Freddy Sanchez Inspects Fitch Park as Cubs & Giants Split Twin-Bill

Rafael Disla roped a two-run triple into the RF corner to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the 7th, rallying the EXST Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the EXST Giants on Field #2, while over on Field #3, Cubs hitters could only muster three hits and two walks while striking out 11 times as the Giants blanked the Cubs 6-0, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader played at Fitch Park in Mesa this morning. The games were played simultaneously

San Francisco Giants infielder Freddy Sanchez (at Extended Spring Training while rehabbing from shoulder and knee surgeries) played in the game on Field #2, getting five PA over the first five innings while playing 2B. Facing LHP Marcos Perez, Sanchez grounded out 4-3 on an 0-1 pitch in the top of the 1st inning, walked on a 3-2 pitch in the top of the 2nd, and struck out swinging on a 1-2 pitch in the top of the 3rd, and then he walked twice against RHP Jose Rosario.

Marcos Perez continued his fine work at Extended Spring Training, working three more shutout innings. Through his first five games (covering 10.1 IP), Perez has allowed no runs on two hits, one walk, and one HBP, while striking out 10, with a 14/7 GO/FO.

Pin-Chieh Chen had two more hits today, raising his EXST BA to .435. He also scored the Cubs first run on Field #2, lining a lead-off single to CF in the bottom of the 4th, advancing to 2nd base on a Wild Pitch, and then scoring on a catcher’s E-2 overthrow when he stole 3rd base with one out.

With the Cubs trailing 2-1 going into the bottom of the 7th, Arismendy Alcantara reached on a one-out infield single to 1st base (he just flat out-ran the pitcher to the bag), and Blair Springfield drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Rafael Disla then lined a triple into the RF corner, scoring Alcantara with the tying run and Springfield with the winning run. Disla later scored the third run of the inning on a two-out RBI single by Alvaro Ramirez.

On the injury front, speedy 18-year old Korean CF Kyung-Min Na left the game on Field #2 after suffering some type of injury while running the bases, and OF Manuel Pestana remains sidelined after suffering a shoulder injury while diving head-first into 3rd base in a game last week. .

In EXST Cubs roster news, catcher Luis Flores has been reinstated from the Suspended List and was in uniform today warming up pitchers in the bullpen, 1B Rebel Ridling (appendectomy) has completed his rehab at Fitch Park (where he hit .286 with a double and four K in 21 PA) and has moved up to Daytona (in a related transaction, the Cubs released 1B Ryne White, one of two players they acquired from Arizona in the Aaron Heilman deal), and finally supersub utility C-IF-OF Jonathan Mota (308/400/538 with three doubles and four RBI at EXST) has been moved up to Peoria after learning the basics of the catching trade at Fitch Park (and in a related transaction, C-1B-3B Jovan Rosa was released). 

Here are today’s abridged box scores (EXST Cubs players only):

FIELD #2

LINEUP
1. Alvaro Ramirez, LF-CF: 1-4 (P-5, F-7, 4-3, 1B, RBI)
2. Pin-Chieh Chen, DH #1: 2-4 (K, 1B, 1B, F-7, R, SB)
3. Xavier Batista, RF: 1-3 (K, K, 1B)
4. Charles Thomas, 3B: 1-3 (1B, 6-3, F-9)
5. Melvin Camarena, 1B: 0-3 (1-3, 6-3, K)
6. Arismendy Alcantara, DH-SS: 1-2 (6-3, BB, 1B, R)
7. Blair Springfield, 2B: 0-2 (K, L-4 DP, BB, R)
8. Rafael Disla, SS-LF: 1-3 (F-7, F-7, 3B, R, 2 RBI)
9. Jose Guevara, C: 0-3 (6-3, F-9, K)
10a. Kyung-Min Na, CF: 1-1 (1B)
10b. SKIPPED AFTER KYUNG-MIN NA LEFT GAME WITH INJURY

PITCHERS:
1. Marcos Perez – 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 GIDP, 4/3 GO/FO, 41 pitches (28 strikes)
2. Jose Rosario – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 6/0 GO/FO, 28 pitches (14 strikes)
3. Carlos Rojas – 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1/3 GO/FO, 30 pitches (19 strikes)

ERRORS (3):
SS Rafael Disla E-6 (throwing error allowed batter to reach 1st base – did not score)
P Marcos Perez E-1 (throwing error on attempted pick-off at 2nd base allowed runner on 2nd to advance to 3rd base and runner on 1st base to advance to 2nd – neither runner scored)
2B Blair Springfield E-4 (throwing error allowed runner at 2nd base to advance to 3rd base – did not score)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Jose Guevara: 1 PB

FIELD #3

LINEUP
1. Vismeldy Bieneme, 2B: 0-3 (4-3, P-3, 1-U)
2. Runey Davis, CF: 0-3 (K, K, F-9)
3. Jesus Morelli, RF: 1-3 (K, 6-3, 1B)
4. Brandon May, 3B: 1-3 (1B, K, K)
5. Jae-Hoon Ha, C-DH: 0-3 (K, F-9, K)
6. Bobby Wagner, 1B: 0-2 (BB, 1-3, K)
7. Albert Hernandez, DH #1: 0-2 (K, K)
8. Carlos Romero, DH-C: 1-1 (BB, 2B)
9. Wes Darvill, SS: 0-2 (3-U, F-9)
10. Cody Shields, LF: 0-2 (K, F-8)

PITCHERS:
1. Yao-Lin Wang – 3.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 3/4 GO/FO, 48 pitches (34 strikes)
2. Rogelio Carmona – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 10 pitches (7 strikes)
3. Jesse Ginley – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 4/2 GO/FO, 26 pitches (16 strikes)
4. Danny Keefe – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 3/1 GO/FO, 21 pitches (17 strikes)

ERRORS (2):
2B Vismeldy Bieneme E-4 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base – did not score)
SS Wes Darvill E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base – did not score)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Jae-Hoon Ha: 0-1 CS, 1 PB
Carlos Romero: 0-1 CS

ATTENDANCE: 9

WEATHER: Sunny, cloudless, and warm, with temperatures in the 90’s