Burks Bases-Loaded Triple Sparks Cubs to Victory at Diablo Park

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 4:38pm

Charcer Burks belted a bases-loaded triple to ignite a four-run 2nd and later reached base on a walk and an HBP and scored two runs, and Adonis Paula went 3-3 with three singles and two runs scored, leading the Cubs to an 8-6 victory over the Angels in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training game played this morning at Diablo Park Field #7 in Tempe, AZ.     


Ex-Cub Trevor Gretzky singled, doubled, walked, stole a base, scored a run, and collected two RBI for the Angels. It appears that Gretzky is now only playing 1B (he was shuttled back & forth between 1B and LF when he was with the Cubs).  

Four Cubs made their U. S. Cactus League EXST game debut today, including 6'5 19-year old Dominican RHP Luis Hernandez (three runs allowed on four hits and a walk plus two WP in 2.0 IP), 19-year old Venezuelan RHP Adbert Alzolay (a 1-2-3 nine-pitch 9th inning to get the save), 19-year old Dominican 3B Adonis Paula (the aforementioned three singles in three AB with two runs scored), and 21-year old Dominican RF Shamil Ubiera (0-2 with a walk and a run scored).

Paula and Ubiera have two years experience each in the DSL, while Hernandez and Alzolay made their pro debuts last season, Hernandez with the DSL Cubs, and Alzolay with the VSL Cubs. Ubiera's 17-year old brother Luis (also an outfielder) will make his pro debut with the DSL Cubs this season, after signing with the Cubs last November. 

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only):

CUBS LINEUP:
1. Elliot Soto, SS: 0-5 (5-3, 6-3, P-4, 5-3, F-8, RBI)
2. Erick Castillo, C: 1-4 (6-3, BB, 1B, 6-3, K, R, 2 RBI)
3. Jeffrey Baez, CF: 0-3 (BB, BB, F-7, 5-3, F-9, SB)
4a. Tyler Alamo, DH: 1-3 (5-3, K, 1B, RBI)
4b. Antonio Valerio, PH-DH: 0-2 (5-3, K)
5a. Matt Scioscia, 1B: 1-2 (BB, 1B, 5-4 FC, R)
5b. Roney Alcala, 1B: 0-2 (P-6, 3-U)
6. Giuseppe Papaccio, 2B: 0-5 (P-3, 6-4 FC, K, 5-3, K)
7a. Shamil Ubiera, RF: 0-2 (BB, 5-4-3 DP, 1-3, R)
7b. Rony Rodriguez, RF: 0-0 (HBP, R, SB)
8a. Adonis Paula, 3B: 3-3 (1B, 1B, 1B, 2 R)
8b. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 1-1 (1B, RBI)
9. Charcer Burks, LF: 1-2 (3B, HBP, F-9, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Trevor Clifton: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 2/1 GO/FO, 33 pitches (18 strikes)
2. Tyler Ihrig: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 3/0 GO/FO, 25 pitches (15 strikes)
3. Jose Paulino: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1/2 GO/FO, 43 pitches (25 strikes)
NOTE: Paulino's first inning was stopped with two outs and bases loaded
4. Luis Hernandez: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 2/2 GO/FO, 36 pitches (23 strikes)
5. Adbert Alzolay: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 3/0 GO/FO, 9 pitches (7 strikes)

CUBS ERRORS: NONE

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Erick Castillo: 1-7 CS

CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:
CF Jeffrey Baez - threw out baserunner 8-6 after runner over-ran 2nd base

ATTENDANCE: 10

WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 80's


Tags: 
Cubs Extended Spring Training
Adonis Paula
Shamil Ubiera
Luis Hernandez
Charcer Burks
Adbert Alzolay

Comments

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 5:19pm  
Adonis? Really? If Adonis gets to the majors, it will be a sign that the Cubs have erased all these years of futility.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:06pm  
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/t...

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 8:15pm  
So much for that theory. The best they finished was 4th.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:00pm  
darwin "buckner" barney...wow...that's a rare whiff on a fielding try.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:14pm  
Send him down.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:14pm  
Sure didn't take long for the Cubs to get back to PAINFUL to watch.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:34pm  
welly bunting with men on 1st/2nd, no outs, and r.kalish due up. one of the guys capable of hitting a double or homer...bunting...in the 5th inning...with a DH/AL lineup.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:40pm  
kalish Ks...barney pops out...neat.

