Baez & Vogelbach Demolish Giants

Javier Baez slugged a three-run home run, tripled twice, drove-in four runs, and scored three more, Dan Vogelbach crushed a towering two-run home run over the RF screen and onto Camelback Road, and Garrett Schlecht blooped what proved to be a game-winning RBI single to short LF with two outs in the top of the 7th, as the Cubs swept the Giants by scores of 4-3 and 9-3 in an Extended Spring Training split squad doubleheader this morning at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ.


Both games were seven-inning affairs.



San Francisco Giants 2B Freddie Sanchez (on a rehab assignment at Extended Spring Training) had an RBI double and scored a run for the Giants squad on Field #2, and Brian Nicholson pumped a two-run HR for the Giants squad on Field #1.


Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only):


FIELD #1


CUBS SQUAD “A” LINEUP:
1. Shawon Dunston, Jr, CF: 0-4 (K, F-7, F-8, P-2)
2. Brian Inoa, 2B: 0-3 (3-1, 4-3, K)
3a. Gioskar Amaya, DH #1: 1-2 (5-3, 1B, R, SB)
3b. Luis Acosta, PH: 0-1 (K)
4. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 1-2 (6-3, HR, BB, R, 2 RBI)
5a. Anthony Giansanti, DH #2: 0-2 (E-5, K)
5b. Neftali Rosario, C: 0-1 (F-7)
6. Danny Lockhart, SS: 2-3 (1B, K, 1B, R, SB)
7a. Yasiel Balaguert, RF: 0-2 (4-6-3 DP, 6-3)
7b. Delbis Arcila, RF: 0-1 (6-3)
8. Jair Bogaerts, 3B: 1-1 (BB, 1B, HBP, R)
9. Jeffrey Baez, LF: 0-3 (K, K, K)
10. Garrett Schlecht, DH #3: 1-2 (P-2, BB, 1B, RBI)
11a. Yaniel Cabezas, C: DID NOT BAT – PLAYED DEFENSE ONLY
11b. SLOT WAS SKIPPED LAST TIME THRU BATTING ORDER


CUBS SQUAD “A” PITCHERS:
1. Starling Peralta: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 42 pitches (24 strikes), 2/0 GO/FO
2. Jin-Young Kim: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 32 pitches (22 strikes), 5/2 GO/FO
3. Sheldon McDonald: 2.0 IP, 3 H 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 29 pitches (23 strikes), 0/1 GO/FO
4. Ramon Garcia: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 18 pitches (11 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO


CUBS SQUAD “A” ERRORS: NONE


FIELD #2


CUBS SQUAD “B” LINEUP:
1. Oliver Zapata, LF: 2-4 (K, 1B, 2B, F-7)
2. Carlos Penalver, 2B: 0-3 (BB, F-9, 6-3, 5-3, R)
3. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 2-3 (1B, 3-1, BB, 2B, 2 R)
4. Javier Baez, SS: 3-4 (HR, 3B, 3B, F-7, 3 R, 4 RBI)
5. Trevor Gretzky, 1B: 0-3 (1-3, FC, P-6, R, RBI)
6. Trey Martin, CF: 1-2 (2B, BB, K, 2 R)
7. Rock Shoulders, DH #1: 1-2 (2B, F-8 SF, K, 2 RBI)
8. Xavier Batista, RF: 0-3 (P-2, F-9, P-4)
9. Dong-Yub Kim, DH #2: 0-3 (4-3, 4-3, 6-3)
10. Wilfredo Petit, C: 1-3 (2B, K, 3-U)


CUBS SQUAD “B” PITCHERS:
1. Tayler Scott: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 19 pitches (11 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
2. David Henrie: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 27 pitches (20 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
3. Charles Thomas: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 21 pitches (12 strikes), 1/4 GO/FO
4. Roderik Pichardo: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 13 pitches (8 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO


CUBS SQUAD “B” ERRORS: 1
2B Carlos Penalver – E-4 (fielding error on infield single allowed run to score)


ATTENDANCE: 22


WEATHER: Mostly sunny with temperatures in the 90’s

Tags: 
Extended Spring Training
EXST Cubs
Dan Vogelbach
Garrett Schlecht
Javier Baez
Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 3:51pm
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Comments

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 4:00pm

That's a nice sized crowd. I bet the vendors were happy. Let's bring these kids up now.

