Pete Crow-Armstrong singled, doubled, tripled, reached base on an HBP, scored a run, and drove-in another, Jordan Nwogu tripled, singled twice, and drove-in a run, Pablo Aliendo laced a two-run triple, scored a run, and drew a walk, Luis Vazquez drilled a two-run single, walked, and scored a run, Owen Caissie ripped an RBI double, walked, and scored a run, and Zach Davis singled twice, scored two runs, and stole a base, as the Tennessee Smokies (AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) rallied to overcome an early 4-0 deficit and defeated the Hartford Yard Goats (AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies) 9-5 on Field #5, and the Albuquerque Isotopes rallied for four runs in the 9th and defeated the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Cubs) 6-4 on Field #6, in Cactus League minor league game action Saturday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.
Nelson Velazquez belted a solo HR and Matt Mervis singled twice, walked, and collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly for the I-Cubs in a losing cause.
Iowa catcher Dom Nunez left the game in the top of the 2nd inning after being struck by a batter's back-swing, and I-Cubs Yonathan Perlaza injured his left shoulder in the top of the 9th after crashing into the RF wall while attempting to catch one of two run-scoring doubles in that inning (he left the field under his own power). As the result of the Nunez injury and with I-Cubs back-up catcher Caleb Knight having traveled to Tempe with the Cubs MLB squad, Jake Washer had to be "drafted" from the Tennessee squad to catch the AAA game (Tennessee was playing on an adjacent backfield, so he didn't have to go very far), and he had two hits, scored a run, and threw out a runner attempting to steal.
Miguel Amaya caught the first seven innings of the AA game on Field #5, and threw out a runner trying to steal.
All three of the pitchers who worked for AA Tennessee were temporarily moved-up from lower levels (Richard Gallardo and Sheldon Reed from South Bend and Grant Kipp from Myrtle Beach), and Riley Martin was temporarily moved-up to AAA Iowa from AA Tennessee (and Martin blew the save on Field #6).
In minor league camp roster news, OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, infielders Chase Strumpf and Andy Weber, 1B Bryce Ball, catchers Miguel Amaya and Bryce Windham, and RHPs Samuel Reyes and Joe Nahas have been moved-down from the AAA Iowa squad to the AA Tennessee squad, OFs Yohendrick Pinango and Brad Beesley, catcher Ethan Hearn, and RHP Jarod Wright have been moved down from the AA Tennessee squad to the Hi-A South Bend squad, OF Christian Franklin, C Malcom Quintero, 1B-C Miguel Fabrizio, INF Rafael Morel, LHP Chase Watkins, and RHP Gregori Montano have been moved-down from the Hi-A South Bend squad to the Lo-A Myrtle Beach squad, LHP Christian Winston and RHP Mathew Peters were moved-down from the South Bend squad to the Extended Spring Training (Mesa) group, and LHPs Jose Aquino and Joel Machado, RHPs Gleiber Morales, Starlyn Pichardo, Cristian Rojas, Jose Romero, and Tomy Sanchez, C Adan Sanchez, INF Jefferson Rojas, and OF Ismael Mena have been moved-down from the Myrtle Beach squad to the EXST (Mesa) group.
Also, because of the injury to INF James Triantos (knee surgery - torn meniscus), INF Juan Mora has been moved up to Hi-A South Bend from Lo-A Myrtle Beach.
Updated minor league camp assignments & organizational depth chart (updated 3/25): https://www.thecubreporter.com/cubs-organizational-depth-chart
Here are the abridged box scores from the two minor league games played on the Riverview backfields Saturday afternoon (Cubs players only):
Recent comments
KingKongvsGodzilla 03/28/2023 - 03:01 pm (view)
Thanks! He’ll need more than that come showtime!
bigsky33 03/28/2023 - 03:16 pm (view)
Hi Phil, anything happening on the back fields the rest of this week? And, when does extended spring training start? Looking forward to watching!
crunch 03/28/2023 - 03:30 pm (view)
he didn't do anything amazing, but wow...the stuff that came out of jake reindl's arm in his 1 inning closing out the last spring game was really interesting for a 26 year old who's never seen above A-ball. if that's repeatable outing to outing we could actually see him in the bigs.
crunch 03/28/2023 - 03:11 pm (view)
they even got the B-team in the announce booth and field reporter crews...rough day for anyone in the stands or watching on TV that's not a fan of the farm system.
