White Sox Show No Mercy at HoHoKam Park
Paul Konerko drilled two solo home runs, and Adam Dunn slugged a two-run home run off the White Sox team bus parked next to the Budweiser Party Pavillion beyond the RF fence, as the White Sox defeated the Cubs 8-3 this afternoon at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park, in what is the Cactus League version of the Crosstown Classic.
The Cubs got on the board first against White Sox LHP Jose Quintana, scoring a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. David DeJesus and Nate Schierholtz both ripped line-drive extra-base hits over the head of Sox CF Dewayne Wise (DeJesus a lead-off double and Schierholtz a one-out RBI triple), somewhat surprising because both DeJesus and Schierholtz tend to struggle versus LHPs.
The White Sox came back to score single runs in the 3rd & 4th innings off Cubs starter Carlos Villanueva. Gordon Beckham slugged a one-out RBI double that bounced over the fence in right center to drive-in Jared Mitchell (who had reached base on a lead-off bunt single) for the Sox first run, and then Paul Konerko slugged a lead-off solo HR over the LF fence in the 4th.
Villanueva worked four innings (53 pitches - 37 strikes, 5/3 GO/FO, 0/3 BB/K) and generally worked fast and threw strikes, but he also surrendered six hits and had runners on base every inning. He fits the profile of a rubber-armed utility pitcher, someone who doesn't exactly shut-down the opposition, but who can keep his team in the game by throwing multiple innings, either as a starter or as a reliever.
RHP Barret Loux took the hill for the Cubs in the 5th and threw a shutout inning and even collected a line-drive single himself in the bottom of the frame, but then he was pulverized for five runs (all earned) in the top of the 6th inning.
Jeff Keppinger laced a line-drive double to CF to lead-off the 6th, and scored on Adam Dunn's two-run dinger. Paul Konerko then went back-to-back with Dunn, hammering his second long fly of the game over the LF fence. Dayan Viciedo struck out, but then Alexei Ramirez bounced a single to center and Tyler Flowers smoked an RBI double off the CF "Green Monster" Batter's Eye to finish Loux's day. Zach Putnam relieved Loux and allowed a single and a sacrifice fly before recording the third out of the inning.
Loux was named the 2012 Texas League Pitcher of the Year after going 14-1 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP, 41/100 BB/K and 120 hits allowed in 127 IP for Frisco, and was acquired by the Cubs as the replacement for RHP Jacob Brigham, who had been acquired from Texas in the Geovany Soto trade last July. Brigham was found to have a pre-sxisting elbow problem that eventually required Tommy John Surgery, and so after the season Brigham was returned to the Rangers, and the Cubs got Loux instead. He will likely be in the AAA Iowa starting rotation on Opening Day.
Carlos Marmol entered the game in the top of the 7th, and had control issues. He was all over the place, and allowed an unearned run on one hit and two walks (plus a WP), and was pulled from the game after recording only two outs. If Tiger scouts were watching, they probably weren't impressed.
The Cubs offense finally woke up and scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th off Leyson Septimo (who left the game with some type of injury with two outs and two strikes on what could have been the game's last hitter) and Jhan Marinez, and actually threatened to score more.
Jorge Soler worked a lead-of walk, and Christian Villanueva followed one out later with a two-run HR over the LF fence (his second homer of the Spring). Then with two outs, Brad Nelson walked and Javier Baez crushed a double (near HR) off the left-center fence, but Steve Clevenger bounced out 3-U to end the game.
Recent comments
-
Hagsag 12 hours 16 min ago (view)
Chase Strumpf and Andy Weber invited to the ML camp.
-
Dolorous Jon Lester 17 hours 40 min ago (view)
Ryan Tepera returns. Major League deal
-
crunch 1 day 15 hours ago (view)
spring training TV is usually fluid...adding and subtracting broadcast games...
first cubs TV (as of now) is March 3 (wednesday) on ESPN at 3pm EST.
radio broadcasts available for almost every game that's not televised. the cubs get going on monday and some other teams will start the day before.
-
crunch 2 days 12 hours ago (view)
dj snelton's left elbow is screwed up...6 weeks rest then re-evaluate.
looks like he's going to try to avoid having surgery.
-
Arizona Phil 3 days 4 hours ago (view)
AAA leagues really need to play through the month of September, because with September rosters being limited to 28 instead of 40, players will need to be moved back & forth between MLB and AAA throughout the month of September instead of just through the month of August.
-
Mike Wellman 4 days 11 hours ago (view)
I get you, SW. Here in Des Moines, Cardinal fans flocked to I-Cub games when Memphis Redbirds were in town. That won't happen in '21 and even if it does in '22 & beyond it won't be as frequent as when they were in the same division. Not that I'll miss seeing Cardinal gear @ our ballpark...
