Arizona Phil's Archives

Ezequiel Pagan laced an opposite-field RBI double off the LF fence in the 1st inning and an RBI single in the 3rd, Geuri Lubo drilled three singles, scored two runs, and drove-in another, Adan Sanchez singled twice and drove-in a run, and Jefferson Rojas ripped an RBI double and drew a walk, as the Cubs edged the Giants 7-6 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training Opening Day action Monday afternoon at the San Francisco Giants Papago Park Complex in Phoenix, AZ.  

Adan Sanchez drilled a two-run double in the 1st inning, singled in the 3rd, and ripped a game tying two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the 5th, and then Raino Coran followed the Sanchez game-tying two-run double with a game-winning walk-off two run HR onto the south bank of the Loop 202 freeway, as the EXST Cubs Red squad blew a 4-1 lead in the top of the 5th only to rally for four runs in the bottom of the 5th and defeat the EXST Cubs Blue squad 8-6 in Extended Spring Training intrasquad game action Saturday morning on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.&nbs

It wasn't a conventional game or even a "sim" game, but Kyle Hendricks faced hitters for the first time since last July. 

The "live" BP took place Friday morning on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

As is usually the case with "live" BP, an actual umpire was hired by the Cubs to call balls & strikes.  

Hendricks faced three batters -- Raino Coran, Wally Soto, and Brayan Altuve -- and each of them batted twice. They did not run the bases and there were no fielders. 

Seiya Suzuki blasted a solo HR (off Brandon Hughes) over the LF bullpen and onto the berm, Ismael Mena drilled an RBI triple (also off Brandon Hughes), Yidel Diaz belted a two-run double, and SP Jackson Ferris hurled three innings of no run / no hit ball with four strikeouts (three swinging), in an Extended Spring Training intrasquad game played at Sloan Park Wednesday morning. 

The game ended in a 3-3 tie.  

Raino Coran slugged a two-run HR in the 1st inning, doubled in the 4th, and singled and scored in the 6th, Ismael Mena smacked a two-run triple and scored a run in the 6th, and SP Daniel Palencia hurled three innings of shutout ball, leading the EXST Cubs Blue Squad to a 7-5 victory over the EXST Cubs Red Squad, in Extended Spring Training intrasquad game action Tuesday morning on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

Porter Hodge and Frankie Scalzo Jr combined to hurl a shutout and strike out eleven, Anderson Suriel ripped a two-run double and an RBI triple, walked, stole a base, and scored a run, and Carlos Ramos drilled a single and a bases-clearing bases-loaded double, as the EXST Cubs Red Squad blanked the EXST Cubs Blue Squad 10-0 in Extended Spring Training intrasquad game action Monday morning on Field # 6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.      

SP Ben Brown hurled three innings of no run / no hit ball, Cole Roederer walked and scored in the 1st and stroked an RBI single in the 3rd, Miguel Amaya belted an RBI double in the 1st, singled in the 8th, and was behind the plate for the entire nine innings, and Nelson Maldonado and Luis Vazquez each belted a two-run HR to ignite a four-run 4th inning explosion for the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate), and Riley Mahan smacked a three-run HR in the 4th and Luis Matos ripped a two-run double in the 5th for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants), as the

SP Joe Nahas fired 3.2 IP of shutout ball with seven strikeouts, Brad Beesley stroked an RBI double, singled, stole two bases, and scored a run, Haydn McGeary singled, doubled, and scored two runs, and Liam Spence drilled a two-run HR, as the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) blanked the Hillsboro Hops (Hi-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks) 7-0 on Field #6, and Christian Franklin hammered a bases-clearing bases-loaded three-run double, Parker Chavers walked and scored in the 3rd inning, singled and stole a base in the 5th, and belted a tie-breaking solo HR in the 7t

SP Jordan Wicks retired the first ten men he faced, struck out six of them (14 swing & miss), and combined with five relievers on a four-hitter, Pete Crow-Armstrong lined a double into the RF corner, stole 3rd, and scored a run in the 1st inning, reached base on a bunt single in the 3rd, and singled again in the 5th, Miguel Amaya lofted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in RF in the 1st to drive-in PCA, singled in the 3rd, doubled and scored in the 8th, and caught all nine innings and threw out a runner attempting to steal, Chase Strumpf banged a double off the top of the LF fence (n

Here are the updated (3/30) Cubs Minor League Camp group rosters:  

* bats or throws left 
# bats both 


IOWA CUBS

AAA

33 players (Opening Day roster limit is 28) 

NOTE: I-Cubs left Arizona for Des Moines on Monday 3/27. 

PITCHERS: 18
* Ryan Borucki 
Nick Burdi 
Tyler Duffey  
* Roenis Elias 
Jeremiah Estrada 
* Anthony Kay 
Caleb Kilian 
Ben Leeper 

SP Jake Walkinshaw hurled five innings of two-hit ball and retired the last twelve batters in a row, Junior Perez drilled a bases-loaded-bases-clearing triple, and Euribiel Angeles doubled twice and scored a run, leading the Lansing Lugnuts (Hi-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics) to a 5-3 victory over the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) on Field #3, and B. J.

