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.
One of the better defensive catchers in the Cubs minor league system, Flores is on an injury rehab assignment at Fitch Park after suffering a conscussion at Minor League Camp last month, and he looks to be about ready to rejoin the Daytona Cubs whenever the Cubs decide to move him up. He certainly is a man among boys at Fitch Park.
Today’s intrasquad game featured the U. S. debut of five more Dominican pitchers who were called up to Fitch Park from the Cubs Dominican Academy in Boca Chica, including 20-year old 6’2 lanky LHP Willengton Cruz, 19-year old stocky RHP Rafael Diplan, 21-year old RHP Santo Rodriguez, 22-year old RHP Jean Sandoval, and 20-year old RHP Yilver Sanchez.
The five newbees join RHP Ramon Garcia, LHP Luis Villalba, and RHP Starling Peralta, INF Gregori Gonzalez, and OF Eduardo Gonzalez, who arrived last week, and catchers Johan DeJesus, Brian Inoa, and Hector Suarez who reported to Minor League Camp in March. Peralta, INF Gioskar Amaya, 3B-1B Wilson Contreras, SS Marco Hernandez, and OF Oliver Zapata are back at Fitch Park after making their U. S. debuts at AZ Instructs last year, while all of the others are making their U. S. debuts this year.
Peralta, W. Cruz, Y. Sanchez, Sandoval, and Villalba were the “Big 5” starting rotation for the Dominican Summer League Baseball City Division Champion DSL Cubs #1 last season (the 2010 DSL Cubs #1 had the best record of the 34 teams that play in the DSL, while DSL Cubs #2 AKA "Bad News Cubs" had the worst record), and of the five Dominican hurlers who threw today, W. Cruz really stood out. He has some nasty stuff.
Here is today’s abridged box score:
NOTE: Luis Flores was SQUAD “B” DH #1 and batted 1st in the bottom of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings
SQUAD “A” LINEUP:
1. Vismeldy Bieneme, DH #1: 0-2 (K, K)
2. Marco Hernandez, SS: 0-2 (K, P-1)
3. Wilson Contreras, 3B: 1-2 (P-4, 1B)
4. Dong-Yub Kim, 1B: 0-2 (1-3, 5-3)
5. Blair Springfield, LF: 0-1 (K, BB, PO)
6. Johan DeJesus, C: 1-2 (1B, F-8)
7. Oliver Zapata, CF: 0-2 (1-3, P-2)
8. Eduardo Gonzalez, RF: 1-2 (5-3, 1B)
9. Gregori Gonzalez, 2B: 0-2 (L-6, 6-4-3 DP)
10. Hector Suarez, DH #2: 0-1 (K)
11. Max Kwan, DH #3: 0-1 (F-9)
SQUAD “B” LINEUP:
X. Luis Flores, DH #1: 2-3 (2B, 2B, K, 2 R)
1. Kyung-Min Na, CF: 1-2 (1B, 4-3, CS)
2. Pin-Chieh Chen, 2B: 1-2 (1B, K, RBI)
3. Xavier Batista, LF: 0-1 (FC, BB, SB)
4. Reggie Golden, RF: 1-2 (1B, K, SB)
5. Jesus Morelli, DH #2: 0-2 (K, L-4)
6. Yaniel Cabezas, C: 0-2 (5-3, F-8)
7. Wes Darvill, SS: 0-1 (5-3 SH, F-8, RBI)
8. Dustin Harrington, 3B: 0-1 (5-3)
9. Dustin Geiger, 1B: 0-1 (L-7)
SQUAD “A” PITCHERS:
1. Santo Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 19 pitches (12 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO
2. Rafael Diplan: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 20 pitches (13 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
3. Jean Sandoval: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 24 pitches (14 strikes), 0/3 GO/FO
SQUAD “B” PITCHERS:
1. Luis Liria: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 28 pitches (21 strikes), 3/2 GO/FO
2. Willengton Cruz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 19 pitches (12 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO
3. Yilver Sanchez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 1 PO, 22 pitches (13 strikes), 3/2 GO/FO
SQUAD “A” CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Johan DeJesus: 1-3 CS
ATTENDANCE: 5
WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 80’s
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