It's ex-Cub vs ex-D'back at Salt River Fields

Ramon Hernandez doubled twice, singled, and scored a run and Luis Silverio belted a two-run triple and scored a run, leading the Diamondbacks to a 4-2 victory over the Cubs on Whirlwind Field. and RHSP Chester Pimentel hurled five innings of shutout ball and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter, as the D'backs edged the Cubs 2-1 on Jackrabbit Field, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader action this morning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

Both games were called by mutual-consent after seven innings of play. 

The Cubs have lost seven of their last ten Cactus League EXST games, and so their record now stands at 16-9-3 after a 13-2-3 start. 

Isaac Paredes (2015 IFA - Mexico - $800K bonus) provided the lone EXST Cub offensive highlight of the day, smacking a two-run HR high over the LF fence and into the parking lot (just missed hitting my ride) to put the Cubs on the board in the top of the 1st inning on Whirlwind Field. In eleven Cactus League EXST games (36 PA), Paredes is hitting 323/417/645 (11% K-rate), leads the team in RBI with twelve, and is second in HR with two (Jose Paniagua has hit three). Of the eleven Cubs 2015-16 IFA at Extended Spring Training, Paredes is the one who could skip AZL and go directly to Eugene. The one knock on Paredes is that he is definitely a below-average runner (especially for a middle-infielder), so I would not be surprised if he is moved to 3B at some point in the future. 

The game on Whirlwind Field featured the somewhat unusual (at least for Extended Spring Training) "our former guy versus your former guy" match-up on the mound, as ex-Cub RHP Jeferson Mejia (sent to AZ in the Miguel Montero deal) started for the Diamondbacks, and ex-D'back Jesus Castillo (acquired by the Cubs in the Tony Campana trade) started for the Cubs. Mejia threw 3.2 IP, walked three, hit a batter, allowed two hits (including the two-run HR to Paredes in the first), and struck out two, with a 3/6 GO/AO, and Castillo surrendered four runs in three innings on four hits (two singles and two triples) and two WP, striking out two with a 3/4 GO/AO. 

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only): 

WHIRLWIND FIELD 

CUBS SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1. Robert Garcia, CF: 1-2 (BB, 1B, 3-U, R)
2. Roberto Caro, RF: 1-3 (P-5, 6-4 FC, 1B)
3. Chris Pieters, 1B: 0-3 (K, P-4, 4-3)
4. Isaac Paredes, SS: 1-2 (HR, HBP, K, R, 2 RBI)
5. Kwang-Min Kwon, DH #1: 0-3 (K, F-9, P-4) 
6. Rafael Mejia, 3B: 0-2 (P-2, BB, 4-3)
7. Jonathan Sierra, DH #2: 0-2 (L-4, BB, K)
8. Michael Foster, LF: 0-3 (6-3, F-7, K)
9. Tyler Pearson, C: 0-2 (F-7, 6-3)
10. Edgar Rondon, 2B: 0-2 (4-3, F-8)

CUBS SQUAD "A" PITCHERS: 
1. Jesus Castillo: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 3/4 GO/AO, 38 pitches (23 strikes) 
2. Tyler Peitzmeier: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3/0 GO/AO, 31 pitches (22 strikes)
3. Yapson Gomez: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 2/2 GO/AO, 23 pitches (20 strikes)

CUBS SQUAD "A" ERRORS: NONE 

CUBS SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Tyler Pearson: 1-1 CS 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

JACKRABBIT FIELD 

CUBS SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
1. Luis Ayala, CF: 0-2 (3-U, BB, K)
2. Andruw Monasterio, SS: 2-3 (1B, 1B, F-9)
3. Stephen Bruno, 2B: 1-1 (BB, HBP, 1B)
4. Wladimir Galindo, DH #1: 0-3 (K, 6-4 FC, P-3)
4. Abraham Rodriguez, LF: 0-3 (F-7, 6-3, K)
6. Jhonny Bethencourt, 3B: 1-3 (1-3, P-1, 1B+E6, R)
7. Alex Bautista, DH #2: 0-3 (K, 6-3, 6-3)
8. Kevin Zamudio, 1B: 0-3 (L-7, K, 3-1)
9. Tyler Payne, C: 0-2 (3-1, BB, F-8)
10. Jose Gonzalez, RF: 0-2 (5-3, K)

CUBS SQUAD "B" PITCHERS: 
1. Jose Albertos: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 2/1 GO/AO, 38 pitches (26 strikes) 
2. Hector Garcia: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 5/0 GO/AO, 25 pitches (18 strikes) 
3. M. T. Minacci: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 8 pitches (5 strikes) 
4. Mark Malave: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1/2 GO/AO, 21 pitches (16 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" ERRORS: 1 
3B Jhonny Bethencourt: E-5 (errant throw to 1st base on infield single allowed batter to advance to 2nd)

CUBS SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Tyler Payne: 1-1 CS 

ATTENDANCE: 12 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's