Submitted by Carlito  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:39pm  
Totally ridiculous. Welly bunting with Kalish and Barney on deck is almost inexplicable.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:44pm  
he's already been asked to sac twice this year (not counting sac flies)...he has 1 sac total in his career before this season. yeah, it's a short career...but this is only his 10th game of the year.

Submitted by Carlito  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 7:45pm  
Who does that in the 5th inning, period, much less in the first month of the season for a last place ball club? It's beyond stupid. I'm stumped.

Submitted by Ryno  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 8:37pm  
I'm cool with playing more small ball, but that's kinda ridiculous.

Submitted by Carlito  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 8:46pm  
Reminds me of when Trestman had the Bears try a 47 yard field goal on 2nd down ... hopefully just rookie coach jitters. But it sucks to be making excuses for him already.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 7:43am  
I read - no link, sorry, it was on my phone - that it was Castillo's idea to bunt. I didn't see the play, but it sounded like it looked like a sacrifice all the way, but I'm also pretty sure Renteria wouldn't throw Castillo under the bus if it was Renteria's idea.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/16/2014 - 9:17pm  
cubs 4-10...shut out in a double header for the first time since 1962...awesome.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 12:46am  
the wsox ran out of pitchers in the 14th...ventura put l.garcia (2nd/OF) in to throw 75-78mph "fastballs" to the rsox...it didn't work out too well. garcia got 2 outs via the fielders...then he walked a couple guys and gave up a 2 run double. wsox lose...lulz were had.

Submitted by Ryno  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 7:50am  
I would have enjoyed seeing Adam Dunn pitch.

Submitted by Newport  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 8:55am  
Dude, those were changeups. His fastballs were 82-84 and face high. But yeah, I had lulz.

Submitted by Cubster  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 7:36am  
Right now the Cubs are in line for the #2 draft pick in 2015 after the Dbacks (but it's early, so to speak...so there's hope).

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 7:52am  
The let's get the highest draft pick thing is getting old - not a comment on you Cubster, but on the Cubs management. A third pathetic season is not going to sit well with me, even if i was expecting it. I think the attendance figures this season will demonstrate that I'm not alone here. If they ARE going to suck, then move the journeymen off the team and start filling the roster with kids. I've really had enough of the Valbuenas, Sweeneys, and even Schierholtzes of the world. Let's see what Junior can do every day. Give him 60 days straight of playing, no platooning with these washed up vets, and see if he is good or not. If he's not, cut your losses, get rid of him, and move on. If Alcanatara does well in the minors, bring him up and play him. Etc. Stop trying to get me to watch crap, cuz I'm not gonna do it.

Submitted by Cubster  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 10:46am  
per Roto... BJax on Iowa DL with oblique strain.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 12:30pm  
Wild Cubs v. Cards action from 1974 http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/17/...

Submitted by Simba63  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 1:41pm  
ESPN Insider's Top 5 Best power prospects for 2014 1. Javier Baez, SS/2B, Chicago Cubs Current level: Triple-A Iowa Power grade: 70 Analysis: There's some debate as to where Baez is going to end up playing on the field, but whether he's at second base or shortstop, he's going to give you a ton of production at the position. Baez has world-class bat speed, and he has the ability to either turn on fastballs on the inner half of the plate or take balls out to right field in the middle and outer half. A sprained ankle will keep him on the disabled list for the next couple weeks, but Baez should be back by the beginning of May and could be in a Chicago uniform at some point this season, maybe as soon as the All-Star break. 5. Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs Current level: Double-A Tennessee Power grade: 70 Analysis: Bryant was the second overall pick by the Cubs after hitting 31 homers for the University of San Diego last spring, and he has already proved in his time with the Chicago organization that it's not a fluke. The bat speed isn't elite, but his strength is, and anything middle-in could be sent 450 feet. He'll have to jump two levels to help you in 2014 -- and cut down his strikeouts -- but the Cubs don't have a long-term answer on the current roster, and Bryant could absolutely be hitting balls onto Addison Street later this year. ESPN Insider's Top 5 Future Power hitters 4. Jorge Soler, OF, Chicago Cubs Current level: Double-A Tennessee Power potential: 65 Analysis: It's easy to forget, but when Soler and Yasiel Puig signed in the winter of 2012, they were rated about the same, with many giving the edge to Soler. He's not likely to live up to Puig's exploits (literally and figuratively), but there's tremendous raw power in Soler's bat thanks to plus bat speed and long arms that get big-time extension. There's a small chance that he will make it to Chicago this season, but more than likely Soler will make his debut in 2015 and he, Bryant and Baez will form one of the most formidable young power-hitting groups in all of baseball.

