Archive - Apr 2021

The Cubs (11-14) dodged a sweep in Atlanta by winning the final game, backing Alzolay to his first win of 2021. They'll complete the road trip with a 3-game series against the 4th place Reds (11-13). For now, it's a battle to get out of the NL Central basement. The Reds most recently took 2 out of 3 from the Dodgers, but prior to that they lost 7 in a row. See below for the weekend's matchups.

Game 26, Friday, April 30, 6:10 pm central

CHC: RHP Jake Arrieta (3-2, 2.57 ERA)

CIN: LHP Wade Miley (2-2, 2.45 ERA)

Yohendrick Pinango doubled and scored in the 2nd, walked and scored in the 4th, and drilled a two-run single in the 8th, and three pitchers combined to hurl a four hitter, as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Lo-A affiliate) defeated the San Jose Giants (Lo-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) 5-1 in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Tuesday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Casey Schmitt belted a solo HR in the top of the 1st inning to account for the lone Giant run.  

Myrtle Beach DH Matt Mervis left the game after tweaking something in his lower body while running the bases in the bottom of the 6th. 

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

Chase Strumpf drilled a two-run single and a triple and scored twice, and Yonathan Perlaza drove-in three runs with two run-scoring singles, leading the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) to an 8-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers Hi-A affiliate) in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Monday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.  

Cubs 2019 1st round draft pick RHP Ryan Jensen got the start for the Cubs and once again was unable to get through his second inning of work, throwing 34 pitches in just 1.1 IP (only 44% strikes) and walking three. His FB velo was 95-98 and his SL velo was 89-90 in his first inning, but the FB velo was down to 93-95 and the SL velo was down to 87-88 by the time he left the game with one out in the top of the 2nd.

Jensen is a two-pitch pitcher with command issues who has a significant decrease in velo after throwing just one inning, so as of right now he would appear to project as a one-inning power-reliever (and that's only if he can command his pitches for that one inning).    

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

The Cubs (10-11) depart Wrigley for warmer climes, sunk below .500 yet again and in 4th place in the NL Central. They'll come into their second series against Atlanta (9-12) with much improved stat lines. The team is now 14th in the majors in runs scored and equally middle-of-the-pack in OBP (14th) and SLG (11th). However, they've scored 44 of their 92 total runs in 3 blowout wins. Most recently, they were shutout by yet another dominating Brandon Woodruff start.

SP Ronnie Williams tossed three innings of no run / no hit ball and combined with four relievers to hurl a four-hitter, Ricardo Genoves drilled an RBI single and a double, and Drew Robinson smacked a solo HR, helping the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants AA affiliate) edge the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) 3-2 in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Sunday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Smokies SP Peyton Remy fanned seven Flying Squirrels (six swinging) in just 3.2 IP, and Christopher Morel crushed a two-run HR to the top of the LF berm in the bottom of the 9th to account for the two Tennessee runs.  

C. Morel continues to get reps in the outfield (he played CF again tonight), although he also does still play 3B occasionally. 

D. J. Wilson and Nelson Maldonado were moved up to AA Tennessee from Hi-A South Bend before the game. I don't know if the Maldonado move is permanent or if it relates to Tyler Durna being moved-down to South Bend from Tennessee and Alfonso Rivas not yet being active, and the D. J. Wilson move-up almost certainly relates to Brennen Davis being in concussion protocol.   

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

Tyler Payne cracked a solo HR in the bottom of the 2nd inning to put the Cubs on the board, and then Miguel Amaya tripled and scored in the 7th and belted a game-winning walk-off solo HR with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, earning the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics AA affiliate) in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Friday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.  

J. J. Schwarz clubbed a game tying solo HR for the RockHounds in the top of the 9th to necessitate Amaya's heroics. 

This was Miguel Amaya's first game action since being sent to Minor League Camp from the Cubs Alternate Training Site in South Bend last week. He was sent to Minor League Camp after Tony Wolters agreed to accept an Outright Assignment to the ATS.  

Veteran MLB LHRP Adam Morgan saw his first game action of 2021, tossing a 1-2-3 twelve-pitch inning with two strikeouts (FB 91-93, SL 81-82, and CH/CV 76-78). The Cubs signed the 31-year old to a minor league contract this past off-season, and while he did receive an NRI to Spring Training, he did not pitch in any MLB Cactus League games. 

But RHRP Robert Stock was the highlight of the day pitching-wise, throwing two shutout innings and striking out four (swinging). He threw 28 pitches (75% strikes!) including 12 FB and 16 SL, and all 12 FB were 99 MPH or better (five at 99, four at 100, and three 101 MPH). Stock was claimed off waivers by the Cubs from the Boston Red Sox last December, and was sent outright to the minors in March.    

INF Luis Vazquez was moved-up to the Tennessee squad from the South Bend squad to replace Brennen Davis (who was hit in the face with a pitch yesterday). 

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

The Cubs (9-9) swept the Mets at home to claw their way back to .500 on the season. The weekend sees them taking on the Brewers (11-7) for the third time in 3 weeks.  It's starting to feel like playing a regular pickup game against the neighborhood kids. This time, the Cubs will be down Joc Pederson, but Nico Hoerner will be up to reinforce the infield corps and Adbert Alzolay will be recalled to make the Saturday start. As bad as the first 15-game stretch felt, the Cubs are within a 3-game sweep of taking the division lead from the visiting team. The tide can turn quickly in the early going. See below for the pitching matchups this weekend.