AZL Cubs Ride Haboob to Victory at Indian School Park

Wladimir Galindo reached base four times (two singles, a walk, and a HBP), scored two runs, and drove-in two more and Robert Garcia singled twice, doubled, scored two runs, and drove-in four, as the AZL Cubs drubbed the AZL Giants 11-4 in Arizona League action last night on Field #2 at Indian School Park. 

The start of the game was delayed for about 45 minutes while a haboob (desert dust storm) roared through Scottsdale with winds gusting up to 50 MPH.

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The Cubs and Giants players and coaches scrambled to get inside the clubhouse as the wall of dust approached, but it looked a lot scarier than it really was. The umpires apparently hadn't been told about it, because they came out of their room and walked onto the field, except nobody was there. They looked at each other as if to say, "Are we at the right park?" 

The Cubs got the scoring started in the top of the 1st, when 2015 24th round pick Sutton Whiting (making his first pro game start) reached base on a 10-pitch HBP. The speedy Whiting (who was fourth in stolen bases in NCAA D-1 in 2014) immediately stole 2nd base (not even close), and then scored easily on a Wladimir Galindo line-drive single to left. Whiting is 23-years old and is a polished college player in all phases on his game, so he should be able to move upward through the system quickly.  

The Cubs scored three more in the top of the 2nd, as the Giants decided to perform some classic baseball physical comedy. Yohan Matos led-off and reached base on an E-4 (grounder went through the legs of the Giants 2nd baseman), and then Jose Paniagua lofted a pop fly into short right that the rightfielder dropped. But the rightfielder had an easy force-out at 2nd base as Matos was only about three steps off the 1st base bag, except he air-mailed the throw into LF, allowing the runners to move-up to 2nd & 3rd. Robert Garcia then collected his first two RBI of the evening, rifling a line-drive single to right that scored Matos and Paniagua. Garcia advanced to 2nd on a WP, to 3rd on a 4-3 GO, and scored on a 6-3 GO.

The Giants scored two in the 3rd off Cubs SP Austyn Willis, who labored through 3.1 IP (74 pitches - including a 22-pitch 1st inning, a 22-pitch 2nd inning, and a 24-pitch 3rd inning), and despite surrendering six hits (five singles and a double), two walks, a HBP, and a balk. the big right-hander continually worked out of trouble and allowed only two runs.

The Cubs scored again in the top of the 5th, as Whiting led-off with a single, and advanced to 3rd on a two-base E-1 errant pick-off attempt (Whiting is a pain-in-the-ass to the opposing pitcher, taking a big lead and daring the pitcher to throw over). Galindo followed with a line-drive sacrifice fly to right.

Jose Paniagua (bloop double down the right-field line) and Robert Garcia (ground RBI double past the first-baseman and into the RF corner) got things started for the Cubs in the top of the 6th, and after Garcia advanced to third on a pop out to the first-baseman in foul territory (if nothing else, the AZL Cubs are loaded with speed), Roberto Caro collected his second GO RBI of the game as the Cubs took a 7-2 lead.

The Cubs scored two more runs in the 7th, as Galindo walked to lead-off the inning, and Alex Bautista reached base on an E-6. (It might appear that Bautista was making his pro debut, but he actually made his pro debut in the game at Tempe on Thursday night, except the official scorer apparently didn't notice that Bautista had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the 9th). The runners each moved up a base on a WP, and then Paniagua drove-in one run with a two-out infield single, and Garcia followed with another line-drive RBI single to right to collect his fourth RBI of the night.

The Cubs scored their final two runs of the game in the top of the 8th. Caro led-off with a single and then with one out, Galindo was hit by a pitch. A WP advanced both runners, and then Caro scored on a Joey Martarano 3-U GO, and Bautista drove-in Galindo with a two-out infield single..

18-year old 6'3 Colombian RHP Erling Moreno (2013 IFA - 2014 TJS) had another strong outing, working two shutout innings (the 5th & the 6th) and retiring six of the seven men he faced (5/1 GO/FO), While fellow 2014 TJS rehabber RHP Dylan Cease (Cubs 2014 6th round draft pick) continues to struggle to throw strikes, Moreno has outstanding command of his stuff.

AZL Cubs LHP (ex-OF) Ariel Ovando struck out the side in the bottom of the 9th, keeping the Giants hitters off-balance by mixing a mid-80's fastball with a slow curve. Ovando did allow a run on a lead-off walk and a two-out RBI double, and he needed 24 pitches to get through the inning.

Here is the Cubs abridged box score:

CUBS LINEUP:
1. Roberto Caro, CF: 1-5 (K, 6-3, 3-1, 6-3, 1B, R, 2 RBI)
2. Sutton Whiting, 2B: 1-4 (BB, F-7, 1B, F-8, L-6, 2 R, SB)
3. Wladimir Galindo, 3B: 2-2 (1B, 1B, L-9 SF, BB, HBP, 2 R, 2 RBI)
4. Joey Martarano, DH: 1-5 (K, 5-3, 1B, F-9, 3-U, RBI)
5. Alex Bautista, LF:  1-5 (6-4 FC, 6-3, K, E-6, 1B, R, RBI)
6. Yohan Matos, C: 0-5 (E-4, K, K, F-8, K, R)
7. Jose Paniagua, 1B: 2-5 (FC+E9, 1-4-3, 2B, 1B, 4-3, 2 R, RBI) 
8. Robert Garcia, RF: 3-5 (1B, 3-U, 2B, 1B, K, 2 R, 4 RBI)
9. Andruw Monasterio, SS: 0-4 (4-3, BB, P-3, P-3, K, SB)

CUBS PITCHERS: 
1. Austyn Willis: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 BALK, 5/3 GO/FO, 74 pitches (47 strikes) 
2. Tanner Griggs: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 0/2 GO/FO, 12 pitches (7 strikes) 
3. Erling Moreno: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 5/1 GO/FO, 24 pitches (15 strikes) 
4. Trey Masek: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 2/2 GO/FO, 22 pitches (12 strikes)
5. Ariel Ovando: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 BALK, 24 pitches (14 strikes) 

CUBS ERRORS: 1 
3B Wladimir Galindo: E-5 (dropped pop fly in foul territory extending AB) 

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Yohan Matos: 0-2 CS