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Cubs Tack It Up then Shut 'em Down
Alfonso Soriano slugged a two-run home run into the parking lot to cap a three-run 1st inning, Darwin Barney clubbed a solo HR to the base of the scoreboard in the 2nd inning, and Cub pitchers retired 19 of the last 21 men they faced, as the Cubs edged the Rangers 5-4 in Cactus League action this afternoon at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.
Facing a mostly MLB lineup, LHP Chris Rusin got the start for the Cubs and worked five innings (87 pitches - 59 strikes), allowing four runs on seven hits (six singles and a double), no walks, and four strikeouts, with a 5/5 GO/FO. After surrendering four runs on six hits through the first two innings, Rusin retired ten of the last 11 men he faced, striking out three of the last four.
Shawn Camp, Carlos Marmol, James Russell, and Blake Parker each threw one inning in relief, and combined to throw four innings of one-hit shutout ball with one walk and three strikeouts,
The Rangers got on the board in the top of the 1st, plating two runs off Chris Rusin on an HBP, a single, an Adrian Beltre sacrifice fly, and an A. J. Pierzynski RBI double.
The Cubs responded in the bottom of the 1st against TEX SP Alexi Ogando. David DeJesus led-off and lined a single to left-center, advanced to 3rd on an E-6, and scored on an Anthony Rizzo SF. Alfonso Soriano followed with his two-run shot into the parking lot to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
The Rangers scored twice more in the top of the 2nd to retake the lead, as ex-Cub Jeff Baker, Luis Sardinas, Ian Kinsler, and Craig Gentry stroked consecutive one-out singles, and David Murphy lofted a sacrifice fly.
But then Darwin Barney brought the Cubs back to a 4-4 tie with a one-out HR over the LF fence that landed at the base of the scoreboard.
The game remained tied through the top of the 6th. Then Welingtton Castillo led-off the bottom of the frame and drew a walk, advanced to 2nd base on a Luis Valbuena sharp single through the box, moved-up to 3rd base on a 5-4-3 DP, and scored on a WP.
The Cubs bullpen did the rest, shutting down the Rangers to preseve the victory.
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