Submitted by Newport  on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 10:33pm  
Are they rotating Wrigley as part of the renovation or is Bryant going to hit a ton of foul balls backwards?

Recent comments

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The first 600 characters of the last 16 comments, click "View" to see rest of comment.
  • Charlie 5 hours 11 min ago (view)

    This is baseball.

    This is the sport we like.

     
  • crunch 7 hours 7 min ago (view)

    top 9th, 1 out, men on 1st/2nd...alec mills steps to the plate.

    they're down by 13 runs.  i want to end this, too.

     
  • Wrigley Rat 8 hours 13 min ago (view)

    Really good stuff here from Marty Pevey (Iowa Cubs Manager, Acting Manager of South Bend): https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/bas...

     
  • Eric S 9 hours 3 min ago (view)

    If Chatwood can provide two excellent starts for each turkey I can live with that

     
  • crunch 9 hours 9 min ago (view)

    i dont like august 6th, 2020 chatwood.

    i've liked other recent versions, though.

     
  • Arizona Phil 9 hours 14 min ago (view)

    Without an actual minor league season to use for evaluation purposes, I think the likely Cubs 40-man roster adds on 11/20 will be from this group and probably in this order (and no more than seven, possibly eight): 

     
  • crunch 9 hours 29 min ago (view)

    this digital crowd is creepy as hell.  at least it's not for the whole game.

     
  • Arizona Phil 12 hours 36 min ago (view)

    The Cubs have signed veteran RHRP Kelvin Herrera to a minor league contract and he has been added to the Cubs MLB Club Player Pool and has been assigned to the Cubs Practice Squad in South Bend.  

    Herrera was released by the White Sox last Sunday, so he should be ready to roll right away if he is needed. 

     
  • bradsbeard 13 hours 44 min ago (view)

    Tommy Birch with the Des Moines Register just interviewed Martin Peavy about what's going on at South Bend. Some intriguing updates on some of the prospects down there as well as details about what they are doing. They could really use Short for scrimmage purposes  

     
  • Eric S 14 hours 57 min ago (view)

    Thanks, AZ Phil!

     
  • Arizona Phil 15 hours 29 min ago (view)

    BRADSBEARD: I doubt that any club will go below 14 pitchers (with at least nine relievers), and the Cubs could go up to 15 (or 16) pitchers once Jose Quintana (and Brad Wieck) return, especially if the Cubs eventually go with a six-man rotation (as I suspect they will, given the heavy work-load the SP will need to provide what with the questionable bullpen).

     
  • bradsbeard 15 hours 36 min ago (view)

    Interesting. That's good to know for roster construction purposes. 

     
  • Arizona Phil 15 hours 55 min ago (view)

    ERIC S: Other than assigning one catcher (who can serve as a bullpen catcher) to the Taxi Squad at home game, the Taxi Squad can only be used on road trips  

    On the Cubs trip to Cincinnati last week, the Cubs definitely carried catcher Jose Lobaton, INF-OF Hernan Perez, and an unnamed pitcher (probably Colin Rea, because he was recalled while the Cubs were still in Cincinnati).

     
  • Arizona Phil 16 hours 54 min ago (view)

    BRADSBEARDE: The limit on the number of pitchers who can be on a club's MLB Active List roster (which was going to be 13 on a 26-man roster if CoViD-19 hadn't happened) has been suspended and so clubs can carry as many pitcherrs as they wish in 2020. 

     
  • Arizona Phil 16 hours 56 min ago (view)

    The thing with Zack Short not being assigned to the Cubs MLB Club Player Pool (and to the Practice Squad) is odd, because he would have been one of only two legit MLB-ready (or near MLB-ready) shortstops on the Practice Squad (utility man Hernan Perez being the other one). So now al they have is H. Perez.  

    It can't be because of roster limit concerns because they could have left off Christopher Morel or ine of the younger pitchers to make room for Z. Short. 

     
  • bradsbeard 17 hours 2 min ago (view)

    Not Phil and I don't know what the South Bend guys are doing besides scrimaging or live BP. But I do know Short is not there (I'm still not sure why he's not there other than trying not to use up all the roster space available).

     
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