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Giants Stomp on Cubs at HoHoKam Park
Buster Posey and Joaquin Arias collected three hits a piece, as the Giants defeated the Cubs 9-3 in Cactus League action this afternoon at Dwight Pattrerson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.
Travis Wood got the start for the Cubs and labored through four innings of work (93 pitches - only 50 strikes), surrendering four runs on seven hits (three doubles and four singles) and four walks (including Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong twice, the second one a lead-off four-pitch walk) plus two WP. Wood had two especially long innings (a 26-pitch 3rd and a 28-pitch 4th) that probably precluded him from going out for a 5th inning.
"Supersub" utility man Brent Lillibridge had an absolutely awful day at shortstop, a performance that will call into question whether he can or should ever play the position (which is his "natural" position, BTW) in an MLB regular season game. He commited a fielding error in the top of the 1st that allowed a batter to reach base (and as a result T. Wood had to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam), and made three bad throws later in the game (one a terrible relay throw on what should have been a 4-6-3 DP, another a one-hopper that first-baseman Steve Clevenger was able to snag and then tag the batter-runner for an out, and a 3rd that should have been the start of a 6-4-3 DP but ended up in RF, eventualy allowing two unearned runs to score).
Cory Wade (battling for the last slot in the bullpen) had a poor outing, throwing two innings and allowing four runs (but only two ER thanks to the Lillibridge throwing error) on four hits (including two doubles) and a walk. Wade threw several low-pitch innings in previous appearances and looked to be efficient if not over-powering, but he did that by pitching-to-contact and probably having some luck with BABIP. But today his stuff was exposed as below average and VERY hittable, and so I doubt that he will be seeing Wrigley Field anytime soon.
Shawn Camp and Hector Rondon were very good, however, Camp striking out the side in a 1-2-3 8th, and Rondon throwing a scoreless 9th with one strikeout.
The Cubs offense mostly struggled against Giants SP Ryan Vogelsong, eventually scoring three runs, one on an RBI double by David DeJesus that SF CF Angel Pagan lost in the sun, and the other a two-out two-run HR into the bullpen beyond the RF fence by Dioner Navarro in the bottom of the 6th (Vogelsong's last inning), Navarro's 4th Cactus League HR of 2013.
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