Submitted by tim815
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 4:52pm

Vogelbach's homer didn't land on somebody's roof. It shouldn't count.

Nice job, gents. And thanks for the intel, Phil.

Submitted by tim815
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 4:53pm

David Henrie. Don't recognize his name.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 5:04pm

Tue, 04/10/2012 - 3:53pm — tim815

David Henrie. Don't recognize his name.

=================================

TIM: David Henrie was "Signed for Future Service" (meaning he signed a 2012 contract) as a Non-Drafted Free-Agent (NDFA) out of Trinidad State JC at the August 15th deadline last year after a Cubs scout saw him pitch for the Arvada Colts in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League (a collegiate summer "wood bat" league).

While he did not get assigned to a Cubs minor league affiliate last season, he did pitch in the AZ Instructional League:

12.15 ERA
2.40 WHIP
.387 OppBA
5 GAMES (1 GS)
6.2 IP, 12 H, 11 R (9 ER), 4 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, 1 HR

He hasn't been very impressive so far.

As a point of reference, Henrie pitched in the same JUCO conference as Cubs 2011 30th round draft pick RHP Arturo Maltos-Garcia (who is presently rehabbing from 2011 TJS).

Submitted by tim815
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 5:07pm

The Taylor Davis plan? By the way, saw Davis for Peoria in Beloit. Still works 3-1 counts like a boss.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 5:44pm

Background on Taylor Davis.

He was highly-regarded enough after the 2010 season that he was on the Johnny Bench Watch List going into the 2011 season (his junior year) at Morehead State, and then despite finishing in the Top 10 in SLG % among D-1 players (one slot ahead of Cubs 19th round draft pick Paul Hoilman, BTW), he was not drafted.

The Cubs signed a NDFA catcher out of the U. of Santa Clara named Patrick Terry after the June draft, but his contract was subsequently voided, and so they offered Davis a contract and he accepted it, and he spent the summer with the AZL Cubs in Mesa.

Davis began Minor League Camp last month with the Tennessee squad, then got moved down to Daytona and finally to Boise/Mesa, before getting a last minute reprieve and a spot on the Peoria Opening Day roster.

Submitted by superjimmer
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 6:59pm

Can anyone explain this Yankees banner that shows up to the right "he's not just the captain, he's the Yankees captain..." Jeter looks like a combination of Jesus Christ and, like a singing GI Joe doll all at once. And he's got no legs. It's just totally bizarro.

Submitted by crunch
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 7:20pm

it only took about 10 minutes for this game to suck...2-0, 1 out, man on 1st, cubbery, etc.

...and 15 minutes to make it blow ass...5-0, 1 out, no one on...

Submitted by MikeC
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 8:03pm

I am sorry but what the hell is the point of gutting the roster when your not going to play LaHair?

"I'm going to get Baker in there as much as possible," Sveum said. "He swings the bat too good against left-handers to get him out of there. You try to get [Bryan] LaHair at-bats and get him accustomed, but [LaHair] didn't swing too well against left-handers in Spring Training. I've got to get Baker's bat in there as much as I possibly can." It's not a bad strategy given that Baker is a career .309/.360/.525 hitter against lefties. But, it hurts the sleeper appeal a bit of LaHair, who is off to a great start.

Its like its the return of Dusty Baker. Just let LaHair sink or swim and move the fuck on. He is 29 years old there is no damn reason in hell to not put him in the lineup everyday. If he isn't going to hit against lefties then release him and bring up Rizzo, i dont give a crap about Jeff Baker.

Submitted by Charlie
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 8:06pm

My only problem with this, really, is that Sveum tries to point at Spring Training as his rationale for platooning LaHair.

