Madrigal Goes Deep & Peralta is Everywhere on Cubs Backfields

Jimmy Glowenke and Victor Bericoto each smacked a two-run HR, Heliot Ramos and Will Wilson belted solo home runs, and Brett Wisely doubled twice, scored a run, and drove-in another, as the Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants AAA affiliate) rallied to edge to the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) 9-8 on Field # 6, and SP Carson Ragsdale and four relievers combined to hurl a two-hit shutout as the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants AA affiliate) blanked the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) 1-0 on Field # 5, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Tuesday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

Jake Slaughter and Caleb Knight each hammered a two-run HR, Pete Crow-Armstrong ripped an RBI single and a double (he also lost a ball in the sun that fell for a double), Kevin Alcantara singled, walked twice, and scored a run, and Matt Shaw laced an RBI single for the Iowa Cubs in a losing cause on Field # 6, and Tennessee Smokies pitchers surrendered only three hits in the game on Field # 5 (although they walked nine and hit a batter).   

Nick Madrigal (strained hamstring) and David Peralta (post-2023 left flexor tendon surgery) continued their game rehabs, serving as Extra Hitters (EH) in both the Tennessee and Iowa games, and going back & forth between the two adjacent fields to accumulate as many AB in as short a time as possible. For the day, Madrigal went a combined 3-5 with two singles and a solo HR (oppo high fly over the RF fence), and Peralta went a combined 1-4 with a single, two walks, a strike out, a run scored, and a CS, over the course of six PA. 

Peralta is able to hit and run OK, but he is still likely to be left behind at Extended Spring Training (if he doesn't opt-out of his contract prior to Opening Day) to continue his rehab throwing program, and it is unclear at this time if Madrigal's hamstring will be sufficiently healed for him to avoid an Opening Day 10-day IL stint (obviously he can hit without any difficulty, but he was unable to even jog around the bases in Tuesday's games, much less run at full speed).     

If the Cubs don't want to risk Perlata opting-out, they could select him to their MLB 40-man roster and then immediately place him on the 60-day IL, with a plan to leave him behind at Extended Spring Training for six weeks and then start a 20 day Article XIX-C minor league rehab assignment at AAA Iowa in May.    

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

FIELD # 5

TENNESSEE SMOKIES LINEUP:
X-1. Nick Madrigal, EH #1: 1-2 (1B, 3-U) 
NOTE: Madrigal batted second in the bottom of the 1st and 4th
 X-2. David Peralta, EH #2: 0-1 (4-3 DP) 
NOTE: Peralta batted third in the bottom of the 1st inning
1a. Bradlee Beesley, RF: 0-2 (K, K)
1b. Jordan Nwogu, RF: 0-1 (BB, K) 
2. Darius Hill, LF: 0-4 (E-6, P-6, F-8, 4-3)
3a. Moises Ballesteros, C: 0-2 (E-5, 6-3) 
3b. Liam Spence, 3B: 0-1 (K, HBP)
4a. James Triantos, DH: 0-3 (K, 6-3, F-7) 
4b. Casey Opitz, PH: 0-1 (K)   
5. Christian Franklin, CF: 0-2 (6-4-3 DP, 6-3, HBP) 
6. Haydn McGeary, 1B: 0-2 (K, 4-3, BB) 
7. Jefferson Rojas, SS: 1-2 (F-8, 2B, HBP)
8. Hayden Cantrelle, 2B: 0-3 (F-7, K, K)
9a. Josh Rivera, 3B: 0-2 (F-9, 4-3)
9b. Carter Trice, C: 0-1 (K) 

TENNESSEE SMOKIES PITCHERS: 
1. Matt Thompson: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 0/2 GO/AO, 33 pitches (18 strikes) 
2. Garrett Brown: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 0/2 GO/AO, 38 pitches (15 strikes) 
3. Eduarniel Nunez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 GIDP, 2/1 GO/AO, 23 pitches (13 strikes) 
4. Frankie Scalzo Jr: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1/2 GO/AO, 21 pitches (10 strikes) 
5. Chase Watkins: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 3/2 GO/AO, 23 pitches (15 strikes) 

TENNESSEE SMOKIES ERRORS: NONE 

TENNESSEE SMOKIES CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
1. Moises Ballesteros: 0-2 CS, 1 PB 
2. Carter Trice: 0-1 CS, 1 PB
 

FIELD # 6

IOWA CUBS LINEUP:
X-1. Nick Madrigal, EH #1: 2-3 (6-3, HR, 1B, R, RBI)
NOTE: Madrigal batted second in bottom of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings
X-2. David Peralta, EH #2: 1-3 (BB, K, 4-3, BB, 1B, R, CS)
NOTE: Peralta batted third in bottom of the 1st, and led off bottom of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th  
1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF: 2-4 (K, 1B, K, 2B, RBI)
2a. Matt Shaw, SS: 1-2 (K, 1B, RBI, SB)
2b. Luis Vazquez, SS: 0-1 (BB, F-7 DP) 
3. Owen Caissie, RF: 1-3 (K, F-8, BB, 1B)
4. Matt Mervis, 1B: 0-3 (BB, 4-3, P-5 DP, 4-6-3 DP)
5. Kevin Alcantara, LF: 1-2 (BB, F-9, 1B, BB, R)
6. Jake Slaughter, 3B: 1-3 (K, BB, HR, 6-4 FC, R, 2 RBI)
7. BJ Murray, DH: 1-3 (K, 1B, 4-3, RBI) 
8. Chase Strumpf, 2B: 0-1 (HBP, K, BB, 2 R) 
9a. Bryce Windham, C: 0-1 (BB, 4-6-3 DP, R) 
9b. Caleb Knight, C: 1-1 (HR, R, 2 RBI) 

IOWA CUBS PITCHERS: 
1. Chris Kachmar: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1/3 GO/AO, 29 pitches (21 strikes)
2. Riley Thompson: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 2/2 GO/AO, 31 pitches (20 strikes)
3. Chris Clarke: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 0/2 GO/AO, 36 pitches (20 strikes)
4. Cayne Ueckert: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 PO, 1/0 GO/AO, 11 pitches (6 strikes)
5. Cam Sanders: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 16 pitches (10 strikes) 
6. Blake Weiman: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 0/1 GO/AO, 21 pitches (15 strikes)  
 
IOWA CUBS ERRORS: 1 
3B Jake Slaughter: E-5 (fielding miscue allowed batter to reach base safely)  

IOWA CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
1. Bryce Windham: 0-1 CS
2. Caleb Knight: 0-1 CS 

WEATHER: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 70's 

ATTENDANCE: 48

Arizona 
Scoring 
Service 

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