-
Dolorous Jon Lester 4 days 13 hours ago (view)
Ervin claimed by Braves. So we lose a potential future (and also current) asset in exchange for one year of a very mediocre Jake Marisnick.
This team has no direction at the moment.
-
Sonicwind75 4 days 13 hours ago (view)
As a midwest kid now living in Texas, new scheduling is a bummer. Only get a chance to drive and see Cubs once every 3 years with interleague. Really looked forward to those games in Round Rock and the one season in San Antonio. I understand it makes more sense in the big picture, just selfishly disappointed.
-
Cubster 5 days 14 hours ago (view)
Barry Foote bobble day! Cool!
-
Mornington Crescent 5 days 16 hours ago (view)
They also gave away Larry Craig bobblefoot dolls as a promotion.
-
crunch 6 days 8 hours ago (view)
alcantara passes through waivers and is assigned to AAA.
marisnick contract final, phllip ervin (OF) DFA'd
-
Hagsag 6 days 10 hours ago (view)
Yes they did.
-
crunch 6 days 11 hours ago (view)
welcome to the "big time" st paul saints...they built a nice park, the fans showed up, and they go from indies to AAA (with a bit of $ help from the twins for part ownership).
billy murray is a part owner of the group that owns the saints, btw.
-
Mike Wellman 6 days 12 hours ago (view)
Hagsag, the River Bandits made the cut tho, right?
-
Craig A. 6 days 13 hours ago (view)
Could have an option year remaining. Bleacher Nation walked it back, per the link above.
-
Hagsag 6 days 13 hours ago (view)
Living in the Quad Cities area, I look forward to hopefully coming to Des Moines to see the I Cubs a few times this summer.
Comments
This is the second year in a
Thinking of going to see new
AZ Phil: That generally
TITO: I saw Christian
TITO: I saw Christian Villanueva play in the AZL back in 2010, and I remember him having an opposite-field line-drive stroke and good actions at 3B. He was the best player on the AZL Rangers that season.
Now he has more of an uppercut pull-power stroke, and I haven't seen line drives as much from him so far. But he looks like he could maybe be a 15-20 HR guy, and he is the best defensive third-baseman in the Cubs minor league system (and there is no close second, because just about all of the other 3B prospects will probably end up at other positions).
I'm very interested to see how Villanueva progresses in 2013 at AA. If he can continue to hit with the power he has shown this Spring while still stroking line drives when he gets a pitch he can't pull, then that would be great.
Villanueva is definitely one of the Cubs Top 15 Prospects going into the 2013 season, and while I prefer Mike Olt because he is a year more advanced and has the potential to hit 30+ HR while playing solid defense (on a par with Villanueva), the Cubs did not do badly getting Villanueva from Texas.
Marlins released Michael
Big line of people waiting to
And in other timely news, the
Ken Griffey Jr. traded to the
Man bites hot dog.
6 foot tall Easter bunny
He is about three feet high,
Jason Schmidt has apparently
(No subject)
Can't turn out anyway but
Yanks picked up Jose Canseco
Larry Himes still pondering a
Ok fine, it's just that I
Without redundancy, we wouldn
this isn't fun anymore :(
Matt Szczur optioned to AA
The not-really-Italian team
The not-really-Italian team beats Canada 14-4 and will very likely move to Round 2. Rizzo 0-3 with a 2 bb, 1 k, 2 runs and an RBI. Former Cub farmhand Alex Maestri with the win. I wonder how much coverage this gets in Italy and the Nederlands.
Here's the English version of
"Mark Rzepczynski (STL)
...evidently you don't use
MEX vs USA...game taking
alot of DWB's will be pulled
For anyone who might have
For anyone who might have missed it, Cubs & Reds were rained out tonight in Goodyear with score tied 1-1 after top of the 2nd.
RHP Nick Struck started for Cubs and LHP Tony Cingrani started for CIN
All nine Cubs got one AB each and Struck threw one (long) inning
CUBS:
Sappelt, LF: 0-1 (P-5)
Barney, 2B: 0-1 (3-U)
Hairston, CF: 1-1 (HR)
Soriano, DH: 1-1 (2B)
Valbuena, SS: 0-0 (BB)
Navarro, C: 0-1 (P-6)
Soler, RF: 0-1 (K)
Lake, 3B: 0-1 (K)
Bogusevic, 1B: 0-1 (4-3)
SP - Struck: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K (also E-1 pick-off attempt at 2nd base)
How bad is Darwin Barney's
June 1st is Darwin Barney
dusty refuses to play adrian
E-Man's bad penny...
Joe Mather bounced by the
Oh Man!
MEXICO VS CANADA! WW3!
epic Mexico vs. Canada fight.
Story with video:
Z being Z...mouthing off and
Ah! We can count on some