Submitted by John Beasley
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 8:14pm

But Baker really truly does crush lefties. And LaHair is a lefty who's not particular effective against lefties. And Rizzo is in Iowa, and Sveum is trying to win today.

As much as I wish Baker wasn't on this team, this is not a terrible decision.

As for Rizzo, I expect he'll be up when he "earns" his promotion, and after that, Baker won't be playing first. He'll either the weak side of Stewart's platoon or on his way out of town.

Submitted by DavidP
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 10:54am

I don't give a crap about Baker either, but I do about LaHair.

Confidence is an important part of any young player's game. I think that in the beginning, anything you can do to increase the prospect's success, and thus increase his confidence, the better off you are. I think it is a good idea for the first couple of months to sit Lahair against many lefties, and for that matter, the very best right handers.

They will bring up Rizzo when they feel he is ready, regardless of what LaHair does.

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 11:17am

I am not sure that we need to use kid gloves with a 29 year old prospect. Due to his back issues I don't really mind that he sat last night, but assuming he is healthy enough to play LaHair should be in the line up every day until he is traded or Rizzo is called up.

Submitted by DavidP
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:21pm

A 29 year old with no MLB experience can be just as vulnerable than a 21 year old without MLB experience.

In a year when there is no chance to win anything important, it seems foolish to take unnecessary risks.

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:34pm

I guess we disagree on a few points.

First, a 29 year old should be more mature than a 21 year old, and should more experience with facing professional pitchers. Thus, less hand holding should be required as he should already be able to adjust to adversity.

Additionally, due to his age LaHair has a very limited window (a few months) to see if he is a real asset, and it would seem to me to be foolish to limited his opportunities during that time.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:16pm

If the back issues were the reason, then you also don't let him pinch hit late in the game when it was even colder and he's been sitting on the bench all game.

Submitted by Cubster
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 8:10pm

can't we just play Neifi at first base and call it a season?

Submitted by superjimmer
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 8:14pm

Breathe people. Doesn't bother me, LaHair will be here a while - Sveum is nothing like Dusty - just trying to get people involved and win a few games. Plus if LaHair has a touchy back you don't need him playing in a ski mask and 40 degree weather. LaHair will get all the at bats he needs.

The only painful thing tonight is watching Maholm pitch probably the worst game I have seen in years. He looks easier to hit than batting practice. The ball just floats up there and slowly gravitates to the center if the plate for a serious ass whoopin.

Or else he just kind of shotputs the ball about 60 feet and bounces it in. It's frickin torture to watch.

Submitted by Charlie
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 10:27pm

I agree about Sveum, except that I wish he'd given a better answer. Something along the lines of, "Baker really hits lefties well, so we're going to find a place to play him when there's a lefty starter, and at the same time we'll use that as an opportunity to rest some other guys who might benefit from a day off. LaHair is that guy today because of his recent back tightness and the cold weather." That would've been the perfect rationale for this decision, in my view. The LaHair didn't look good against lefties in spring training rationale was not quite so hot. Pretty minor, though. Now, if DeJesus and Stewart never find themselves getting days off when there is a lefty on the mound, I'll start to think Sveum isn't making the best use of his resources.

Submitted by carmenfanzone
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 10:52pm

The Cubs should d/l Maholm and bring up Corpas...Maholm needs rehab time...

Also-I can't remember the last time I saw Marlon Byrd get a clutch hit. His approach in rbi situations is god awful. Someone please take him!

DeJesus is starting to bother me...I wish Sveum would have started Mather tonight in right.

I wish Tony C were up right now. We need the speed!

Please trade DeWitt to the Phillies and send Lendy to the minors...

I like Steve Clevenger.

I agree-this lineup needs LaHair every game.

Submitted by tim815
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:07am

Is Philly interested in that trade?

Submitted by superjimmer
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 11:10pm

Who would be 5th starter?

Byrd needs to stretch his back or something. Looks stiff and inflexible especially on outside pitches.

DeJesus is annoying.

Our general speed looks okay, but tony c would be awesome as end of game pinch runner, etc.

DeWitt whatever, but Lendy looked good tonight.

