Cubs Clip Angel Wings at Fitch Park

Six pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter, and the Cubs scored once in the 6th to break a 1-1 tie and take the lead and two more insurance runs in the 7th to provide the final margin of victory, defeating the Angels 4-1 in AZ Instructional League action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.

The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning against Cubs starter Charles Thomas, as Matt Long lined an RBI triple into the RF corner.

The Halos only other hit was a two-out single in the top of the 5th, as Cub relievers combined to retire 11 of the last 12 Angel hitters they faced.

The Cubs tied it up in the bottom of the 2nd on a Jeffrey Baez sacrifice fly, following a lead-off walk to Micah Gibbs and consecutive singles by Neftali Rosario and Justin Marra.

The game remained 1-1 going into the bottom of the 6th inning, when Rubi Silva led-off with a line-drive single over the 2nd baseman’s head, stole 2nd base, and then came around to score on a Rafael Lopez RBI single.

The Cubs scored their final two runs of the day in the bottom of the 7th, as Neftali Rosario reached base on an E-5 to open the inning, and after advancing to 3rd base on a stolen base plus an E-2 overthrow at 2nd base, scored when Trey Martin crushed a two-out RBI double over the centerfielder’s head. And then Carlos Penalver came through with another two-out RBI hit (a single to CF) to plate Martin from 2nd base with the game’s final run.

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

LINEUP:
1. Rubi Silva, 2B: 1-3 (L-8, BB, 1B, F-7, R, SB, CS)
2. Zeke DeVoss, LF: 1-4 (1B, K, K, 4-3, CS)
3a. Rafael Lopez, C: 1-1 (BB, BB, 1B, RBI)
3b. Garrett Schlecht, PR-DH: NO AB
3c. Dan Vogelbach, PH: 0-1 (4-3)
4a. Dustin Geiger, 3B: 0-2 (K, 4-3)
4b. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 0-1 (K)
5. Micah Gibbs, 1B: 0-2 (BB, F-7, 4-3, R)
6. Neftali Rosario, DH #1: 1-3 (1B, K, E-5, R, SB)
7. Justin Marra, DH-C: 1-3 (1B, P-5, F-8, RBI)
8. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 0-2 (F-8 SF, P-3, K, RBI)
9. Trey Martin, CF: 1-3 (K, 5-3, 2B, R, RBI)
10. Carlos Penalver, SS: 2-3 (1B, K, 1B, RBI)

PITCHERS:
1. Charles Thomas: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 34 pitches (23 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO
2. Austin Reed: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 12 pitches (6 strikes), 3/2 GO/FO
3. Luis Liria: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 41 pitches (22 strikes), 1/3 GO/FO
4. Tarlandus Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 PO, 12 pitches (6 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO
5. Frank Del Valle: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 18 pitches (14 strikes), 3/0 GO/FO
6. Tony Zych: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 13 pitches (8 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO

ERRORS: 1
SS Carlos Penalver - E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CATCHERS DEFENSE
Rafael Lopez: 1-3 CS

ATTENDANCE: 29

WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 70’s