Dubois Always a Big Hit at Extended Spring Training

Jason Dubois doubled and walked, scored a run, and drove-in another, but the EXST Angels rallied with a run in the 7th and another in the 8th to edge the EXST Cubs 5-4 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

Dubois (on the AAA Iowa Cubs DL since April 21st with back spasms) played LF and got four Plate Appearances over the first six innings, striking out swinging in the 2nd, walking on a 3-2 pitch in the 3rd, ripping an RBI double off the LF fence in the 5th (and eventually scoring), and bouncing out 5-3 in the 6th. He is expected to rejoin the I-Cubs at Reno sometime this weekend.

18-year old Taiwanese INF Pin-Chieh Chen (hitting 345/419/382) saw his first action in the field since April 26th, playing 2B for six innings. Chen had been relegated to DH duty for the past couple of weeks while nursing a sore arm, but he looked just fine today (at least he did not appear to have any difficulty making all required throws).

While The Cubs and Angels were playing their game on Field #3, AA Tennessee LHP Casey Lambert (2009 TJS rehab) threw a two-inning simulated game on Field #1 and reported good results. Barring any setbacks, his next step will probably be to throw in an EXST game.

Yesterday was a Camp Day (no EXST game), and so Cubs Minor League Pitching Coordinator Mark Riggins took the opportuntity to spend some time working one-on-one with struggling RHP Chris Huseby on Field #4. In his one and only EXST appearance (before Riggins arrived), Huseby walked all four batters he faced on 16 pitches (no strikes).

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

NOTE: LF Jason Dubois batted third in four of the first six innings, getting four Plate Appearances total in the game. Also, the game was extended one extra half-inning to allow Cubs RHP Tzu-An Wang to get his pre-scheduled work.

LINEUP:
X. Jason Dubois, LF: 1-3 (K, BB, 2B, 5-3, R, RBI)
1. Pin-Chieh Chen, 2B-DH: 1-4 (5-3, P-6, 1B, K, RBI)
2. Runey Davis, CF: 0-4 (F-8, F-8, F-9, F-9)
3. Jesus Morelli, RF: 1-4 (F-9, 2B, K, L-5, R)
4. Brandon May, 3B: 2-4 (F-9, 2B, F-9, 1B, R, RBI)
5. Albert Hernandez, 1B-LF: 1-4 (F-8, K, 3-1, 1B)
6a. Luis Flores, C: 1-1 (BB, 1B, RBI)
6b. Carlos Romero, C: 1-2 (1B, K)
7. Wes Darvill, SS: 1-3 (K, L-6, 2-3 SH, 1B, CS)
8a. Cody Shields, DH-LF: 1-3 (P-2, 1B, 1-3, R, 2 SB)
8b. Bobby Wagner, PH-1B: 0-1 (K)
9. Vismeldy Bieneme, DH-2B: 0-2 (BB, P-1, BB, K, SB)

PITCHERS:
1. Tarlandus Mitchell – 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 2/4 GO/FO, 59 pitches (29 strikes)
NOTE: Mitchell’s third inning was terminated (“rolled”) with two outs and runners at 1st & 3rd after Mitchell had thrown 26 pitches in the inning
2. Austin Kirk – 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1/4 GO/FO, 39 pitches (23 strikes)
3. Hector Mayora – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 2/0 GO/FO, 25 pitches (13 strikes)
4. Jadel Mendez - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 1/1 GO/FO, 16 pitches (10 strikes)
5. Jesse Ginley - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/0 GO/FO, 13 pitches (7 strikes)
6. Tzu-An Wang - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 0/1 GO/FO, 18 pitches (12 strikes)

ERRORS: (2)
1. C Luis Flores E-2 (errant throw into CF on pickoff attempt at 2nd base allowed runner to advance from 2nd to 3rd – did not score)
2. SS Wes Darvill E-6 (two-base throwing error allowed batter to reach 2nd base and runner on 2nd base to score unearned run)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Luis Flores: 1-2 CS, 1 E (see above)
Carlos Romero: 1-2 CS

ATTENDANCE: 5 (two Cub fans, one Angels fan on a bicycle, a woman on a cell-phone, and a dog on a leash)

WEATHER: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 70’s