Arizona Phil's Archives
Angels in the Outfield and Angel on the Mound at Diablo Park
Los Angeles Angels LHP Scott Kazmir (lower back strain) threw 3.2 IP of shutout ball (three hits, no walks and four strikeouts, 2/5 GO/FO) on a 45-pitch rehab assignment, and the EXST Angels cruised to a 5-1 victory over the EXST Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Diablo Park in Tempe this morning.
Luis Mops the Flores at Fitch Park
Luis Flores drilled two doubles and scored two runs, leading one squad of EXST Cubs to a 3-0 shutout of the other squad of EXST Cubs in a six-inning Extended Spring Training intrasquad game played at Fitch Park Field #3 this morning.
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Wang Answers the Bell
Yao-Lin Wang threw three innings of one-hit shutout ball with five strikeouts and Dong-Yub Kim capped a three-run third inning with a bases loaded two-out two-run single, but the A’s rallied to tie the game thanks to some shaky Cub defense, as the EXST Cubs and EXST A’s played to a 3-3 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this afternoon
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Davis Debut Spoiled by Cutspec
Brice Cutspec (2010 NDFA - Azusa Pacific) clouted a three-run HR in the top of the 1st to spoil the Cub debut of newly-signed veteran LHP Doug Davis, as one squad of EXST Giants thumped one squad of EXST Cubs 9-6 on Field #2, while Jesus Morelli ripped a two-run double down the LF line in the bottom of the 6th to get the Cubs within one run and then scored the tying run on a Yaniel Cabezas RBI single, as the other squad of EXST Cubs and the other squad of EXST Giants played to a 4-4 tie on Field #3, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park in Mesa this afternoon
Both games were seven-inning affairs, and the games were played simultaneously on adjacent fields.
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Cubs and Giants Split the Difference at Indian School Park
Marco Hernandez hit a solo HR, drove-in another run with a sacrifice fly, singled, stole a base, and scored three runs, to lead a 13-hit attack as one squad of EXST Cubs coasted to a 10-3 victory over one squad of EXST Giants on Field #1, while over on Field #2 the other squad of EXST Giants scored six runs in the first two innings en route to a 9-3 victory over the other squad of EXST Cubs, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Indian School Park in Scottsdale this afternoon.
Both games were seven-inning affairs, and they were played simultaneously on adjacent fields.
Rockie Road for Cubs at Fitch Park
The EXST Cubs managed just four hits, as the EXST Rockies blanked the Cubs 7-0 in Opening Day Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 this afternoon in Mesa.
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MaxRam Celebrates End of Minor League Camp
Max Ramirez crushed a two-run HR onto the roof of a house on the north side of 8th Street, and Xavier Batista slammed a three-run HR onto the street, leading Boise/Mesa (EXST CUBS) to a 6-5 victory over the Iowa Cubs in a six-inning intra-organization game played at Fitch Park #3 this morning, in what was the official end of Minor League Camp and the beginning of Extended Spring Training for the players remaining in Mesa.
Meanwhile, the Iowa Cubs will be heading to Round Rock, TX, for PCL Opening Day on Thursday.
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Chiefs & D-Cubs Rally to Tie a Wrap on Minor League Camp
D. J. Fitzgerald singled, doubled, tripled, stole a base, scored one run, and knocked-in two more, and LHP Austin Kirk threw four shutout innings, as the Peoria Chiefs rallied to tie the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Los Angeles Angels Class “A” affiliate) 3-3 on Field #2, while next-door on Field #3 Michael Burgess clubbed a grand slam HR over the RF fence and Evan Crawford doubled, tripled, walked, stole a base, drove-in two runs, and scored another, as the Daytona Cubs rallied from an early 5-0 hole to tie the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels Advanced “A” affiliate) 7-7, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training action at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ, this morning.
This was the “getaway day” game for both Daytona and Peoria, but since the Iowa Cubs will be remaining in Mesa for another day (they open the season Thursday at Round Rock, TX), I-Cubs catcher Welington Castillo stayed at Fitch Park and served as a DH for Daytona while his teammates traveled to Diablo Park in Tempe to face the Angels Salt Lake Bees AAA affiliate.
D-Cubs & Chiefs Deal with Tourists and Nuts at Fitch Park
Richard Jones blasted a solo HR onto 8th Street and drove in another run with a single and LHP Eric Jokisch (2010 11th round pick out of Nortwestern) threw three shutout innings with five strikeouts, leading the Peoria Chiefs to a 6-3 victory over the Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies Class “A” affiliate) on Field #2, while next-door on Field #3 the Daytona Cubs were cracking the Modesto Nuts (Rockies Advanced “A” affiliate) by a score of 11-4, as Matt Cerda went 3-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, Junior Lake had three hits (a double and two singles), scored one run, and drove in another, and Evan Crawford doubled, singled, stole a base (home), scored twice, and knocked in two runs, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training action at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
Cubs #5 starter Andrew Cashner made his final Arizona start this morning on Field #1, throwing three innings (and getting hammered) in an intrasquad game between the Iowa Cubs and the Tennessee Smokies.
Although they are assigned to the Iowa squad, RHP Blake Parker and Hung-Wen Chen pitched in the Daytona game this afternoon rather than the intrasquad game this morning, because they were bumped by Cashner.
In Minor League Camp roster news, a number of players were released or demoted today:
Cubs Win! Cubs Lose! Cubs Win! Cubs Lose!
Evan Crawford raked a two-run triple over the left-fielder's head to tie the game, Tony Campana followed with an RBI single (his third hit of the game) to plate Crawford, and D. J. Lemahieu capped the inning with an RBI double to score Campana, as the Cubs Minor League All-Stars rallied for four runs in the top of the 9th to defeat the Chicago Cubs 8-6 in the 2011 Cubs Spring Training Intrasquad Charity Game at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny Mesa, AZ, this morning.
