April 2012

Javier Baez belted a three-run home run and Yasiel Balaguert stroked an RBI triple and scored on a Jair Bogaerts RBI single, as the Cubs plated five runs in the bottom of the 4th en route to a 5-1 victory over the Angels in Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ.

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.

I didn't get to do a major league recap and I'm off on vacation this week. Apologies in advance if things get untidy around here. As for the major league game, it was déjà vu all over again. Marmol and Wood blowing a second consecutive game, the bullpen blowing a win for Garza or the Cubs just blowing a game, pick whatever storyline suits your needs...it's like choose-your-own adventure Cubs storytime.

Round Rock hasn't had any trouble getting into the jet stream above Principal Park. The Express have belted four homers in two games including a back-to-back pair Friday night off of Casey Coleman that were the difference in the 4-3 contest. But the home team remains homerless, having split the first half of a four-game set to open the season.

Tuesday night I endured a local school board meeting. It comes with the territory of my day job. I sat glassy-eyed in the gallery, my mind drifting ahead 48 hours at which point I would be sitting in the stands on Opening Night at Principal Park, cracking open peanut shells instead of stifling yawns.

I can't really afford the time to pour into these game recaps as I'd really like, so I'll just comment briefly on the bigger WTF moments.

Today, the honor goes to Kerry Wood and Dale Sveum in the 8th. Granted, I got called to a meeting just as Wood was imploding, but let's take at the play-by-play.

- K. Wood relieved R. Dempster
- I. Desmond stole second
- R. Zimmerman walked
- I. Desmond to third, R. Zimmerman to second on wild pitch
- A. LaRoche walked
- J. Werth walked, I. Desmond scored, R. Zimmerman to third, A. LaRoche to second

So after not paying attention to the tying run, then a walk, a wild pitch and another walk of a guy that had already struck out 3 times versus a righty, who in the ballpark was thinking Wood was suddenly going to find his groove to shut this thing down?

Raise your hand, Dale Sveum!

My division and playoff picks for the year.

You ask, I deliver.

Chris Volstad threw four innings (67 pitches), allowing two runs (only one earned) on six hits (all singles), with no walks and eight strikeouts, and Jeffrey Baez singled twice, tripled, drove-in a run, and stole a base, in Extended Spring Training intrasquad action this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

Here we go again, a full rundown of all the Cubs' prospect lists fit to print. Click on the "Prospect Listmania" tag at the bottom of the post for previous years or you can always visit Wiklifield.