Charlie 03/28/2023 - 03:50 am (view)
Solid extension. Both sides get security and Nico doesn't give up his chance at a free agent payday.
Arizona Phil 03/27/2023 - 03:57 pm (view)
The Iowa Cubs (as well as the Chicago Cubs) have left town, so the Tennessee Smokies will be playing as the "Chicago Cubs" versus the White Sox in Tuesday afternoon's MLB Cactus League game at Sloan Park.
Arizona Phil 03/27/2023 - 03:32 pm (view)
Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Monday's Cubs - White Sox game at Sloan ParK:
JAMESON TAILLON:
FB: 90-93
SL/CT: 88-89
CH: 8182
CV: 78-81
COMMENT: Worked five shutout innings (66 pitches - 47 strikes - that's 72% strikes), allowing two hits (both singles) and an HBP, struck out five (all five swinging), and 4/6 GO/AO... retired the first seven men in a row (K-swinging on a CV, F-7, P-4, K-swinging on a CV, 4-3, L-7, and 3-U) before allowing a one-out single in the top of the 3rd, and then struck out the next two batters (both swinging, both on a CV)... retired the side 1-2-3 again in the 4th (5-3, F-8, and a K-swinging on a CV)... first two batters reached base in the 5th (single and an HBP), but then he got out of it on an F-7, a 5-4 FC, and an L-8)... pitches per inning were 14-9-14-12-17.... got seven swing & miss total (five on CV all of which were strike three, one on SL/CT, and one on FB)... he probably could have pitched seven or maybe eight innings if it had been the regular season...
JULIAN MERRYWEATHER:
FB: 96-97
SL: 86-87
CV: 83-84
COMMENT: Pitched the 6th inning (20 pitches - 14 strikes) and allowed three consecutive singles (producing one run) on his first seven pitches, but then struck out the next two batters (both swinging) and retired the last hitter on an F-7... got four swing & miss (one on FB, one on CV, and two on SL)... for whatever the reason, his FB in this outing was initially VERY hittable...
ADBERT ALZOLAY:
FB: 93-95
CT: 88-91
SL: 86
COMMENT: Threw an easy 1-2-3 7th (11 pitches - 9 strikes), inducing a 6-3 GO, an F-8, and then another F-8... got three swing & miss (two on FB, one on CT)...
MICHAEL RUCKER:
FB: 95-96
CH: 91
SL: 84-85
COMMENT: Threw a 1-2-3 8th (11 pitches - 8 strikes), getting a K-swinging on a SL, then an F-8, and finally a K-swinging on a FB... got six swing & miss among his 11 pitches (which is outstanding), including three on FB, two on SL, and one on a CH.... FB was electric... this was the best one inning outing by any Cubs reliever so far this spring... no way Rucker doesn't make the Cubs Opening Day roster..
MICHAEL FULMER:
FB: 92-94
SL: 86-89
CV: 80-83
COMMENT: Entered the game in the top of 9th with the Cubs leading 6-1... had a terrible outing... couldn't find the strike zone (27 pitches - only 13 strikes)... allowed a single and issued a four-pitch walk to begin the inning, but then retired the next two batters on a F-7 and a 5-4 FC, before Erik Gonzalez unloaded a three-run HR on Fulmer's 22nd pitch of the inning (a hanging SL) to make the score 6-5... Fulmer remained in the game and faced two more batters, who continued the hard contact with a single and a double... the main problem was that he just could not command his usual "go-to" SL and so he could not get out of the inning...
BRADFORD DEPPERMANN:
FB: 94
SL: 86-87
COMMENT: Up from minor league camp as an extra arm... relieved Fulmer with runners on 2nd & 3rd and two outs in the 9th and the Cubs still leading 6-4... surrendered a game-tying two-run single (hard-hit ground single through the box) on his 2nd pitch of the inning, before inducing an inning-ending hard-hit L-8...
crunch 03/27/2023 - 03:35 pm (view)
we're gonna get so spoiled on middle-IF defense if nico/swanson stay healthy. christian hernandez now has plenty of time to break into a full-time job (if he pans out).
Cubster 03/27/2023 - 03:22 pm (view)
Nico gets $3/35 which buys out his first free agent year.
crunch 03/27/2023 - 03:21 pm (view)
hoerner 3/35m extension...we got a locked in middle-IF through 2026.