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Final Tune-Up for Garza Sucks Gas
A. J. Pollack reached base five times on four singles and a walk, Kelly Johnson had four hits including a double and a three-run HR, ex-Cub Xavier Nady had four hits (including a grand slam HR) and scored three runs, and David Winfree had three hits including a solo HR and a three-run HR, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 15-8 drubbing of the Cubs in what was the final Cactus League game for the Cubs (although they will be playing what's billed as an "intrasquad charity game" tomorrow morning at Dwight Patterson Field before flying to Chicago later in the day).
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Grizzlies Like Marmolade for Lunch
Carlos Marmol allowed three first-inning runs, facing five batters and retiring only one (BB, 2B, HBP, F-7, 2B), and a four-run 8th inning Iowa Cubs rally fell one run short (the potential tying run was left stranded on 3rd base), as the Fresno Grizzlies (San Francisco Giants AAA affiliate) almost blew a 6-1 lead but held-on to edge the I-Cubs 7-6 on Field #3, while over on Field #2, Steve Clevenger “celebrated” his assignment to AA (for the third year in a row!) with an RBI single and a double, but two baserunners were thrown at key points in the game (Josh Vitters trying to advance from 1st to 3rd on a hit & run single to CF in the 4th, and D. J. Lemahieu trying to score from 1st on double in the 8th), as the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants AA affiliate) edged the Tennessee Smokies 4-3 in Cactus League Minor League action at Fitch Park this afternoon
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Colvin Grand Salami Too Little Too Late
Tyler Colvin crushed a towering grand slam HR over the RF fence to cap a Cub four-run 8th inning rally and narrow a six-run deficit to two runs, but the Colorado Rockies hung-on to defeat the Cubs 6-4 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
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Marshall Plan Works to Perfection at Fitch
Brandon Watson (signed yesterday after getting released by the White Sox earlier in the week) doubled, tripled, and collected two RBI, Fernando Perez (just demoted from big league camp) singled, doubled, scored a run, and knocked-in two others, and Blake Lalli tripled and singled, scored a run, and drove-in another, helping the Iowa Cubs mount a fierce five-run 8th inning rally to close a 6-0 deficit to just one run, but Watson was left stranded at 3rd when Scott Moore and Matt Spencer struck out (Moore looking and Spencer swinging) and Ty Wright popped out to RF, and the Salt Lake Bees (Angels AAA affiliate) hung-on to edge the I-Cubs 6-5 on Field #3, while over on Field #2, Cubs LHRP Sean Marshall (sent to Minor League Camp to get work) threw a 13-pitch 1-2-3 1st inning (F-9, 5-3, F-9), Ryan Flaherty and Rebel Ridling hammered solo home runs (Flaherty’s a towering 450-foot job over the “Green Monster” Batter’s Eye in dead CF), and Nate Samson reached base three times (a triple, a single, and a walk) and drove-in two runs, leading the Tennessee Smokies to a 4-1 nine-inning victory over the Arkansas Travelers (Angels AA affiliate) on Field #2 (although the game was extended an extra half-inning to allow LHP Chris Siegfried to pitch his pre-scheduled inning--bumped to extra innings when Sean Marshall arrived, and the Travelers scored four runs in the top of the 10th), in Cactus League Minor League action at Fitch Park this afternoon
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Castro Casts Seattle Boat People Adrift
Starlin Castro drilled a three-run double to cap a four-run 7th inning rally, as the Cubs defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-3 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon
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Recent comments
crunch (view)
STL traded away a lot of minor league talent that went on to do nothing in the arenado + goldschmidt trades. neither guy blocked any of their minor league talent in the pipeline, too. that's ideal places to add talent.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
Natural cycle of baseball. Pitching makes adjustments in approach to counter a hot young rookie. Now it’s time for Busch and his coaches to counter those adjustments. Busch is very good and will figure it out, I think sooner than later.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
In 2020, the pandemic year and the year before they acquired Arenado, the Cardinals finished second and were a playoff team. Of the 12 batters with 100 plate appearances, 8 of them were home grown. Every member of the starting rotation (if you include Wainwright) and all but one of the significant relievers were home grown. While there have been a relative handful of very good trades interspersed which have been mentioned, player development had been their predominant pattern for decades - ever since I became an aware fan in the ‘70’s
The Arenado deal was not a deal made out of dire need or desperation. It was a splashy, headline making deal for a perennial playoff team intended to be the one piece that brought the Cardinals from a very good team to a World Series contender. They have continued to wheel and deal and have been in a slide ever since. I stand by my supposition that that deal marked a notable turning point within the organization. They broke what had been a very successful formula for a very long time.
crunch (view)
busch is having a really intense k-filled mini slump. he deserves better after coming back to wrigley after that hot road trip.
crunch (view)
i know alzolay isn't having a great time right now, but i trust hector "ball 4" neris even less than alzolay based on what i've seen coming out of their arms.
azbobbop (view)
Neris reminds me of Don “Full Pack” Stanhouse.
Eric S (view)
Happ, Busch, Dansby and Madrigal have a combined 25 runners left on base through 7 innings, with Busch accounting for 9 of those. Seems like a lot.
crunch (view)
PCA finally gets a hit! 2r HR!!!
Charlie (view)
They certainly could be coupled. It could also be the case that a team needs good players at the heart of the team and if they are not coming from one source (development) they have to be sought out elsewhere. I don't see the evidence needed to infer the cause.
crunch (view)
bases loaded for the cubs, 0 out...and no runs score.
cubbery.