Pin-Chieh Chen

Stephen Cardullo ripped a two-run walk-off double to cap a three-run 9th, as the EXST Diamondbacks rallied to edge the EXST Cubs 3-2 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at the Talking Stick Resort, east of Scottsdale, AZ.

Andrew Cashner was scheduled to make his first Extended Spring Training rehab start in today’s game at Talking Stick, but was scratched after warming in the bullpen before the game. Whether this latest setback will significantly delay his return to the mound is not clear at this time, but it certainly is not good news for Cashner or for the Cubs.

Ryan Cuneo homered and doubled (and just missed another HR when a long fly hooked foul at the last second), Pin Chieh Chen had three hits (a single, a double, and a triple), and Randy Wells saw his first game action since April 4th, but the EXST Angels got hits when they counted and induced three rally-killing double-plays, edging a split squad of EXST Cubs 5-4 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

The game was extended an extra inning to allow all of the Angels and Cubs pitchers due to throw today to get their scheduled work.

With his team down 4-3 with two outs in the bottom of the 8th, Ryan Ortiz ripped a two-run HR over the LF fence to give the EXST Athletics the lead and eventually the victory, as the EXST Cubs were edged 5-4 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Connie Mack Field at the Papago Sports Complex in Phoenix.  

Rolando Gomez hammered a two-run home run and a two-run triple to help overcome an early seven-run deficit, as the Angels rallied to edge the Cubs 10-9 in AZ Instructional League action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this afternoon.

Scoring a run in the bottom of the 7th to take the lead and then seven more in the bottom of the 8th to put the game away, the AZL Cubs closed out their 2010 Arizona League season by coasting past the AZL A's 11-4 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa Sunday night.

Carlos Romero bounced a game-tying RBI single to right, Alvaro Ramirez lined an RBI single down the RF line, and Pin-Chieh Chen knocked-in two insurance runs with a two-run single, as the EXST Cubs rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the 8th to defeat the EXST Brewers 5-2 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 this morning in Mesa. The game was pre-planned as a ten-inning contest, so that more Brewer and Cub pitchers could get game work.

Besides the four-run rally in the 8th, other EXST Cubs highlights today included Tarlandus Mitchell and Austin Kirk combining to fan ten Brewers in just 5-1/3 innings, and Jesus Morelli extending his hit streak to 15 games with a 1st inning single. (Morelli is now hitting 382/447/574 in 21 EXST games since being moved down to Extended Spring Training from Peoria).

Pin-Chieh Chen had two hits and scored a run, Rafael Disla reached base twice and scored two runs, and Sergio Burruel drove-in two runs with a sacrifice fly and a double, but it wasn’t anywhere near enough offense as one squad of EXST Giants defeated one squad of EXST Cubs 6-3 on Field #1, while over on Field #2, the other squad of EXST Cubs managed only one run on two hits against the other squad of EXST Giants in a game that finished in a 1-1 tie, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader played at Indian School Park in Scottsdale this morning. Both games were stopped after seven innings, and the games were played simultaneously.

Pin-Chieh Chen had three hits and drove-in two runs, but the EXST Cubs could not hold a five-run lead in the 9th, as the EXST Angels rallied (BB, 1B, WP, E-4, 2B, P-7, 3B, F-8 SF) to tie the game at 7-7 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training play at Diablo Park Field #3 at the Tempe Buttes this morning. The game was stopped with two outs in the bottom of the 9th after the Angels tied the game on a SF.

Rafael Disla roped a two-run triple into the RF corner to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the 7th, rallying the EXST Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the EXST Giants on Field #2, while over on Field #3, Cubs hitters could only muster three hits and two walks while striking out 11 times as the Giants blanked the Cubs 6-0, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader played at Fitch Park in Mesa this morning. The games were played simultaneously

Apparently thoroughly embarrassed by the parent club’s piss-poor performance versus the Cubs at Miller Park in Milwaukee over the weekend, the EXST Brewers played inspired Cactus League Extended Spring Training baseball this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, defeating the EXST Cubs 5-1. With the loss, the Cubs fall to 4-6-2 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training play.