Cubs and Giants Play Two at Fitch Park

Sergio Burruel ripped an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th to tie one game, while LHP Marcos Perez allowed his first runs in 17+ innings in the other, as one squad of EXST Cubs and one squad of EXST Giants played to a 1-1 tie on Field #1 and the other squad of EXST Giants defeated the other squad of EXST Cubs 4-1 on Field #3 in a split squad Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader played at Fitch Park in Mesa this morning. Both games were pre-scheduled to go seven innings, although the game on Field #1 was extended an extra half-inning to allow Rogelio Carmona to get an additional inning of work.

Iowa 1B-OF Jason Dubois (on the I-Cubs DL since April 21st with a lower back strain) played LF again today and got four Plate Appearances in the game on Field #3, batting third in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th innings. He was called out on strikes in his first AB, and then grounded out 6-3, 5-3, and 5-3 in his other three PA. So far in four EXST games, Dubois is hitting 215/267/357, with two doubles, a walk, and four strikeouts. He is expected to rejoin the Iowa Cubs in Reno this weekend.

Cubs pitchers retired the first 15 Giants in the game on Field #1. RHP (ex-C) Alvaro Sosa made his EXST game debut by retiring the side 1-2-3 (Ks, 4-3, Ks) in the top of the 1st, and then 19-year old Taiwanese RHP Yao-Lin Wang retired all 12 men he faced (including five strikeouts).

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHRP Yohan Gonzalez and 3B-1B Charles Thomas have been promoted to Peoria, while INF George Matheus (160/208/220 in 16 games) and RHP (and ex-OF) Andres Quezada (5.40 ERA and 1.80 WHIP with 17 hits allowed and 10/13 BB/K in 15.0 IP) have been sent to Extended Spring Training from Peoria.

In seven EXST games (all in relief) over the past month, Gonzalez had a 0.82 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and .200 OBA in 11.0 IP, allowing just one run on eight hits, with 2 BB and 14 K, 1 GIDP, and a 9/10 GO/FO. The 20-year old 6’4 200 Gonzalez pitched at Boise in 2009, going 3-3 with a 4.21 ERA, allowing 44 hits (3 HR), and 7/31 BB/K in 23 games and 47 IP (all in relief) for the Hawks.

The Cubs 2009 10th round draft pick out of Edward Waters College, the 21-year old 6-4 225 Thomas hit 303/367/348 with three doubles, 5/8 BB/K, 13 runs scored, eight RBI, and four SB in 19 EXST games and 68 PA. Thomas has a cannon for an arm, and could eventually move to the mound if things don’t work out as a position player. He led the AZL Cubs (Mesa) in hits, doubles, and RBI in 2009. He can play both 1B and 3B, but his arm is wasted at 1B. For a big guy, Thomas has shown virtually no HR power so far in his career.

Here are today’s abridged box scores (Cubs players only):

FIELD #1

LINEUP:
1. Pin-Chieh Chen, 2B: 0-2 (K, 4-3, 5-4 SH)
2. Arismendy Alcantara, SS: 2-3 (F-9, 1B, 1B, CS)
3. Sergio Burruel, C: 1-3 (K, 4-3, 1B, RBI)
4. Bobby Wagner, 1B: 0-3 (P-6, F-8, K-DP)
5. Alvaro Ramirez, LF: 1-2 (1B, 6-3, CS)
6. Xavier Batista, RF: 0-2 (K, K)
7. Rafael Disla, 3B: 0-2 (3-1, 2-3)
8. Kyung-Min Na, CF-DH: 0-2 (K, L-7)
9. Jose Guevara, DH #1: 1-2 (1B, K)
10. Blair Springfield, DH #2: 0-1 (5-3, BB, CS)
11a. SLOT WAS SKIPPED 1st TIME THROUGH BATTING ORDER
11b. Cody Shields, CF: 1-1 (1B, R)

PITCHERS:
1. Alvaro Sosa – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 15 pitches (9 strikes)
2. Yao-Lin Wang – 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 4/3 GO/FO, 40 pitches (29 strikes)
3. Alvido Jimenez - 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 2/1 GO/FO, 20 pitches (15 strikes)
4. Rogelio Carmona - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 23 pitches (15 strikes)

ERRORS: NONE

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Sergio Burruel: 0-1 CS

FIELD #3

NOTE: LF Jason Dubois batted 3rd in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th innings, getting four Plate Appearances total in the game

LINEUP:
X. Jason Dubois, LF: 0-4 (K, 6-3, 5-3, 5-3)
1. Vismeldy Bieneme, 2B: 2-3 (K, 1B, 1B, R)
2. Jesus Morelli, RF: 1-3 (6-3, 5-3, 2B)
3. Brandon May, 3B: 0-3 (K, 6-3, 6-3, RBI)
4. Runey Davis, CF: 0-3 (F-8, K, 5-3)
5. Luis Flores, DH: 2-3 (1B, 4-3, 1B)
6. Albert Hernandez, 1B: 1-3 (F-9, 3B, 5-4-3 GIDP)
7. Carlos Romero, C: 0-1 (HBP, 4-3)
8. Wes Darvill, SS: 0-1 (5-3 SH, K)

PITCHERS:
1. Marcos Perez – 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 5/6 GO/FO, 49 pitches (31 strikes)
2. Danny Keefe – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 2/2 GO/FO, 32 pitches (20 strikes)
3. Corey Martin – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 13 pitches (9 strikes)

ERRORS: (1)
C Carlos Romero E-2 (errant throw on stolen base attempt at 3rd base allowed runner to score)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Carlos Romero: 0-2 CS, 1 E (see above)

ATTENDANCE: 12

WEATHER: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 80’s