Angels Take Down Cubs in Diablo Park
Alex Abbott drilled a triple and a single and scored twice and Jose Antonio Rodriguez reached base three times (two singles and an HBP) and scored a run, helping the Angels to a 7-4 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Diablo Park Field #7 in Tempe.
Eloy Jimenez belted a two-run triple, walked, and scored a run, Kevonte Mitchell singled twice, stole two bases, and scored a run, and Andrew Ely reached base three times (two singles and an HBP) for the Cubs in a losing cause.
Mitchell leads the EXST Cubs in stolen bases with eight (no CS) in 16 Cactus League EXST games, and E. Jimenez has been an "RBI machine," with 13 ribbies in just 15 Cactus League EXST games (leads team).
ELOY JIMENEZ in 15 Cactus League EXST games (55 PA):
265/309/511, with three doubles, three triples, and one HR, three walks, eight strikeouts, and one HBP, and two SB (no CS).
NOTE: Through 23 Cactus League EXST games so far, the Cubs have hit only five home runs as a team... one each by Frandy de la Rosa, Eloy Jimenez, Ricardo Marcano, Yohan Matos, and Taylor Teagarden,
19-year old lanky lefty Justin Steele (Cubs 2014 5th round draft pick - George County HS - Lucedale, MS) got the start for the Cubs and quickly and easily retired the first seven men he faced (6-3, 4-3, 3-U, 5-3, K, F-7, K) on just 20 pitches, before running into trouble with one out in the bottom of the third, when he allowed four consecutive batters to reach base (1B, 1B, BB, BB). The 2014 Mississippi High School Player of the Year, Steele was cruising along, working his two-seam fastball in the low 90's and getting a ton of ground balls with it, before he began to lose command in his third inning of work once he had to start pitching out of the stretch.
JUSTIN STEELE in his four Cactus League EXST games :
9.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 9 K, 13/7 GO/FO, 63% strikes (4 games)
2.79 ERA - 1.03 WHIP
RHP Oscar de la Cruz "piggy-backed" with Steele, working 3.2 IP (65 pitches) and allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits (all singles), two walks, and an HBP. He struck out three (all swinging), with a 5/3 GO/FO. Along with RHRP Scott Frazier (whose fastball velocity has reached 99 MPH this spring) and Alexander Santana (mid-90's fastball that sits at 94 and touches 95), the 20-year old 6'6 de la Cruz is one of the hardest throwers among Cub pitchers at EXST, with a 94 MPH fastball that can touch 95. Like a lot of young pitchers, de la Cruz's fastball command and secondary stuff (breaking ball and change-up) need work, but he was the ace of the staff at DSL Cubs last season, and he is in the mix for one of the rotation starter jobs at Eugene this year. (Carson Sands, Justin Steele, and Austyn Willis are virtual locks to make the Eugene rotation, with de la Cruz, Santana, and Jose Paulino likely competing for the remaining two slots).
Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only):
CUBS LINEUP:
1. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 2-4 (E-3, 1B, F-8, 1B, R, 2 SB)
2. Carlos Sepulveda, SS-3B: 1-3 (F-7, BB, 4-3, 1B, R)
3. Frandy de la Rosa, 2B: 1-4 (K, F-8, 1B, K, CS)
4. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 1-3 (L-7, 3B, F-8, BB, R, 2 RBI)
5. Alberto Mineo, 1B: 1-4 (1B, 4-3, K, F-8, R)
6. Andrew Ely, 3B-DH: 2-3 (1B, F-8, HBP, 1B)
7a. Tyler Alamo, C: 0-3 (6-4 FC, F-8, 6-4-3 DP)
7b. Jhonny Pereda, C: 1-1 (1B)
8. Kevin Encarnacion, DH #1: 1-4 (K, 3B, K, P-4)
9. Ricardo Marcano, LF: 1-3 (L-7, 5-3, 1B, PO)
10. Andruw Monasterio, DH-SS: 0-3 (F-8, K, F-8)
CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Justin Steele: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 5/1 GO/FO, 38 pitches (23 strikes)
2. Oscar de la Cruz: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 5/3 GO/FO, 65 pitches (40 strikes)
3. Sam Wilson: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 9 pitches (4 strikes)
4. Yomar Morel: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1/0 GO/FO, 23 pitches (17 strikes)
CUBS ERRORS:
1. 2B Frandy de la Rosa: E-4 (throwing error while attempting to turn 5-4-3 DP allowed runner on 3rd to score unearned run)
2. 3B Carlos Sepulveda: E-5 (two-base throwing error allowed batter to reach 2nd base safely)
WEATHER: Mostly sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 90's
ATTENDANCE: 3
Comments
Any chance Eloy goes to South
JOHN B: Eloy Jimenez almost
JOHN B: Eloy Jimenez almost made the South Bend Opening Day roster, so there is a pretty good chance that he will get some time at South Bend later this season.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH SHIIIIIIIIIII
...and some dude named rizzo
Tony Four Sacks
Phil, what is happening with
ROGERS: Pierce Johnson (lat
ROGERS: Pierce Johnson (lat strain) is with the Pitchers Rehab Group (includes Marcelo Carreno, Anthony Carter, Dylan Cease, Pierce Johnson, Trey Masek, Erling Moreno, and Austin Reed) and he has been participating in limited drills on the field (including playing catch) but he is not throwing off a mound yet. (As an MLB guy, Neil Ramirez is not part of the PRG and so he has his own rehab schedule).
Tommy LaStella (strained rib cage) is rehabbing inside the Under Armour Performance Center with Mike Olt (fractured wrist), Jacob Turner (elbow), Will Remillard (2015 TJS), Jose Rosario (2015 TJS), and Trey McNutt (2014 shoulder surgery), but is not cleared for field activity yet. His rib cage will probably have to be close to 100% before he is allowed to participate in field activity, because both hitting and throwing are affected by his type of injury.
Castro's last 10 games -- 1BB
Bonds suing MLB for collusion
Bonds suing MLB for collusion against him after 2007 season.
Easiest money he ever made.
rumors never die...
rumors never die...
http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/why-haven%E2%8...
...the Cubs are not looking to move a three-time All-Star who’s 25 and potentially under club control through the 2020 season on a reasonable contract.
~snip~
Castro made a spectacular diving catch to his left in the ninth inning to help preserve Monday night’s victory. His OPS has dropped to .652 but the Cubs are waiting for him to get hot and want to see how he responds in a pennant race.
Def not a sell high moment
Did anyone see Lester
i cant remember the last time
Yeah, but I can see the
yeah, the ump sucked. even
A crappy ump is okay as long
Lester was a bit lucky, Mets
I thought he pitched just
I thought he pitched just below great with a few too many walks. Wind was blowing out 20 mph and not all those hard hit balls were off him. I counted 3 hard hit balls between Rosscup (line drive double play to Rizzo) and Rondon (line drive caught by Castro and the game-ending double play). It all evens out, believe he was giving up a higher than normal line drive percentage in his first few starts.
He had a 6.23 ERA in April off a .424 BABIP, he now has a 1.80 ERA in May off a .214 BABIP.
I can't consider 6ip, 3er (4
He was hitting his spots last
i don't know, the TV pitch
i don't know, the TV pitch tracker had most of those pitches right on the edge and I wasn't paying close enough attention to see if that was a consistent call all night. Lester seemed like quite a bit of a cry baby about it because he gave up 2 home runs that inning already.
this brand of newschool
Along with new bleachers, a
Was Sox hat
I blame the AL and the DH.
I blame Michael Barrett.
MLB Umpires suck at calling
Report just out that confirms
you talking about this?
you talking about this?
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i...
it's got the same quotes from the CSN article I posted it earlier.
confirms Mets and Cubs were talking, not necessarily about Castro although I'm sure it makes sense. Cubs are either gonna want volume in young pitching or one very established starter if they move Castro.
