Diamondbacks Court Disaster for Cubs at Fitch Park

Dundee-Crown HS alum Ryan Court reached base five times on two doubles, a single, and two walks, leading the Diamondbacks to an 11-4 drubbing of the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ.

D'backs Stephen Drew (2011 broken ankle rehab) arrived at Fitch Park after the game started and played the middle three innings at shortstop, batting once each in the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings.

Facing LHP Hunter Ackerman, Drew walked in the 4th, grounded out 4-3 in the 5th, and reached base on an HBP in the 6th. He also committed a fielding error at SS in the bottom of the 5th that eventually resulted in an unearned run scoring for the Cubs.

SS Junior Lake (back injury suffered during Spring Training) continued his EXST rehab in today's game, playing shortstop for all nine innings (started one DP and was the middle-man in another) and batting once each in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th innings.

Lake went 1-6, grounding out 6-3 in the 1st, flying out F-8 in the 2nd, flying out F-9 in the 3rd, flying out F-7 in the 4th (near-HR caught up against the LF fence), reached base on the Stephen Drew E-6 error in the 5th before stealing second and scoring on a Yasiel Balaguert double, and (finally) lining a single to left in the 8th.

In three EXST games this week since returning to action, Lake is 3-17 with a double, a walk, four strikeouts, three runs scored, and two stolen bases (one CS). He has not made an error.

None of the Cubs pitchers were effective today, but LHP Brian Smith really had an outing to forget, allowing eight baserunners (four hits and four walks, plus a wild pitch) without recording an out.

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cub players only):< /p>

CUBS LINEUP:
X. Junior Lake, SS: 1-6 (6-3, F-8, F-9, F-7, E-6, 1B, R, SB)
NOTE: Lake batted six times, once in each of the first five innings, and once in the 8th inning
1. Shawon Dunston Jr, CF: 0-3 (P-6, BB, F-7, F-7)
2a. SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TWO TIMES THRU BATTING ORDER
2b. Brian Inoa, DH #1: 1-2 (2B, 6-4-3 DP, R)
3a. Javier Baez, DH #2: 1-2 (1B, 5-4 FC, HBP, SB, CS)
3b. Kevin Encarnacion, PH: 0-0 (BB)
4. Rock Shoulders, DH #3: 0-4 (K, 6-4 FC, K, K)
5. Xavier Batista, RF: 2-4 (1B, K, 1B, K, R, RBI)
6. Gioskar Amaya, 2B: 0-2 (BB, L-6, BB, F-8, R)
7. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 1-4 (F-8, K, 1B, P-5)
8. Yasiel Balaguert, LF: 2-4 (1B, 2B, 6-4-3 DP, K, 2 RBI)
9a. Anthony Giansanti, C: 1-2 (BB, 6-3, 1B, RBI)
9b. Justin Marra, C: 0-1 (K)
10. Jair Bogaerts, 3B: 0-2 (K, HBP, K)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Starling Peralta: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, 1 GIDP, 58 pitches (37 strikes), 3/2 GO/FO
2. Hunter Ackerman: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HBP, 1 GIDP, 47 pitches (23 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
3. Brian Smith: 0.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 29 pitches (9 strikes)
NOTE: Top of the 6th was stopped with two outs and runners at 2nd & 3rd when Smith reached his pre-planned max pitch limit for the inning, and top of the 7th was stopped with bases loaded & no outs when Smith reached his pre-planned max pitch limit for the game
4. Rafael Diplan: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 46 pitches (25 strikes), 0/4 GO/FO

CUBS ERRORS: 1
3B Jair Bogaerts - E-5 (throwing error on attempted 5-2 force-out at home allowed unearned run to score)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE: Anthony Giansanti: 0-3 CS, 1 PB

CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:
1. LF Yasiel Balaguert - threw out runner 7-5 trying to advance from 1st to 3rd on a line single to left
2. RF Xavier Batista - threw out runner 9-2 trying to score on fly out to RF

ATTENDANCE: 12

WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 90's