I-Cubs Drop Pelicans at Minor League Camp

Jacob Rogers drilled a two-run single to cap a three-run 6th, walked twice, stole a base, and scored a run, and Billy McKinney ripped an RBI single to open the scoring in the top of the 4th and doubled and scored a run in the 6th, leading the Iowa Cubs to 5-2 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in Minor League Camp game action this morning on Field #5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

Andruw Monasterio hammered a double and an RBI single, walked, stole two bases, and scored a run, and Cubs 2015 2nd round draft pick Donnie Dewees (U. of North Florida) collected three singles and stole a base for the Pelicans in a losing cause.

18-year old 6'8 LHP Bryan Hudson (Cubs 2015 3rd round draft pick - Alton HS -Alton IL) threw two innings of hitless/shutout ball for Iowa, walking two, and striking out two.

The game was called after seven innings of play.  

Because a number of players were called up to play in the Cubs MLB Cactus League split squad games, several players were temporarily moved to different squads for the game at Riverview. Starting pitcher Jonathan Martinez, catchers Erick Castillo, Gioskar Amaya, and Tyler Pearson, and infielder Chesny Young were moved down to Myrtle Beach from Tennessee, SS Andruw Monasterio was moved up to Tennessee from South Bend, CF Trey Martin, DH Billy McKinney, and 1B Jacob Rogers were moved up to Iowa from Tennessee, 3B Andrew Ely, LF Charcer Burks, and C Tyler Alamo were moved up to Iowa from Myrtle Beach, and pitchers Justin Steele and Bryan Hudson were moved up to Iowa from South Bend.

This was the first game action for catcher Will Remillard since undergoing TJS last March. Prior to his elbow injury, Remillard was considered a rising star (at least defensively) among the Cubs catching prospects, so highly regarded by the Cubs that he received an NRI to Spring Training in 2014 less than a year after being drafted out of Coastal Carolina U. (where he was a teammate of Cubs minor league RHP Josh Conway). Although he is presently assigned to the Iowa squad at Minor League Camp, Remillard will will likely be the #1 catcher at Myrtle Beach come Opening Day. 

In Minor League Camp roster news, Francisco Garay and Wander Feliz have arrived from the Cubs Dominican Academy, and both are being converted from position player to pitcher.

A 17-year old 6'2 Panamanian, Garay hit just 126/190/146 with a whopping 96 K in 220 PA while playing both 3B and SS for the VSL Cubs in his debut pro season last year, and the 18-year old 6'2 Feliz hit 235/375/333 in 202 PA and 54 games (mostly in RF) for the DSL Cubs in 2015 (his rookie season). Garay received a $200K signing bonus in July 2014, so his failure as a position player is especially noteworthy.

Garay and Feliz have been assigned to the South Bend group, but both will very likely be assigned to the Extended Spring Training squad, once it is formed in the coming days.  

Cubs Spring Training Depth Chart
Minor League Camp Rosters (updated daily)

Here is the box score from today's game at Minor League Camp: 
IOWA LINEUP:
1. Trey Martin, CF: 0-3 (4-3, HBP, 6-3, 5-3, R, SB)
2. Logan Watkins, SS: 0-3 (L-8, K, BB, 3-1, R)
3. Billy McKinney, DH #1: 2-3 (K, 1B, 2B, R, RBI)
4. Bijan Rademacher, RF: 0-2 (F-9, K, BB, R)
5. David Freitas, C-DH:  0-1 (HBP, E-5)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED THIRD TIME THRU BATTING ORDER 
6. Stephen Bruno, 2B: 0-2 (F-8, 1-3, F-8 SF, RBI)
7. Jacob Rogers, 1B: 1-1 (BB, BB, 1B, R, 2 RBI, SB, PO)
8. Charcer Burks, LF: 0-1 (K, 5-3 SH, HBP)
9. Andrew Ely, 3B: 1-3 (K, 1B, K, RBI, SB)
10a. Will Remillard, DH-C: 1-2 (1B, 5-3)
10b. Ben Carhart, PH-C:  0-1 (F-8)
11. Tyler Alamo, DH #3: 0-2 (K, F-7)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED SECOND TIME THRU BATTING ORDER

MYRTLE BEACH LINEUP: 
1a. Rashad Crawford, CF: 0-3 (P-6, FC, F-8)
1b. Daniel Spingola, PH: 0-1 (4-3)
2. Donnie Dewees, LF: 3-4 (1B, 1B, 3-U, 1B, SB) 
3. Yasiel Balaguert, 1B: 0-2 (BB, 5-4-3 DP, 1-3, BB)
4a. Ian Happ, 2B: 0-1 (6-4 FC, BB, BB)
4b. Chesny Young, PH: 0-1 (6-3)
5. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 0-3 (F-9, 1-3, 6-3)
6. Tyler Pearson, DH #1: 1-2 (2B, K, R)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
7. Andruw Monastero,  SS: 2-2 (2B, 1B, BB, R, 2 SB)
8. Sutton Whiting, 3B: 0-3 (K, 4-3, K, RBI)
9. Erick Castillo, C-DH: 1-3 (L-4, 1B, 3-1) 
10. Gioskar Amaya, DH-C: 0-2 (BB, 3-6 FC, 6-3)
11. Alberto Mineo, DH #3: 0-0 (BB) 
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST & THIRD TIME THRU BATTING ORDER 

IOWA PITCHERS: 
1. Rob Zastryzny: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 2/2 GO/AO, 38 pitches (25 strikes)
2. Justin Steele: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 4/1 GO/AO, 39 pitches (23 strikes) 
3. Bryan Hudson: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 4/0 GO/AO, 38 pitches (21 strikes) 
4. James Pugliese: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 3/0 GO/AO, 22 pitches (12 strikes) 

MYRTLE BEACH PITCHERS: 
1. Jonathan Martinez: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 1/3 GO/AO, 46 pitches (27 strikes) 
2. Jake Stinnett: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 4/0 GO/AO, 40 pitches (26 strikes) 
3. Kyle Twomey: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 23 pitches (10 strikes) 
4. Daniel Lewis: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 2/2 GO/AO, 19 pitches (11 strikes) 

IOWA ERRORS: 2 
1. P Justin Steele: E-1 (errant pick-off attempt at 3rd base allowed runner to score)
2. C Will Remillard: E-2 (overthrow on pick-off attempt at 1st base allowed runner to advance to 2nd)  

MYRTLE BEACH ERRORS: 1 
3B  Sutton Whiting: E-5 (two-base fielding error allowed batter to reach 2nd base safely) 

IOWA CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
1. Will Remillard: 0-2 CS, 1 E (see above) 
2. Ben Carhart: 0-1 CS 

MYRTLE BEACH CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
1. Erick Castillo: 0-3 CS, 1 PO 

IOWA OUTFIELD ASSISTS: 
RF Bijan Rademacher - threw out baserunner 9-2 trying to score from 2nd on base hit

ATTENDANCE: 57 

WEATHER: Partly cloudy and breezy, with temperatures in the 60's