Rockies Shad Have Known Better Than to Play So Shallow

Rashad Crawford belted an inside-the-park two-run home run (opposite-field line-drive smoked over the left-fielder's head) to highlight a three-run third, and the bullpen tossed 7.2 IP of two-hit shutout ball, helping the Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the Rockies in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.

The home run was Crawford's second in Cactus League EXST game action (his first HR was hit over the RF fence on Field #5 at Riverview Park on April 21st), so Crawford has now tied Erick Castillo for the team-lead in HR with two (six others--Tyler Alamo, Jeffrey Baez, Zak Blair, Kevin Brown, Varonex Cuevas, and Rony Rodriguez--have one HR a piece). And the Cubs (as a team) have hit seven of their ten home runs in their last five games.  

Five Cub "rehab" pitchers saw work in today's game (including four who threw in the intrasquad game last Saturday), so Rehab Pitching Coordinator Rick Tronerud and Rehab Athletic Trainer Chuck Baughman made the trip up to Salt River Fields from Riverview Park (they did not bring their golf cart, however).  

* Cubs 2012 4th round draft pick RHP Josh Conway (2012 pre-draft TJS & May 2013 elbow stress fracture) got the start and breezed through the bottom of the 1st inning (allowing just a two-out single) before surrendering a run on two hits (including an RBI triple) and a walk in the bottom of the 2nd. The 23-year old needed 37 pitches to get four outs. 

* Veteran NPB & MLB RH reliever Kyuji Fujikawa (May 2013 TJS) retired all three men he faced (K-swinging, F-8, 3-1), although he was continually shaking and stretching his arm during the outing. 

* 20-year old 2012 3rd round draft pick 6'3 RHP Ryan McNeil (May 2013 TJS) made his first Cactus League EXST game appearance since April 15, 2013, and retired all five hitters he faced (F-8, 6-3, L-8, P-1, 3-U) on just 13 pitches (10 strikes), He looked very good in a two-inning stint in last Saturday's intrasquad game, too. For those of you who haven't seen McNeil this year, he is sporting the popular Jeff Samardzija look (they could be brothers).  

* 24-year old 6'5 240+ LHP Michael Heesch (Cubs 2012 8th round draft pick) had another fine outing (he's been throwing in Cactus League EXST games for about the last ten days, so he should be about ready to move up to the KC or Daytona bullpen), allowing a two-out single while striking out two (both swinging) and doing it all on just 11 pitches (10 for strikes), and lots of grunts.

* 18-year old RHP Jesus Castillo (the other pitcher acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks along with RHP Erick Leal in exchange for OF Tony Campana in February 2013) made his U. S. game debut and punched-out two in his one innng of work. Unlike Leal (a "curve-ball first" pitcher who uses his 88 MPH fastball to set-up his excellent breaking ball), Castillo has a "lively" fastball that rides 92-93 MPH and a decent change-up (especially for such a young guy) but no breaking ball. And, just like C. J. Edwards, Jose Paulino, and Hector Perez, Castillo is an all-legs "stringbean" (6'2 165). Castillo probably has a higher ceiling than fellow-Venezuelan Leal, but he is also clearly not anywhere near as polished, and so he will very likely be assigned to the AZL Cubs next month, while Leal will almost certainly be in the Boise starting rotation. 

With today's victory, the Cubs have won three in a row and are closing-in on the .500 mark (they are now 19-21-4 in 2014 Cactus League Extended Spring Training games).

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only):

CUBS LINEUP:
1. Rashad Crawford, DH: 2-5 (F-7, HR, 4-3, 1B, 3-U, R, 2 RBI)
2. Elliot Soto, 2B: 2-4 (1B, 1B, 3-U, K, R, SB)
3. Jeffrey Baez, CF: 1-4 (L-3 DP, 1B+E7, K, K, RBI)
4. Kevin Brown, 1B: 0-4 (3-U, F-9, K, F-7)
5. Shamil Ubiera, RF: 0-4 (F-9, 5-3, E-5, P-2)
6. Gleyber Torres, SS: 0-3 (K, BB, 6-3, F-8)
7. Mark Malave, C: 1-4 (K, FC, 6-3, 1B)
8. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 2-4 (1B, 5-4-3 DP, 4-3, 1B, R)
9. Charcer Burks, LF: 0-4 (P-3, 2-3, E-6, F-8)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Josh Conway: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 0/3 GO/FO, 37 pitches (22 strikes)
2. Kyuji Fujikawa: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K,  1/1 GO/FO, 14 pitches (7 strikes)
3. Ryan McNeil: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/3 GO/FO, 13 pitches (10 strikes)
4. Michael Heesch: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/FO, 11 pitches (10 strikes)
5. Jesus Castillo: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1/0 GO/FO, 17 pitches (10 strikes)
6. Hector Perez: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 2/3 GO/FO, 34 pitches (20 strikes)
7. Alberto Diaz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 3/0 GO/FO, 17 pitches (10 strikes)

CUBS ERRORS: NONE

ATTENDANCE: 12

WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 80's