Cubs Use SF to defeat SF

Jae-Hoon Ha hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 7th to break a 1-1 tie and the Cubs scored two more times in the 9th, en route to a 4-1 victory overv the Giants in AZ Instructional League action this afternoon at Indian School Park Field #2 in Scottsdale.

RHP Thomas Diamond got the start for the Cubs and allowed just one run. He was in trouble in all three innings, however, squirming out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in his last inning of work by getting a pop-up and a FC grounder to end the inning. 

RHP Rafael Dolis followed Diamond to the hill and also escaped potential damage, by getting two weak ground outs with runners on 2nd & 3rd and one out in the 4th.

And RHP Eduardo Figueroa worked out of trouble in the 7th, striking out the side with a runner at 3rd base. 

The Cubs scored four runs, but didn't break any windows doing it. Down 1-0 in the 5th,  the Cubs tied it up when Sergio Burruel hit into a 4-6-3 DP after the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs on a Richard Jones single, a Runey Davis double, and a HBP.

The Cubs took the lead in the 7th, when Davis drew a lead-off walk, stole second, advanced to 3rd on a ground out, and scored on the Ha sac fly.

The Cubs completed their scoring in the 9th, plating two runs. Jovan Rosa broke out of his Instructs slump, slamming a lead-off pinch-hit double to the right-centerfield fence. and then pinch-runner Logan Watkins advanced to third on a fly out. Watkins scored on a Brett Jackson FC grounder (Watkins beat the throw home), and after Jackson swiped second and Ha walked, Jackson scored on a error by the Giants first-baseman, who threw a potential inning-ending DP ball into LF.

The Cubs managed only six hits today, but they benefiited from improved patience at the plate, drawing eight walks, plus one HBP (Blair Springfield, who left the game after being hit on the arm by a pitch in the top of the 5th).

Also, 3B Pin-Chieh Chen and SS Hak-Ju Lee escaped serious injury when the two infielders collided while going after a ground ball between 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 3rd inning. At first it appeared that Lee sustained a right thumb injury, but he remained in the lineup and finished the game. 

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

LINEUP: 
1. Hak-Ju Lee, SS: 0-5 (1-3, F-9, 4-6-3 DP, K, 5-3)
2. Matt Cerda, 2B-3B: 0-2 (K, 6-3, BB, BB)
3. Brandon Guyer, CF: 0-2 (5-3, F-9, BB, BB), PO
4. Justin Bour, DH-1B: 1-4 (3-U, K, 1B, K)
5a. Richard Jones, 1B: 2-3 (1B, 1B, 6-4 FC), R
5b. Jovan Rosa, PH: 1-1 (2B)
5c. Logan Watkins, PR: 0-0, R
6. Runey Davis, DH #2: 1-3 (F-7, 2B, BB, F-8), R, SB
7a. Blair Springfield, LF: 0-1 (E-4, HBP)
7b. Brett Jackson, LF: 0-2 (3-U, FC), R, RBI, SB
8a. Sergio Burruel, C: 0-2 (4-3, 4-6-3 DP)
8b. Jae-Hoon Ha, C: 0-0 (F-7 SF, BB), RBI
9a. Pin-Chieh Chen, 3B: 0-2 (L-8, P-6)
9b. Wes Darvill, 2B: 0-1, (BB, FC+E3), SB
10. Kyung-Min Na, RF: 1-3 (1B, BB, P-5, 3-1)

PITCHERS:
1. Thomas Diamond - 3.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 2/5 GO/FO, 53 pitches (36 strikes)
2. Rafael Dolis - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 4/1 GO/FO, 29 pitches (21 strikes)
3. Eduardo Figueroa - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 BALK, 1/2 GO/FO, 31 pitches (19 strikes)
4. Hector Mayora - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 7 pitches (6 strikes)
5. Steve Grife - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB,1 K, 0/2 GO/FO, 9 pitches (8 strikes)

ERRORS: NONE

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Sergio Burruel - 0-1 CS

BASERUNNING: Kyung-Min Na was thrown out 7-4 trying to stretch a single into a double wth one out in the top of the 3rd inning.

WEATHER: 80 & sunny

ATTENDANCE: 18