Dan Vogelbach

Employing  the long ball (a Ryan Kalish three-run bomb and a John Andreoli solo blast) and six innings of one-run ball from 2015 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year Ryan Williams, the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) defeated the Nashville Sounds (Oakland Athletics AAA affiliate) 6-2 on Field #4, while on Field #3, Michael Soto, John Nogowski, and J. P. Sportman drilled consecutive RBI singles to highlight a three-run 7th, lifting the Midland Rockhounds (A's AA affiliate) to a 6-3 victory over the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate), in Cactus League Minor League doubleheader action Saturday afternoon at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.  

In addition to his HR, Andreoli also walked twice and stole a base.

The I-Cubs bullpen (Peralta-Edwards-Pena) retired the last seven Sounds hitters, striking out six of them.

Iowa 1B Dan Vogelbach left the game on Field #4 after being hit on the foot with a pitch. 

Gioskar Amaya reached base four times (three walks and a single), Mike O'Neill collected three singles, and Mark Zagunis drove-in all three Tennessee runs (two-run double and a bases loaded HBP) in a losing cause on Field #3. 

Smokies SP Jonathan Martinez and reliever (ex-starter) Daury Torrez had rough outings on Field #3, with Martinez allowing five hits (two doubles and three singles) and four walks in just 3.2 IP (78 pitches - only 60% strikes), and Torrez surrendering three runs on five hits in just one inning of work.  

In Minor League Camp roster news, the Cubs have released RHRP Matt Brazis (acquired from SEA for OF Justin Ruggiano post-2014), 1B Matt Clark (ex-MIL), OF Donnie Cimino (2015 37th round draft pick - Weslyan U.), LHRP Heath Dwyer (2015 NDFA - VCU), LHRP Nick Greenwood (ex-STL), C-INF Jordan Hankins (2013 11th round draft pick - Austin Peay), RHRP Santiago Rodriguez (2013 IFA - Dominican Republic), RHSP Austyn Willis (2014 18th round draft pick - Barstow HS - Barstow, CA), and LHRP Sam Wilson (2013 8th round draft pick - Lamar CC). 

Cubs Spring Training Depth Chart
Minor League Camp Rosters (updated daily)

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

Dan Vogelbach drove-in five runs with a grand slam home run and a bases-loaded walk and Matt Murton doubled, walked twice, and scored two runs, leading the Iowa Cubs (the AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) to a 7-3 victory over the Nashville Sounds (Oakland Athletics AAA affiliate) on Field #6, Shawon Dunston Jr clubbed a two-run HR and Billy McKinney and Jacob Rogers singled and doubled, but it wasn't anywhere near enough as the Midland Rockhounds (A's AA affiliate) belted out 14 hits (including three triples, a double, and a home run) en route to a 9-4 victory over the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) on Field #5, and Gleyber Torres drilled a single and an RBI double, scored a run, and stole two bases, as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) cruised to an 8-4 victory over the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) in Minor League Camp game action this afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

The three games were played simultaneously.

As usual, several players were moved up to higher levels just for the day. 

John Arguello from Cubs Den was at the game, and (as usual) he has some great pics & commentary posted over there

link  

Here are the abridged box scores (Cubs players only) from the games played on Field 5 & 6, and the box score from the game played on Field #4:

The Cubs selected the contracts of four minor league players today (all four from AA Tennessee), adding 3B Jeimer Candelario, C Willson Contreras, RHSP Pierce Johnson, and 1B Dan Vogelbach to their MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), and thus insuring that the foursome will not be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft.

So what exactly is the Rule 5 Draft? 

Dan Vogelbach (Cubs) lifted a fly ball to the warning track in LF with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 9th to score Shawon Dunston Jr (Cubs) from 3rd base with the game-winning run, as the Angels/Cubs co-op squad edged the Rangers 2-1 in AZ Advanced Instructional League action this afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Dan Vogelbach (RBI double) and Jeffrey Baez (RBI single) drilled two-out run-scoring hits to highlight a three-run 5th, Frandy de la Rosa (Cubs) belted an RBI double off the RF fence and scored in a three-run 6th and doubled and scored in the 8th, and RHP Garrett Nuss (Angels) hurled three innings of one-hit shutout ball, as the Angels/Cubs co-op squad cruised past the Diamondbacks 8-1 in AZ Advanced Instructional League action this afternoon on Field #7 at the Diablo Stadium Complex in Tempe, AZ.  

Victor Caratini (Cubs) ripped an opposite-field two-out triple into the rightfield corner, Dan Vogelbach (Cubs) followed with an RBI double down the RF line to knock-in Caratini, and Andrew Daniel (Angels) drove-in Vogelbach from 2nd with an RBI ground single to center to open the scoring in the bottom of the 1st inning, and Cubs top pitching prospect RHP Duane Underwood Jr hurled four innings of no run/no hit ball with five strikeouts and combined with four Cub relievers to toss a three hitter, as the Angels/Cubs co-op squad defeated the Royals 4-1 in AZ Advanced Instructional League action this afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Rob Zastryzny and four relievers combined to toss a six-hit shutout and Trey Martin roped a double and an RBI single, reached base on an HBP, stole a base, and scored a run, as the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) shutout the Midland Rockhounds (Oakland A's AA affiliate) 4-0 on Field #5, and Jeimer Candelario belted two run-scoring doubles, Dan Vogelbach singled twice, walked, and scored two runs, and John Andreoli hammered a solo HR and a single, leading the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Cubs) to an 8-1 victory over the Nashville Sounds (A's AAA affiliate) in Cactus League Minor League game action Thursday afternoon at Mesa Cubtown at Riverview Park.

Darnell McDonald singled twice, doubled, walked, scored twice, and knocked-in a run, Taiwan Easterling singled, doubled, reached base on an HBP, stole a base, drove-in two runs, and made two outstanding catches, Jeffrey Baez drove-in three runs with a two-run double and a bases-loaded HBP, and Dan Vogelbach crushed a tape-measure two-run home run, leading the Daytona Cubs to a 10-7 victory over the Bakerfield Blaze (Cincinnati Reds Hi-A affiliate) on Field #3, and Starling Peralta celebrated his return to the Cubs organization with 3.1 IP of one-hit shutout ball, Gioskar Amaya singled and tripled, and Dong-Yub Kim singled twice, stole a base, and scored a run, but it wasn't enough as Joe Hudson (Reds 2012 6th round draft pick - Notre Dame) slugged a HR over the LF fence and onto Center Street to lead the Dayton Dragons (Reds Low-A affiliate) to a 3-1 victory over the Kane County Cougars on Field #2, in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action this afternoon at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Javier Baez homered in consecutive at bats, crushing a solo home run in the 7th and a walk-off two-run bomb in the 9th, helping to rally the Cubs to a 7-5 victory over Team Japan this afternoon at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Team Japan is in Phoenix preparing for the World Baseball Classic Championship Round that will be played in San Francisco next week.

Jorge Soler and Dan Vogelbach blasted home runs, Chadd Krist singled, doubled, walked, and scored a run, Gioskar Amaya singled, walked, stole a base, scored a run, and drove-in another, and Nathan Dorris collected his second save in successive games by throwing three innings of one-hit shutout ball, leading the Cubs to a 6-1 victory over the Athletics in Arizona Instructional League action this afternoon at Papago Park Baseball Complex Field #2 (AKA “Connie Mack Field”) in Phoenix.