Chris Dominguez

Jorge Perez rifled a two-run triple to highlight a three-run 3rd, Connor Owings drilled a two-run single in the 4th, and Luke Lowery ripped a two-run double in the 5th, leading the Diamondbacks to an 8-5 victory over the Cubs on Quail Field, and Chris Dominguez slugged a two-run HR in the 4th to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead and Andruw Monasterio followed an inning later with an RBI single, as the Cubs rallied to edge the Diamondbacks 4-3 on Whirlwind Field, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader action Saturday morning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

Both games were pre-planned as seven-inning affairs. 

Kevin Zamudio and Christopher Morel each clubbed a two-run HR in the top of the 4th on Quail Field as the Cubs rallied to take a 4-3 lead in the "A" game, and then after the D'backs plated two runs in bottom of the 4th on the Owings two-run single to go ahead 5-4, Yovanny Cuevas belted a game-tying solo HR for the Cubs in the top of the 5th. The Diamondbacks then took advantage of three Cubs errors in the bottom of the 5th to score three unearned runs off unlucky reliever David Garner that provided the Snakes with their margin of victory. 

Francis Martinez hammered a solo HR in the bottom of the 1st to put the Diamondbacks on the board in the "B" game on Whirlwind Field, but the Dominguez two-run HR and the Monasterio RBI single turned the game in the Cubs favor in the 4th & 5th, and RHRP Elvis Diaz sealed the deal for the Cubs with an easy eight-pitch save.   

In EXST roster news, CF Jacob Hannemann (March 2017 right knee injury) has completed his EXST rehab assignment and has rejoined the AA Tennessee Smokies. Hannemann hit a robust 333/455/722 in six Cactus League EXST games (22 PA), collecting three doubles, four walks, two SB, three RBI, two runs scored, and two sacrifice bunts. He struck out only twice in the 22 PA.   

Also, 21-year old LHP Jose MacDonna (2015 IFA - Dominican Republic) made his U. S. debut in the game on Whirlwind Field. The lanky lefty allowed a run on two hits and a walk in one inning of work. 

The Cubs are 7-4 through their first eleven Cactus League EXST games. 

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only): 

LHSP Bryan Hudson hurled five innings of one-hit shutout ball with six strikeouts, Jacob Hannemann drove-in three runs with a squeeze-bunt and a two-run line-drive single, and Chris Dominguez doubled twice and scored two runs, helping the Cubs whitewash the Diamondbacks 6-0 on Quail Field, and Rafael Mejia belted a three-run HR, Aramis Ademan singled, tripled, and scored a run, and six pitchers combined to toss a five-hitter, as the Cubs edged the Diamondbacks 3-2 on Whirlwind Field, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader action Tuesday morning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

Both games were pre-planned as seven-inning affairs. 

Bryan Hudson has thrown eleven innings over the course of his first two Cactus League Extended Spring Training starts, allowing no runs on three hits and one walk, with twelve strikeouts and a 15/3 GO/AO. 

Eloy Jimenez (on Myrtle Beach 7-day DL - right shoulder) was a DH in the game on Whirlwind Field, going 1-5 (1B, P-6, F-8, 6-3, K) while batting once in each of the first five innings.  

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only): 

Catcher Miguel Amaya smacked a two-run HR and threw out four runners on the bases, Chris Dominguez (on AAA Iowa 7-day DL) doubled, singled, walked, and scored a run, Jacob Hannemann (on AA Tennessee DL - right knee) doubled twice, stole a base, and scored a run, Eloy Jimenez (on Myrtle Beach 7-day DL - right shoulder) belted a broken-bat RBI double off the LF fence and walked, Orian Nunez drilled an opposite-field two-run double, and six pitchers combined to toss a four-hitter, leading the Cubs to a 7-1 victory over the Giants "orange" squad in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

The Cubs slugged eight extra base hits in the game, including six doubles, a triple, and a home run.     

Cubs top prospect Eloy Jimenez saw his first game action since injuring his right shoulder in an MLB Cactus League Spring Training game at Sloan Park on March 14th. While he is able to hit, run, and field, he is not throwing at this point, and so he is restricted to being a DH in games.   

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

Joe Martarano raced home from 3rd base with the winning run on a walk-off wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the 9th, as the Cubs edged the Giants "black" squad 2-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Martarano laced an opposite-fiold  triple into the RF corner in his first PA, in what was his first game AB in almost two years. (Martarano returned to baseball last week after playing football at Boise State).   

1B Chris Dominguez (on AAA Iowa 7-day DL) reached base three times (solo HR, single, and an HBP) in his first game action in about three weeks.

LHRP Manny Parra (April 2016 TJS) needed only nine pitches to throw a scoreless inning in the game, and Cubs relievers Luis Aquino, Juan Carlos Paniagua, and David Garner combined to retire the last 12 Giants batters they faced (including seven on strikeouts), with Garner striking out the side in the top of the 9th. (Paniagua and Garner are at Extended Spring Training waiting for a slot to open up in the Tennessee or Iowa bullpen).  

LHP Ryan Kellogg saw his first game action since returning to the Cubs from Team Canada and the WBC last month. The big left-hander threw two perfect innings (32 pitches)

Jacob Hannemann (on AA Tennessee 7-day DL - right knee injury) continued his EXST rehab, playing CF and batting five times in the game (once in each of the first five innings), going 1-4 with a double and a sac bunt. 

RHSP Williams Perez was scheduled to start the game (he threw 6.2 IP of two-hit shutout ball in an intrasquad game last Monday) but was scratched, possibly because he may be moving-up to Iowa. (I-Cubs RHSP Alec Mills went on the DL yesterday with an ankle injury). 

RHP Casey Kelly (three innings - 45 pitches), RHP Jose Albertos (one inning - 15 pitches), and RHP Carlos Ocampo (one inning - 15 pitches) threw "live" BP on Field #2 prior to the start of the game on Field #1. Kelly is on the Iowa 7-day DL after spending most of Spring Training with the big club at Sloan Park, Albertos (one of the Cubs top pitching prospects) has been in the Rehab Throwing Program at Riverview Park since reporting to Minor League Camp last month and has yet to throw in a game, and Ocampo just arrived from the Cubs Dominican Academy (his expected arrival was delayed by a few days).   

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