Doubt it happens in middle of year unless Cubs are out of it and they can easily move Castro to 2B in offseason, he doesn't seem like one that would complain. All depends on what others are offering. Cubs still don't have a better SS/2B tandem than Castro/Russell at moment regardless of who plays which of those positions. Baez, Alcantara and LaStella aren't worth moving anyone over at the moment.
The comment you pulled out of
I'd hope that at this point
Did you say David Price? :)
Did you say Cueto or
I think that it is obviously
I think that it is obviously not accurate.
huh?
If the Cubs were not looking
I think you need to re-read
I think you need to re-read that article, because everything Hoyer said was in generalities with Rogers trying to stir things up about Castro and then backtracking on half of it saying it's all just makes sense at some point down the line. They probably talked about Castro...they probably talked about a half dozen other players too.
Rogers also thinks Castro is hitting well right now so I'm wondering if he wrote that article two weeks ago and forgot to edit it.
"Rogers also thinks Castro is
Where in the article does Jed
This management team has a
was there more than the Nomar
was there more than the Nomar trade?
don't get me wrong, I think they'd trade anybody if they feel they have a legit shot this year and they think it would help the team.
I just think all the Castro trade talk is the Cubs and everyone in basbell knowing they have depth in the middle infield and the Cubs are doing due dilligence in case they do want to make that trade, whether it's Castro or Baez or whomever. My guess is Russell and Castro flip SS and 2B over the offseason myself.
I don't have a lot of faith in Baez, what he has in power on Castro he gives up in far less contact on a team that desperately needs some guys that make contact. Defensively...probably a little better ultimately, but he's had some issues too. I think a Baez, Vogelbach, McKinney package could get a good starter for them at the deadline without giving up their core. I have more faith in Alcantara over Baez at this point in being a major league regular. Castro seems to be pretty well-liked by his teammates, I would be surprised if they dealt him in a pennant race myself, but you never know.
We seem to be basically in
indeed...great minds and all.
indeed...great minds and all.
I would be for flipping
I'd be fine flipping Castro,
When I say flipping, I mean
Yea!
indeed, I meant flipping
indeed, I meant flipping positions between Castro and Russell.
Oh. Good idea.
@TommyBirch Tsuyoshi Wada
@TommyBirch Tsuyoshi Wada bumped from tonight's start with the Iowa #Cubs. Iowa manager Marty Pevey gave no reason. Says Wada isn't hurt. #MiLB #PCL
Guessing Travis isn't getting that 1-2 more starts to figure it out. Does give Cubs an extra bench bat.
fwiw, Wada still in Iowa
fwiw, Wada still in Iowa according to Tommy Birch, and throwing in the outfield
and now throwing in the
and now throwing in the bullpen, looks like he's just getting moved so his starts line up with Travis in case they want to make a switch
@TommyBirch Pevey on Wada: "Where he might pitch would be on Thursday. But, I don't know that for sure." #Cubs #PCL #MiLB
Wonder if we see the Cubs
Fowler, Bryant, Rizzo,
Fowler, Bryant, Rizzo, Montero, Soler, Castro, Coghlan, Arrieta, Russell vs. Syndegaard
Every Tuesday at noon Maddon
Jose Maddon... that was a
http://m.mlb.com/news/article
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/123796538/jonat...
Mayo has Cubs taking RHP Walker Buehler from Vanderbilt
that is one of the worst mock
more on Wada, through a
more on Wada, through a translator he said the plan is for him to pitch tomorrow, but not sure where yet. So maybe Hammel is nursing something?
lost in translation, Wada
lost in translation, Wada starting Thursday...somewhere.
Mets lineup
Mets lineup
Granderson RF, Murphy 3B, Cuddyer LF, Duda 1B, Flores SS, Nieuwenhuis CF, Plawecki C, Syndergaard P, Tejada 2B
Imitation is the sincerest
Was reading the Fangraphs