Left behind in Mesa after their teammates flew home to Chicago, Cubs RHSP Hayden Wesneski hurled five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts and catcher Luis Torrens singled, doubled and scored, and lofted a sacrifice fly, helping the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs' Lo-A affiliate) take a 3-1 lead, but Jean Walters belted an RBI triple and scored on a passed ball in the top of the 9th, as the Hillsboro Hops (Hi-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks) rallied to edge the Pelicans 4-3 on Field #6, and Anderdson Rojas drilled a bases-loaded triple and an RBI single, Franyel Baez r

Pete Crow-Armstrong singled, doubled, tripled, reached base on an HBP, scored a run, and drove-in another, Jordan Nwogu tripled, singled twice, and drove-in a run, Pablo Aliendo laced a two-run triple, scored a run, and drew a walk, Luis Vazquez drilled a two-run single, walked, and scored a run, Owen Caissie ripped an RBI double, walked, and scored a run, and Zach Davis singled twice, scored two runs, and stole a base, as the Tennessee Smokies (AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) rallied to overcome an early 4-0 deficit and defeated the Hartford Yard Goats (AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies) 9-5 on Field #5, and the Albuquerque Isotopes rallied for four runs in the 9th and defeated the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Cubs) 6-4 on Field #6, in Cactus League minor league game action Saturday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

Nelson Velazquez belted a solo HR and Matt Mervis singled twice, walked, and collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly for the I-Cubs in a losing cause.   

Iowa catcher Dom Nunez left the game in the top of the 2nd inning after being struck by a batter's back-swing, and I-Cubs Yonathan Perlaza injured his left shoulder in the top of the 9th after crashing into the RF wall while attempting to catch one of two run-scoring doubles in that inning (he left the field under his own power). As the result of the Nunez injury and with I-Cubs back-up catcher Caleb Knight having traveled to Tempe with the Cubs MLB squad, Jake Washer had to be "drafted" from the Tennessee squad to catch the AAA game (Tennessee was playing on an adjacent backfield, so he didn't have to go very far), and he had two hits, scored a run, and threw out a runner attempting to steal.   

Miguel Amaya caught the first seven innings of the AA game on Field #5, and threw out a runner trying to steal. 

All three of the pitchers who worked for AA Tennessee were temporarily moved-up from lower levels (Richard Gallardo and Sheldon Reed from South Bend and Grant Kipp from Myrtle Beach), and Riley Martin was temporarily moved-up to AAA Iowa from AA Tennessee (and Martin blew the save on Field #6).   

In minor league camp roster news, OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, infielders Chase Strumpf and Andy Weber, 1B Bryce Ball, catchers Miguel Amaya and Bryce Windham, and RHPs Samuel Reyes and Joe Nahas have been moved-down from the AAA Iowa squad to the AA Tennessee squad, OFs Yohendrick Pinango and Brad Beesley, catcher Ethan Hearn, and RHP Jarod Wright have been moved down from the AA Tennessee squad to the Hi-A South Bend squad, OF Christian Franklin, C Malcom Quintero, 1B-C Miguel Fabrizio, INF Rafael Morel, LHP Chase Watkins, and RHP Gregori Montano have been moved-down from the Hi-A South Bend squad to the Lo-A Myrtle Beach squad, LHP Christian Winston and RHP Mathew Peters were moved-down from the South Bend squad to the Extended Spring Training (Mesa) group, and LHPs Jose Aquino and Joel Machado, RHPs Gleiber Morales, Starlyn Pichardo, Cristian Rojas, Jose Romero, and Tomy Sanchez, C Adan Sanchez, INF Jefferson Rojas, and OF Ismael Mena have been moved-down from the Myrtle Beach squad to the EXST (Mesa) group. 

Also, because of the injury to INF James Triantos (knee surgery - torn meniscus), INF Juan Mora has been moved up to Hi-A South Bend from Lo-A Myrtle Beach.  
           
Updated minor league camp assignments & organizational depth chart (updated 3/25): https://www.thecubreporter.com/cubs-organizational-depth-chart

Here are the abridged box scores from the two minor league games played on the Riverview backfields Saturday afternoon (Cubs players only): 

Reggie Preciado and Felix Stevens stroked RBI singles for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Lo-A affiliate) and Jansel Luis ripped an RBI double and LHP Avery Short and three relievers combined to toss a four-hitter for the Visalia Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks Lo-A affiliate), as the two teams played to a 2-2 tie in Cactus League minor league game action Wednesday afternoon on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Although the game was played on a Cubs backfield, Visalia played as the home team to provide an extra half inning on defense for one additional Rawhide pitcher who needed to work in the game.

The game was called early because the Myrtle Beach squad ran out of available pitchers after RHP Anthony Mendez suffered what appeared to be a right elbow injury on his first pitch (HBP). Because the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Cubs) were playing their game in the stadium instead of on an adjacent backfield, it wasn't possible for Myrtle Beach to "draft" one of the South Bend pitchers so that the game could continue, as normally would have been the case.  

Prior to the game, 1B-OF Felix Stevens was moved down to the Myrtle Beach squad from the AA Tennessee squad, and SS Cristian Hernandez, C Moises Ballesteros, and OF Jacob Wetzel were moved down to the Myrtle Beach squad from the South Bend squad.

Also, INF Reivaj Garcia was moved down to the Extended Spring Training  (EXST) group from the AAA Iowa squad, INF-OF Christian Olivo was moved down to the EXST group from the AA Tennessee squad, INF Yeison Santana was moved down to the EXST group from the Hi-A South Bend squad, and C Ronnier Quintero, 1B-OF Anderson Suriel, and OF Frank Hernandez were moved-down to the EXST group from the Myrtle Beach squad. 

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

Here are the Cubs Minor League Camp group rosters (updated 3/21).