Clevenger is likable.

LaHair will play a lot, I don't get the panic regarding 1st base rest. Or any panic at all right now. We have competitive journeymen for the most part. And reclamation projects.

Submitted by carmenfanzone
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:05am

Rodrigo would be 5th until Wells, Wood or Maholm comes back. Just a start or two.

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 11:51am

LaHair not playing against a lefty raised a bit of a red flag for me, too, but not because it made me think of Dusty. It made me think of Qball, and his stubborn refusal to play kids. Not that LaHair is a kid. But it did remind of QBall behavior in that the prospect gets a couple of doubles, and then sits. The differences are that LaHair is nurshing an iffy back, and Baker has some numbers against lefties. So for me it's just a red flag, nothing to get excited about. It just goes to show that managers, no matter what their name is, do seem to have a preference for proven veterans, even journeymen, over prospects. With Rizzo nipping at his heels, LaHair's window is pretty small here as it is. The more he sits, the smaller that window gets. I understand Swaim's wanting to win now, but he's not winning now, so I'd like to see LaHair in there every day if he's not hurt.

Submitted by rokfish
on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 11:49pm

Jeff Baker needs to be gone ,he needs to go to seattle or somewhere.
I will agree M.Byrd does look stiff looks like some weight loss also
although i hope he produces so he can be traded.
Blake Dewitt he hits left handed about the only good thing.
I think Lahair will be given every chance to succeed trade bait to
bring up Rizzo n summer.

Submitted by Hagsag
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 5:20am

AZ Phil,
I see by your Depth Chart that Rafael Diplan, Amaury Paulino and Kevin Encarnacion have reported to Fitch. Do you expect Marck Malave to join them?

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 5:43am

Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:20am — Hagsag

AZ Phil,
I see by your Depth Chart that Rafael Diplan, Amaury Paulino and Kevin Encarnacion have reported to Fitch. Do you expect Marck Malave to join them?

=======================================

HAGSAG: I don't have a complete list yet. They just arrived in Arizona a couple of days ago.

I do know that several of the Cubans have departed, though.

SS Leugim Barroso and RHP Juan Yasser Serrano were released, and RHP Yoannis Negrin was loaned to a team in the Mexican League (meaning that the Cubs still control Negrin).

Why the Cubs released Serrano but only loaned out Negrin, I don't know.

Submitted by Hagsag
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 6:45am

Thanks Phil

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 9:23am

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i...

Submitted by Ryno
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:18pm

"Searching for an identity" bullshit. Some of the starters had a good first start, some of them didn't. The good starts were crapped out by terrible bullpen showings.

Let's just talk plainly and not speak of searching for identities. This isn't marriage counseling, it's a ball team.

And 1 week in is a bit early to draw any conclusion. For example, I expect this team to blow pretty hard, but I haven't ruled out the fact that the Cubs will surprise us this year because the first week lived up (errr... down) to my expectations. We can't know anything about how the season will play out at this point.

Yes, I'm cranky. It's going to be a long season. :)

Submitted by Ryno
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:24pm

And I'd also just like to take this opportunity to say Castro needs to stop swinging at shit a foot out of the strike zone. Play the game the right way or screw off.

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 9:44am

the cincy kid [anyone remember steve mcqueen?] had 2 walks & 2 steals yesterday...

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 11:15am

You're good, kid, but as long as I'm around, you're only second best

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 7:44pm

I gotta watch it now...

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 8:47pm

was on TCM the other night

Glad to see you have not lost your touch, Ladyfingers.

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 10:02am

but two pair couldn't beat the king of clubs the iso's drew in the 9th [i'll stop now]...

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:24pm

john grisham and ernie banks singing the 7th...okay, whatever.

...and they're singing it too fast...mike ditka approves

Submitted by Jace
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:34pm

Pat Venditte - switch PITCHER for Yankees AAA affiliate - playing for Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees. Still progressing, still using both arms. He might just make it to the majors like this!

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:39pm

AAA...nice.

yeah, he's old, but people were counting out his demise and being exposed + topping out in AA.

