Rangers Late Long Ball Rally Procures Tie at Riverview
Jonah McReynolds and Yeyson Yrizarri drilled run-scoring doubles to highlight a four-run 7th, Willy Diaz belted a three-run home run with two outs in the 8th, and Jairo Beras crushed a two-run HR to cap a three-run 9th, as the Rangers rallied for ten runs over the final three innings to tie the Angels/Cubs co-op team 11-11 in AZ Advanced Instructional League game action Friday afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.
Christian Villanueva (acquired by the Cubs along with Kyle Hendricks from the Texas Rangers for Ryan Dempster in 2012) knocked-in five runs with an RBI double off the LF fence in the 3rd and a monster grand slam HR over the left-centerfield fence in the 8th and Angels 2016 1st round draft pick Matt Thaiss (sacrifice fly in the 1st and RBI single in the 3rd) and Brendon Sanger (two-out two-run single in the 5th) drove-in two runs a piece to provide the lion's share of run production for the Angels/Cubs squad.
Ex-Cub minor league INF Frandy de la Rosa (traded to Texas for RHRP Spencer Patton last November) entered the game at 3B in the bottom of the 6th and reached base all three times he batted (two walks and a single) and scored two runs for the Rangers.
The Rangers scored five unearned runs in the game thanks to five costly errors by the Angels/Cubs (including three errors by first-baseman Alberto Mineo in the top of the 9th).
Here is the box score from the game (Cubs players highlighted in bold and underlined):
RANGERS LINEUP:
1. Eric Jenkins, CF: 1-4 (4-3, F-9, 3-U, F-9 SF, 1B, R, RBI)
2. Yeyson Yrizarri, SS: 1-4 (4-3, F-7, BB, 2B, E-3, R, RBI)
3a. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, C: 0-2 (P-5, 4-3)
3b. Joe Jackson, PH-C: 0-3 (4-3, K, 3-U)
4. Jairo Beras, RF: 1-4 (L-5, K, BB, K, HR, R, 2 RBI, CS)
5a. Ti'Quan Forbes, 3B: 1-2 (F-7, 3B)
5b. Frandy de la Rosa, 3B: 1-1 (BB, 1B, BB, 2 R)
6a. Ledarious Clark, LF: 1-2 (1B, 6-3, R)
6b. Kobie Taylor, LF: 1-3 (E-5, 1B, K, 2 R)
7a. Luis Mendez, DH: 1-3 (1B, 4-3, K)
7b. Seth Spivey, PH: 0-1 (K)
8. Willy Diaz, 1B: 1-3 (K, 5-3, HBP, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI)
9a. Charles Leblanc, 2B: 0-2 (P-4, K)
9b. Jonah McReynolds, 2B: 1-2 (2B, L-6, R, 2 RBI)
ANGELS/CUBS LINEUP:
1. Donnie Dewees, LF: 0-4 (4-3, 4-6 FC, 4-3, 1-3, BB, R)
2a. Carlos Sepulveda, 2B: 1-3 (2B, E-6, 3-1, 2 R)
2b. Keith Grieshaber, 2B: 1-1 (2B, HBP, RBI, R)
3. Christian Villanueva, 3B: 2-4 (BB, 2B, 6-3, F-8, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI)
4a. Matt Thaiss, 1B: 2-2 (F-7 SF, 1B, 1B, R, 2 RBI)
4b. Alberto Mineo, 1B: 0-2 (4-3, K)
5a. P. J. Higgins, DH: 1-3 (6-4 FC, K, 2B, R)
5b. Ian Rice, PH-DH: 0-2 (K, 6-3)
6a. Brendon Sanger, RF: 1-3 (F-9, F-8, 1B, 2 RBI)
6b. Zach Gibbons, RF: 1-2 (6-3, 1B)
7. Hutton Moyer, SS: 2-5 (1-3, F-7, P-4, 2B, 1B, R, CS)
8. Eddy Julio Martinez, CF: 1-4 (BB, 5-3, F-7, 1B, K, R, RBI)
9. Jose Briceno, C: 2-5 (1B, K, 2B, 5-3, P-4, R)
RANGERS PITCHERS:
1. Reid Anderson: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 4/2 GO/AO, 32 pitches (17 strikes)
2. Cody Palmquist: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 2/2 GO/AO, 27 pitches (19 strikes)
3. Yonelvy Pichardo: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 3/3 GO/AO, 41 pitches (27 strikes)
4. Peter Fairchild: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 HR, 4/0 GO/AO, 32 pitches (20 strikes)
5. Domingo Pena: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 12 pitches (7 strikes)
ANGELS/CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Justin Anderson: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 2/3 GO/AO, 29 pitches (21 strikes)
2. Grayson Long: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 0/3 GO/AO, 12 pitches (8 strikes)
3. Joe Gatto: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 6/0 GO/AO, 49 pitches (24 strikes)
4. Aaron Cox: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 0/1 GO/AO, 35 pitches (17 strikes)
5. Andrew Vinson: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 0/1 GO/AO, 20 pitches (14 strikes)
6. Samil de los Santos: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1/0 GO/AO, 28 pitches (15 strikes)
RANGERS ERRORS: 1
SS Yeyson Yrizarri: E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)
ANGELS/CUBS ERRORS: 5
1. 3B Christian Villanueva: E-5 (missed catch on tag play at 3rd base allowed runner to score)
2. 3B Christian Villanueva: E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)
3. 1B Alberto Mineo: E-3 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)
4. 1B Alberto Mineo: E-3 (throwing error on same play as the E-3 fielding error allowed runner to score from 3rd base)
5. 1B Alberto Mineo: E-3 (throwing error at 2nd base after 3-U put-out allowed runner to advance to 3rd)
RANGERS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Joe Jackson: 1-1 CS
ANGELS/CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Jose Briceno: 1-1 CS
ATTENDANCE: 9 (mostly scouts)
WEATHER: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 90's