The Wright Stuff Not Enough to Prevent Giant Sweep

Tennessee Smokies OF Ty Wright (DL rehab assignment) had three hits (two singles and a double) in his first game action since suffering a sprained ankle in a Southern League game on April 17th, but the EXST Giants swept a doubleheader from the EXST Cubs by scores of 7-5 and 5-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

The games were played simultaneously on adjacent fields, and both games were seven-inning affairs.

20-year old Dominican LHP Willengton Cruz had the best outing among the six Cub pitchers who threw at Fitch Park today, tossing three innings of one-hit shutout ball with no walks and six strikeouts (five swinging) on Field #2, and 2B Gregori Gonzalez reached base four times on a double, a single, and two walks, scored two runs, and drove-in two more, also on Field #2.

On the negative side, the Cubs committed six errors (resulting in four unearned runs) in the combined 14 innings of play, including five errors in the game played on Field #3.

For those of you who were Cub fans back in the day, you may be interested to know that ex-Cub Manager Tom Trebelhorn is the EXST Giants skipper (as he has been for the past four seasons), and ex-Cub manager Joey Amalfitano (who is now 77 years old) is an infield and bunting instructor with the EXST Giants. Both are looking well.

Here are the abridged box scores from today's games (Cubs players only):

FIELD #2

SQUAD “A” LINEUP:
1. Pin-Chieh Chen, CF: 1-3 (F-8, P-1, BB, 1B, R)
2. Gregori Gonzalez, 2B: 2-2 (BB, BB, 2B, 1B, 2 R, 2 RBI)
3. Wilson Contreras, 3B: 1-3 (1B, HBP, K, 3-1, R)
4. Yaniel Cabezas, C: 1-2 (F-9 SF, 2B, BB, F-7, 2 RBI)
5. Jesus Morelli, DH: 1-3 (F-8, F-8 SF, 1B, F-8, RBI)
6. Reggie Golden, RF: 1-4 (5-3, K, F-8, 1B)
7. Wes Darvill, SS: 1-3 (P-4, BB, 4-6 FC, 2B, R, SB)
8. Blair Springfield, LF: 0-3 (BB, P-4, L-3, L-9)
9. Max Kwan, 1B: 0-3 (1-3, P-6, K)

SQUAD “A” PITCHERS:
1. Willengton Cruz: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 39 pitches (28 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
2. Rafael Diplan: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 35 pitches (22 strikes), 2/3 GO/FO
3. Jeffry Antigua: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 27 pitches (18 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO

SQUAD “A” ERRORS: 1:
3B Wilson Contreras - E5 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely – eventually scored unearned run)

SQUAD “A” CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Yaniel Cabezas: 0-1 CS

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FIELD #3

NOTE: Ty Wright was a DH and batted third in the bottom of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, and second in the bottom of the 5th inning.

SQUAD “B” LINEUP:
X. Ty Wright, DH #1: 3-5 (5-4 FC, 1B, 2B, F-8, 1B, RBI)
1. Vismeldy Bieneme, 2B: 0-2 (BB, 1-3, K)
2. Marco Hernandez, SS: 1-2 (6-4 FC, HBP, 1B, R, CS)
3. Dustin Geiger, 3B: 1-3 (4-6 FC, F-8, 1B, R)
4. Dong-Yub Kim, 1B: 1-3 (1B, K, K, R, SB)
5a. Brian Inoa, C: 0-2 (6-3, FC)
5b. SLOT WAS SKIPPED FINAL TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
6a. SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
6b. Rafael Valdes, DH #2: 1-2 (6-3, 1B, RBI)
7. Eduardo Gonzalez, LF: 1-3 (6-3 DP, K, 1B, RBI)
8. Xavier Batista, RF: 0-3 (F-9, F-7, K)
9. Carlos Romero, DH #3: 1-3 (6-3, 1B, 1-3)
10. Oliver Zapata, CF: 1-2 (1B, 4-6 FC)

SQUAD “B” PITCHERS:
1. Joe Zeller: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 40 pitches (30 strikes), 4/3 GO/FO
2. Dustin Fitzgerald: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 27 pitches (15 strikes), 3/3 GO/FO
3. Manolin DeLeon: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 37 pitches (24 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO

SQUAD “B” ERRORS: 5:
1. 1B Dong-Yub Kim - E3 (errant throw attempting to throw-out runner at plate allowed another runner to score and batter to advance to 2nd base)
2. 3B Dustin Geiger - E5 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely)
3. 2B Vismeldy Bieneme - E4 (fielding error allowed batter reach base safely)
4. LF Eduardo Gonzalez - E7 (dropped pop fly in LF allowed batter reach base safely – eventually scored unearned run)
5. 1B Dong-Yub Kim - E3 (missed catch at 1st base on infield single allowed batter to advance to 2nd base)

SQUAD “B” CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Brian Inoa: 0-2 CS

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ATTENDANCE: 10

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 80’s