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:05am

could lead to stalemate situation if he's bnrought in from bullpen & switch-hitting PH is announced...

Submitted by John Beasley
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:06am

That already happened in the minors. Pitcher must decide first which hand, then hitter decides which side of the plate.

Submitted by Jumbo
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 11:16am

By at bat or by pitch?

Submitted by Jace
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 11:17am

By AB...

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 1:03pm

Glove with two thumbs?

(Or maybe it's reversible: you just turn it inside out.)

Submitted by Jace
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 1:05pm

Yeah, it's a glove with two thumbs. He had it custom-made, of course..

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 1:20pm

So what's the big deal. Soriano's glove has 5 thumbs.

Submitted by Jumbo
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 5:27pm

Not to nitpick, but I'm pretty sure he only puts one thumb in the glove at a time. 1 thumb hole, finger holes on both sides.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:10pm

Nope... it is a 4 finger, 2 thumb glove:

http://tinyurl.com/83qq9sm

Submitted by Jumbo
on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 4:48am

My mistake. Thanks for the link

Submitted by Ryno
on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 10:20am

The last I heard (Which was a long time ago), the Yanks system was going to have him pitch from one side only. Has this changed?

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 11:06am

Doesn't appear that he's pitching from just one side:

http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/mlb/ar...

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:37pm

I sure hope this offense never finds itself stuck in a wet paper bag.

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:06am

actually, that may well describe where it already finds itself...

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:40pm

Good hitting,bad pitching
Good pitching, bad hitting

Bad team- check

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:50pm

We're gonna have to play the humor card a lot to get through this season.

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:52pm

cubs attendance august/september should be fun...i still can't believe im going to put myself through this.

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:12pm

I'm hoping Rizzo and Jackson are up by then and we see some promise, might not be enough to bring em out.

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:11pm

Need to check Castro's pictures

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-...

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:14pm

hah.

also, http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/34003_gab...

Submitted by jacos
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:24pm

Awesome

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:42pm

for the 2nd time in the very young season the backup catcher was used in a pinch hitting role without replacing the catcher or staying in the lineup.

that kind of use might get interesting...especially in something like today's 1 run game.

i hope marmol still has his gear.

Submitted by DavidP
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:51pm

Someone said that DeWitt would be the emergency catcher. Had he already been used in the game?

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:57pm

dewitt was used in the 7th (hit for pitcher)

i don't got anything against using a catcher as a pinch hitter, but if anything happens to soto (injury, ejection, fatigue, etc) things could get interesting in a situation like this. it's not like they're carrying some 3rd C guy who has recent catching experience while they gamble on clevenger's bat (which so far is 2 for 2 in working out).

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 5:06pm

"the backup catcher was used in a pinch hitting role without replacing the catcher or staying in the lineup."

If Clevenger hits in the seventh instead of DeWitt, maybe the Cubs don't lose. But that's a little early to use up your backup catcher.

So Sveum waits till two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 5:10pm

all i'm saying is it's early and he's already been used in a disposable manner twice. i'm not one of those people that's all religious about keeping your backup catcher available, but if he's used like this going forward things could get interesting. he's gambling with the backup catcher aggressively.

this whole team is being run aggressively...especially the baserunning. it was there in spring and it seems it's carrying over to the regular season.

Submitted by Old and Blue
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 6:31pm

I don't mind aggressiveness, or even over aggressiveness that leads to mistakes. And the bottom line is, Clevenger got a hit, and they still couldn't get him home. Just like they couldn't get anyone else home. This is a pretty bad team, offensively, and aggressiveness is not a bad thing to instill so that when/if we finally get some decent players in here, the mind set is in place. Right now, the team is not good enough to be aggressive. But, it's a bad team anyway, so it's better than playing everything safe. I don't even know if I'm making any sense, but it's just how I feel about it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I'm gonna have to watch a bad team play baseball, I'd rather watch one that's aggressive, than not. This can't be a station to station team. The runners aren't going anywhere, anyway, might as well try to get them to learn how to create mistakes from the opposition.

