Cubs End Cactus League Schedule With Victory

Details on the game in a moment, but first here's a list of what to watch for an the blog this weekend:

• Live Chat to get ready for the 2009 season right here on this site. Join me live Sunday night at 7 with you Cubs questions and comments! If you cannot make the chat but you have a topic that you want to hear about, a questions for me, or anything else Cub related, just e-mail me cubsblogmailbag@aol.com.
• I'll finish the "30 teams in 30 Days" recaps for the NL Central this weekend.
• Lots of good posts on the off day Sunday as we get ready for the season including a look at Cubs Opening Days past, one final season preview, and more!
• Recaps of both Cubs VS Yankees games in New York.
• A preview and game notes posted ahead of those games.
• Radio Recaps
• All the latest Cubs rumors and new as always.
• And More....

Now let's get to the game:

Final Score: Cubs 9, Indians 8

Cubs Starting Lineup Hitting:

• Soriano: 1-2, 2 Runs, RBI, BB
• Gathright: 2-4, BB, Run
• Fukudome: 0-3
• Hoffpauir: 0-3
• Fontenot: 1-2, Run, RBI, BB
• Scales:0-3, BB, Run
• Blanco: 2-5, RBI, Run
• Hill: 2-3, Run, RBI
• Dempster: 1-2, Run, RBI

Another great game by the Cubs bats. Soriano lead off the game with a home run, and Koyie Hill had a triple and 3 RBIs. Andres Blanco had a bloop walk off hit in the bottom of the 9th.

Cubs Pitchers:

• Dempster: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 7 K
• Gaudin: 2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K
• Marmol: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 1 BB
• C. Fox: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER
• Patton: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB

The Cubs starting pitchers have not looked good towards the end of spring. Let's hope the rotation is solid next week when it counts. Chad Gaudin is going to be hard to trade because he has done so bad this spring (10.91 ERA). Lou did not look happy when David Patton allowed a run in the top of the 9th to tie the game.

Cubs Bench:

Taguchi: 1-2

Fukudome: 0-3

Snyder: 0-2

Deeds: 0-1

Canzler: 0-1

R. Johnson: 1-1, Run

M. Johnson- 0-1

Camp: 0-2

Tons of guys from Minor League camp played today for both teams. You could tell that most of the guys were ready to get on that plane. After 49 days in the desert, you can't blame them!

Game Highlight: Andres Blanco 9th inning walk off single.

My Player of the Game: Koyie Hill for his triple, single, and 3 RBis.

Up Next: Cubs open the new stadium in New York against the Yankees tomorrow night at 6:00 CT. The game is on the MLB Network, and also can be viewed for free on MLB.TV (go to http://www.mlb.com/ for info).

Other Cubs Notes:

• The Cubs will take extra player to New York including Justin Berg, Doug Deeds, Bobby Scales, Mark Johnson, and So Taguchi.
• The bullpen situation is still not clear. It should be interesting to find out the fate of Angel Guzman, David Patton, Chad Gaudin, and Jeff Samardzija this weekend. The Cubs can only keep 2 of them.
• The Cubs may look at signing infielder Mike Lamb to a minor league deal according to the Tribune.
• Troy Reneck of the Denver post reports that the Rockies pursuit of Chad Gaudin has cooled.
• Sullivan explains that the Cubs want to trade Gaudin so they can keep both Guzman and Patton in the organization if they send Samardzija to AAA.
• Other teams that have been mentioned in rumors about Gaudin include the Padres and Tigers.
• The Cubs have released Ken Kadokura.

It's easy to comment with your thought, please do so!

Cubs VS Yankees tomorrow at 6 CT. Could be a World Series preview!