Baez Is Back, But Sox Edge Cubs at Sloan Park

Jake Fincher drilled two singles and a triple and scored two runs (including what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the 9th), as the AZL White Sox rallied for two runs (both unearned) in the 8th and one in the 9th to edge the AZL Cubs 4-3 in Arizona League action Thursday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Javy Baez (on AAA Iowa 7-day DL - broken finger) saw his first game action since June 7th, playing shortstop for five innings and getting three AB.

Baez topped a one-hop chopper to the third-baseman on a 1-2 pitch with a runner at 3rd and one out in the bottom of the 1st inning (was misplayed into an E-5, with Baez getting credited with an RBI), hammered a line-drive single over the shortstop's head with two outs in the bottom of the 3rd (then advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, before scoring on a Michael Foster RBI double), and grounded out 4-3 on a 3-2 pitch for the final out of the 5th in his last PA.

Baez handled two chances in the field in five innings, a grounder through the box with a runner on 1st base and no outs in the top of the 4th that he quickly turned into a 6-3 DP (stepped on 2nd base, then fired a bullet to 1st to complete the twin-killing), and a slow-roller infield single to short (no play for Javy) with two outs in the top of the 5th. 

Other than being perhaps a bit over-anxious in his first AB, Baez showed no ill effects from the finger injury or the subsequent six-week lay-off.   

Cubs 2015 12th round draft pick P. J. Higgins (Old Dominion U.) made his professional debut in the game, batting 2nd in the order and playing 2B. The 22-year old Higgins is a versatile defender, having played C-2B-3B at ODU, and I would expect him to get the full "Catcher Immersion" treatment at post-season "instructs."

Meanwhile, Higgins had a nice pro debut at the plate, going 2-4. After striking out (swinging) on three pitches in his first AB in the 1st inning and grounding out 4-3 his second time up in the 3rd, Higgins belted a line-drive single to center in the 5th (unfortunately, Robert Garcia was thrown out at the plate trying to score from 2nd on the play), and then clubbed a lead-off double off the right-centerfield fence in the 8th. 

In AZL Cubs roster news, RHRP Scott Frazier (Cubs 2013 6th round draft pick - Pepperdine) and OF Alex Bautista (Cubs 2015 22nd round draft pick - Lindsey Wilson College) have been moved-up to Eugene, and OF Roberto Caro is back with the AZL Cubs after spending 15 days with the AAA Iowa Cubs as a temporary replacement. (Four I-Cubs position players were placed on the DL the first week of July). 

Bautista put up a 262/308/393 slash-line in 17 games for the AZL Cubs, after hitting 371/466/728 with 19 HR & 72 RBI, 13 doubles, and 27 SB (9 CS) in 60 games (251 PA) as a college senior at LWC in 2015 (earning him first-team NAIA All-American honors). 

Frazier, who features a 95-97 MPH fastball that touches 98-99, has seemingly conquered his battle with the yips, at least getting to the point where he can throw enough strikes to (usually) get through an inning without walkng the world (or waking the dead). 

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

AZL CUBS LINEUP:
1. Robert Garcia, RF: 1-4 (BB, K, 2B, F-7, 6-4 FC, R, SB) 
2. P. J. Higgins, 2B: 2-4 (K, 4-3, 1B, 2B)
3a. Javy Baez SS: 1-3 (E-5, 1B, 4-3, R, RBI)
3b. Andruw Monasterio, SS: 0-0 (3-4 SH)
4. Michael Foster, LF: 2-4 (1B, 2B, 1-3, 6-2 FC, R, RBI)
5. Varonex Cuevas, 3B: 1-4 (4-6 FC, 4-3, K, 2B, RBI)
6. Jose Paniagua, 1B: 0-3 (L-6, P-3, BB, F-9)
7. Angelo Amendolare,  DH: 0-3 (P-3, 5-3, 5-3, BB
8. Marcus Mastrobuoni, C: 0-4 (F-8, 3-1, F-9, P-1)
9. Roberto Caro, CF: 1-4 (4-3, F-8, 1-3, 1B)

AZL CUBS PITCHERS: 
1. Dylan Cease: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 BALK, 4/2 GO/FO, 47 pitches (25 strikes) 
2. John Michael Knighton: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0  R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 2/2 GO/FO, 23 pitches (17 strikes)
3. M. T. Minacci: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 1/1 GO/FO,  18 pitches (9 strikes)
4. Heath Dwyer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 17 pitches (14 strikes)
5. Mark Malave: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER),  0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 3/1 GO/FO, 23 pitches (17 strikes) 

AZL CUBS ERRORS: 2 
1. SS Andruw Monasterio: E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely) 
2. 3B Varonex Cuevas: E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely & unearned run to score)

AZL CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Marcus Mastrobuoni: 2-2 CS

AZL CUBS BASERUNNNG ADVENTURES: 
1. Robert Garcia - thrown out 8-2 attempting score from 2nd base on one-out line-drive single to CF in 5th
2. P. J. Higgins - thrown out 6-2 attempting score from 3rd base on grounder to shortstop with one out in 8th
3. Varonex Cuevas - thrown out 8-4-2-5 attempting to take 3rd base after two-out RBI double in 8th