Submitted by johann
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 7:47pm

While I prefer patience and walks to aggressiveness overall, I prefer some sort of defining characteristic for a team from minor leagues up more than anything (which I feel the Cubs have rarely had) so I'm overall ok with this trend if it's also being taught at the very lowest levels.

Submitted by Childersb3
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:59pm

From Scott Powers at ESPNChicago Rapid Reax on Today's 2-1 Loss:

"WHAT IT MEANS: The Cubs have had different areas of their game trouble them over the first six games. There’s been the bullpen (games 1, 2, 4) and starting pitching (game 5). But overall, the Cubs’ biggest reoccurring problem has been their offense. They’ve now scored only 19 runs in six games. In Wednesday’s loss, they had runners in scoring position in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but they weren’t able to capitalize in any of those situations. Nine of the Cubs’ final 10 outs came on strikeouts."

With runners in Scoring Position over the first six games, the Cubs have 7 more PA, 3 fewer XBH, no HR, 7 fewer RBI, 2 fewer BB, 7 more SO, 102 pts lower BA, 149 pts lower OBP, and 291 pts lower SLG than their opponents. Last year, the Cubs had 100 fewer RBI, 102 pts. less BA, and whole bunch of other awlful stats compared to their opponents.

We all know you make your money as a hitter when a guy is on 2B. You have to score runs. I am as excited about Theo, the adjustments to the system, and our prospects as any other fan, but we just don't have the guys with the skill or right approach with runners in scoring position to back up our pitching.

Weird moment today, watching Clevenger hit his double against Axford in the 9th, I realized a broad comp for his swing: Johnny Damon. They both kind of drop their hands to flatten out their swings. Doesn't mean anything but whatever.

Submitted by Mike Wellman
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 7:48pm

jeez, how did guys ever manage to hit without wearing shades @ the plate?

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 9:02pm

I-Cubs ahead 5-1 in the 8th

Welington Castillo night, going 3-3 with a HR and double. Campana and Vitters have 2 hits. Coleman and Ryan Roland-Smith pitching.

Looks like Vitters is being allowed to play 3B quite a bit. Mostly Nada for BJax (one walk) and Rizzo tonight.

Submitted by Ryno
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:17am

Woo... Go Cubs!

Submitted by The Joe
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 1:01pm

Deflation:

I'm watching Mlb.TV and they keep showing this ad where the Cubs win the WS. There's fans celebrating all throughout the city. But each time, it abruptly ends as the Nats/Reds game cuts back in. This time it finally finished to reveal that a guy is playing the game on PlayStation.

Submitted by The Joe
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:01pm

chat.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:26pm

Don't know I would give Greinke ace money

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:29pm

Six runs on six singles and a double.

Submitted by The Joe
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:30pm

Dude's got the talent, but don't know if I'd trust him in the postseason.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:34pm

Bad on road, does not like big cities
Stay away Theo

Submitted by Charlie
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:38pm

Not sure this is founded in reason, but his social anxiety disorder makes me wary. Strikes me as similar, in ways, to a pitcher with injury histories.

On the other hand, I'm fairly certain Garza now has a mental block on throwing to first base.

Submitted by jacos
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:38pm

Rizzo three singles today battin .378

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:52pm

if he's hitting singles, he's ready for the 2012 cubs.

Submitted by Rob Richardson
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 2:55pm

Its the Cubs way!

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 3:11pm

j.damon's quest for 3000 hits continues with CLE...pending physical

Submitted by QuietMan
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 3:37pm

7 games into the season and they have Dickie Simpkins singing the stretch. Who are they going to thrill us with by game 10?

Submitted by crunch
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 3:47pm

8th inning, 90+ pitches in, garza still throwing 94/95mph with a 84/85mph slider.

Submitted by Charlie
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:40pm

If not for 9th inning defensive woes, the Cubs rotation could already have complete game shutouts from both Garza and Samardzija.

Submitted by Cubster
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 10:11pm

Antonio Alfonseca approves!

Submitted by superjimmer
on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 10:57pm

BAM! Well said ...

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