Cubs & Snakes Split a Pair at Riverview Park
Rony Rodriguez and Eloy Jimenez belted back-to-back RBI doubles, Ricardo Marcano followed with an RBI single, and Tyler Alamo capped the inning with a two-run home run over the LF fence, as the Cubs plated five runs in the 5th en route to a 7-3 victory over the Diamondbacks on Field #5, and Cesar Carrasco doubled twice and reached base on an error and scored three runs, and Dane McFarland and Sergio Alcantara laced two RBI singles a piece to drive-in a combined four runs, as the D'backs defeated the Cubs 5-1 on Field #6, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader played this morning at the Under Armour Performance Center at Riverview Park in Mesa, AZ.
SS Elliot Soto (serving a 50-game Drug of Abuse suspension) collected three hits (all three hits were singles) and scored a run in the game on Field #5.
Four Cub pitchers on Field #5 combined to strike out 14 Diamondbacks.
The game on Field #6 was called after eight innings.
RHP Dallas Beeler got the start on Field #5, and he labored through 2.2 IP (41 pitches - 31 strikes), allowing two runs on five hits (including three doubles and a triple). He did strike out four, however, and did not issue any walks. Beeler has been battling a "dead arm" since Spring Training, and with a couple of exceptions, has not been able to get his fastball velocity over 89 MPH.
RHRP Kyuji Fujikawa saw his first game action since undergoing elbow ligament replacement surgery (TJS) last May. The veteran closer started the game on Field #6, and was only able to retire one batter (F-8) before leaving the game in the middle of an AB (3-2 count) on the fourth hitter he faced. (He allowed a single and surrendered a walk to the other two hitters). Fujikawa called the trainer, the pitching coach, and his translator out to the mound after his 18th pitch of the inning (a wild pitch), and then after a short discussion, he left the game.
17-year old SS Gleyber Torres had a bad game defensively on Field #6, committing three errors. He muffed two ground balls and dropped a pop fly in shallow CF, the three errors resulting in three unearned runs eventually scoring.
Here is the abridged box score from the two games (Cubs players only):
FIELD #5:
CUBS SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
1. Rashad Crawford, CF: 0-2 (BB, 4-3, P-6, BB, R, CS)
2. Elliot Soto, SS: 3-4 (1B, 1B, 1B, K, R)
3. Rony Rodriguez, RF: 1-4 (F-8, F-7, 2B, F-9, R, RBI)
4. Eloy Jimenez, DH: 1-2 (F-9 SF, K, 2B, BB, R, 2 RBI)
5. Ricardo Marcano, LF: 1-4 (F-8, 3-1, 1B, K, R, RBI)
6. Tyler Alamo, C: 1-3 (HBP, 1-3, HR, 6-3, 2 R, 2 RBI)
7. Varonex Cuevas, 3B: 1-2 (BB, BB, F-8, 1B, CS)
8. Mark Malave, 1B: 1-4 (K, F-8, 1B, 5-4 FC)
9. Dalfis Ortiz, 2B: 1-4 (1B, 4-3, 6-4 FC, K, RBI, 2 PO)
CUBS SQUAD "B" PITCHERS:
1. Dallas Beeler: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 41 pitches (31 strikes)
NOTE: Beeler's first inning was stopped with two outs and a runner at 3rd base
2. David Garner: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 1/1 GO/FO, 27 pitches (17 strikes)
3. Jasvir Rakkar: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 28 pitches (23 strikes)
4. Michael Wagner: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 0/4 GO/FO, 24 pitches (15 strikes)
SQUAD "B" ERRORS: NONE
SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Tyler Alamo: 1-4 CS, 1 PB
FIELD #6:
CUBS SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1. Charcer Burks, LF: 1-3 (1B, F-8, BB, L-8 DP, SB)
2. Kevin Brown, DH: 1-3 (F-7, BB, 3-U, 1B, R)
3. Jeffrey Baez, CF: 2-4 (K, 1B, L-3, 1B)
4. Justin Marra, C: 0-4 (K, F-8, K, 4-6-3 DP)
5. Arnaldo Calero, RF: 0-3 (5-3, K, BB, 1-3)
6. Gleyber Torres, SS: 0-2 (3-1, 4-3, BB)
7. Zak Blair, 2B: 0-3 (K, 4-3, 4-3)
8. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 1-3 (K, P-6, 1B)
9. Roney Alcala, 1B: 1-3 (K, 1B, K)
SQUAD "A" PITCHERS:
1. Kyuji Fujikawa: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 0/1 GO/FO, 18 pitches (11 strikes)
2. Erick Leal: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HBP, 1 GIDP, 5/2 GO/FO, 41 pitches (22 strikes)
3. Trey Lang: 2.0 IP. 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 2/2 GO/FO, 26 pitches (17 strikes)
4. Corbin Hoffner: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 5/1 GO/FO, 41 pitches (27 strikes)
NOTE: Hoffner's third inning was stopped with two outs and a runner at 3rd base
SQUAD "A" ERRORS: 3
1. SS Gleyber Torres - E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely - eventually scored unearned run)
2. SS Gleyber Torres - E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)
3. SS Gleyber Torres - E-6 (dropped pop fly allowed batter to reach base safely and unearned run to score)
SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Justin Marra: 0-1 CS
SQUAD "A" OUTFIELD ASSISTS:
RF Arnaldo Calero - threw out batter 9-6 trying to stretch a single into a double
ATTENDANCE: 21
WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 80's
Comments
AzPhil
TOONSTER: When Marco
TOONSTER: When Marco Hernandez first arrived at Fitch Park (Instructs 2010) as an 18-year old he had good range at SS, but he threw sidearm (sort of the "sidearm sling" second-basemen use) and so his throws would sometimes bounce to 1st. He also was a switch-hitter back then, and he just could not hit with any authority RH. But then he changed his arm slot and stopped switch-hitting, and his two main problems disappeared overnight and he had an outstanding 2011 season with the AZL Cubs.
Carlos Penalver has plus-range, plus-arm, and plus-speed (all three superior to Hernandez) and I think he will eventually be a better hitter and base-runner than Hernandez, too. He does have a tendency to play "too fast," however, and that's when he makes mistakes (as he did in Minor League Camp this year). He's kind of like a point guard who sometimes tries to make the low-percentage pass or a defensive back who gambles for an interception but ends up getting burned and giving up an easy score.
I saw Gleyber Torres at Instructs last year (when he was 16) and he struggled offensively, but you could see his superior athleticism defensively in infield drills (where you can gauge a player's range, arm strength, and sure-handedness). The key of couse is to play the same way in games as you do in infield practice (some guys can't), and up until yesterday Torres was not only capable of making the impossible WTF? play, but he also played with a steadiness and poise you don't see very often in a 17-year old.
I still like Penalver best, but only because he has advanced to Lo-A without missing a beat, and Torres is only at Extended Spring Training. But I also think Torres has the highest celing and could eventually surpass Penalver.
cj edwards - 5ip 5h 1bb 7k, 3
Sometimes as a Cubs fan I
We all knew rebuilding would
"it is unacceptable for the
"O&B is mixing mediocrity
setting up for 5 seasons in a
I think they have been
One thing that is always
It's hard to get a real gauge
I may not be as Old or Blue
Nice summary. Overall, given
KC boxscore, Arias 1.0 IP, 4
How? Dropped 3rd strike?