Rockies Arms Keep Cub Bats Quiet at Talking Stick

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 5:32pm

Matthew Carasiti threw five shutout innings and combined with three relievers to throw a four-hitter, and Raimel Tapia and Dillon Thomas drilled RBI singles, as the Rockies edged the Cubs 2-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort, east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

Jeffrey Baez belted a solo HR to account for the Cubs lone run.

RHP Dillon Maples got the start for the Cubs and threw four innings (67 pitches), allowing one run on two hits (both singles), three walks, and a HBP. He struck out three and really had the sinker working (8/0 GO/FO). Maples did struggle with his comand throughout the first two innings (a 22-pitch 1st and a 25-pitch 2nd), but then retired six of the last seven men he faced on just 20 pitches. After completing his 67-pitch four inning stint, Maples went out to the bullpen and threw 20 more pitches, so he should be well stretched-out if the Cubs decide to move him up to Kane County before the end of Extended Spring Training. (FWIW, he also threw 78 pitches in an intrasquad game last Thursday). 

LHP Kyler Burke (strained oblique rehab) "piggy-backed" with Maples and also threw four innings (58 pitches), allowing one run (it was unearned) on three hits (all singles) and a walk, with two strikeouts. He looks like he is about ready to leave EXST and join either Kane County, Daytona, or Tennessee (depending upon where a slot is available).    


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

CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Rashad Crawford, CF: 0-2 (3-1, K, BB, SB)
1b. Jeffrey Baez, CF-DH: 1-1 (HR, R, RBI)
2. David Bote, SS: 0-4 (L-7, F-8, K, P-5)
3a. Yasiel Balaguert, RF: 1-3 (F-7, 2B, P-6)
3b. Garrett Schlecht, RF: 0-1 (F-7)
4a. Jose Dore, DH: 0-3 (K, K, 3-U)
4b. Xavier Batista, LF: 0-1 (F-8)
5a. Trevor Gretzky, LF: 0-3 (6-3, 4-3, 3-1)
5b. Frandy de la Rosa, SS: 0-1 (3-U)
6. Jacob Rogers, 1B: 0-3 (F-8, K, K)
7a. Brad Zapenas, 2B: 0-2 (HBP, 4-3, K)
7b. Kevin Encarnacion, CF: NO AB
8a. Carlos Escobar, C: 2-2 (2B, 1B)
8b. Neftali Rosario, C: 0-1 (6-3)
9. Mark Malave, 3B: 0-3 (K, L-5 DP, 6-3)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Dillon Maples: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 67 pitches (37 strikes), 8/0 GO/FO
2. Kyler Burke: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 58 pitches (38 strikes), 2/5 GO/FO
3. Anthony Prieto: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 12 pitches (10 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO 

CUBS ERRORS: 1
3B Mark Malave - E-5 (throwing error on infield single allowed batter reach 2nd base - eventually scored unearned run)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Carlos Escobar: 1-4 CS, 1 PO

CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:
CF Rashad Crawford - runner thrown out 8-5 trying to advance from 1st to 3rd on a single

ATTENDANCE: 4

WEATHER: Partly cloudy & breezy with temperatues in the 80's

 

Tags: 
EXST Cubs Extended Spring Training
Dillon Maples
Kyler Burke
Jeffrey Baez

Comments

Submitted by QuietMan  on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 7:19pm  
3/44? Cubs released RHP Cory Wade.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 9:03pm  

Marmol in to ruin everything 

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 9:24pm  

pat Hughes more aware that Yadier was going to steal than the Cubs were.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 9:28pm  

Sweet, Molina TOOTBLAN to end the threat.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 9:44pm  
marmol was paying no attention to him...which is generally how molina gets most of his steals.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 9:43pm  
r.sweeney is the 1st person to successfully call off castro from fielding a ball in LF. =p congrats, new guy.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 05/07/2013 - 9:45pm  

1-2-3 9th for Gregg...

that felt weird

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 8:52am  
Continuing my temporary man love for Starlin Castro since he's such a favorite target, that was a helluvan at bat last night in the ninth. If I remember right, and trust me, there's less than a 50/50 chance I do, he was behind in the count, maybe 1-2, fouled off a bunch of pitches, then drove a no doubt about it double into the right field corner. That shows to me he is still a work in progress. Great at bats one day, but then another day he'll flail at something and look really bad. Also, I wonder if anyone has noticed or heard if Valbuena is doing anything differently at the plate. The sample size for this year is growing, and his numbers are quite the outlier compared to his career numbers: .264/.373/.483/.856. I thought I heard Deshaies say something about it but I didn't catch it.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 9:24am  
Valbuena is a really interesting case right now. He's getting a lot of platoon ABs, so I think that might be part of the trick. His BB% and K% are slightly improved, but not enough to justify the transformation of his batting line. His ISO has exploded, which would not be unheard of for a guy in his age-28 season. That explains why he has 5 HRs in 100 ABs, as opposed to 4 in 300 ABs last year. But the biggest question mark is the batting average. It's not being fueled by BABIP. It appears maybe he's actually improved both as a hitter and as a slugger this season. Small sample size still relevant; but as someone who has talked about a lot of shit about LV on these comments, I look forward to him having the opportunity to continue to get plate appearances and hopefully prove me wrong. Edit: One more thought. From 2008 to 2012, he split each year between AAA and MLB, always putting up a good line at AAA and a bad line at MLB. Certainly someone who has had so many good ABs at AAA, and now so many plate appearances upstairs, has the possibility of translating some of their success given enough time to adjust. If he's truly a "late bloomer," (still a premature conclusion at this point) then he can probably expect a good 2-3 years from him before it all falls apart. Just long enough to keep the seat warm for Villanueva or Baez, hopefully.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 1:28pm  
"Great at bats one day, but then another day he'll flail at something and look really bad." If Castro wasn't flailing with two strikes in the eighth yesterday, it was because Rosenthal was throwing strictly fastballs and mostly strikes. There were no low outside pitches to flail at. (Rosenthal threw one breaking ball out of eleven pitches to Castro, and it was low-inside). An eleven-pitch at-bat is pretty good, and it's tough to make even minor contact with eight 95+ fastballs in one trip to the plate. Even Sveum admits that Castro has remarkable hand-to-eye coordination. But before I call it a hell of an at-bat I would want to see him nudge the count to 3 balls, which he never did but could have done by the fifth pitch. Rizzo came to the plate after Castro's double, and I liked his AB better. He took an outside fastball and then hit the next one to the wall in center. Rizzo comes to the plate with an idea of what he wants to do, an idea that goes beyond "see the ball, hit the ball." Baez is off to a slow start at Daytona but he has six bombs now. He, too, has an idea.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 1:34pm  
Ryan Sweeney tooks some groundballs over at firstbase. Probably just for emergency situations according to pregame radio.

Submitted by johann  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 1:47pm  
There needs to be a blanket "no stealing third on Molina" rule implemented.

Submitted by Charlie  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 2:18pm  
Why the hell is Rizzo trying to steal 3rd with 2 outs against anybody, much less Molina?

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 2:37pm  
Shierholtz Shirsey's for everyone!

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 3:28pm  

hey look, bullpen fail

(I'm sure the error didn't help much)

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 3:45pm  
more pen fail...stl leads. woo.

Submitted by Charlie  on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 4:09pm  
How many more games does the Cubs bullpen have to give away before they can file as a charitable organization?