal between to two clubs at the 2008 trade deadline. The Cubs with play the Athletics in interleague play this season.
Sunny at HoHoKam
Everyone in attendance, with the possible exception of second base umpire Mike Winters, was please with the 66 degree and sunny day. There were 7,496 fans at the ballpark.
Upcoming Games
Tomorrow: VS Arizona 2:05 CT- no broadcast (Zambrano)
Saturday: VS Chicago White Sox 2:05 CT- WGN TV, WGN Radio (Silva)
Sunday: (ss) VS CWS 2:05 WGN
VS LAD 2:05- no broadcast (Gorzelanny/Samardzija)
Injury Updates
Angel Guzman and Ted Lilly were both spotted on the field today before the game according to Chicago Cubs Online. Xavier Nady is expected to make his spring debut on Saturday against the White Sox as the DH. Nady is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Not Him Again
I guess it wouldn't be a Chicago Cubs blog post without Milton Bradley. The outspoken former Cub told ESPNChicago.com today that the city of Chicago was at fault for his 2009 struggles. "Two years ago, I played, and I was good. I go to Chicago, not good. I've been good my whole career. So obviously it was something with Chicago, not me." Oh, Milton. The Cubs travel to Seattle this summer for interleague action. To bad the M's don't visit Wrigley.
Baseball is back! I'll keep you posted.
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