Lester Goes One-for-Four at Minor League Camp

Cubs #1 prospect Gleyber Torres belted an RBI double and a single and scored a run, and side-armin' RHP Preston Morrison (Cubs 2015 8th round draft pick - TCU) tossed 3.2 IP of no-hit/no-run relief, helping the iowa Cubs edge the Tennessee Smokies 2-1 in Minor League Camp game action this morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game was called after six innings of play. 

Jon Lester got the start for the Smokies (pitching against Iowa) and threw five innings (68 pitches - 78% strikes), allowing two runs (both earned) on six hits (five singles and a double) and no walks, with five strikeouts (two swinging) and 8/0 GO/AO. He made three errant pick-off attempts at 1st base (with the baserunner advancing to 2nd each time), but he did pick-off Dan Vogelbach. Lester also one-hopped SS Carlos Penalver on a 1-6 FC, and Penalver made a nice play just to keep the ball from bounding into CF. 

Matt Murton saw his first game action of the Spring after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on February 26th, working as a DH for the Iowa squad and batting four times. He went 2-4 with a single, a double, a 6-3 GO, and a called third strike (all four PA versus Lester). He was running the bases full-tilt, and looks to be very close to 100%.      

David Ross was Lester's catcher (natch), and he went 0-4 (three fly outs and a 6-4-3 DP), batting once in each of the first four innings. He also threw out a runner trying to steal 3rd. Ross left the game when Lester did. 

The game also featured the first game action for RHRP Jose Rosario since 2014 (he missed the 2015 season after undergoing TJS last April), and he worked a scoreless inning. The 25-year old Rosario was signed by the Cubs as a 17-year old IFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2008, and although he was eligible to be a minor league 6YFA post-2015, he opted to return to the Cubs organization in 2016. Rosario shares a similar background with Cubs 3B prospect Jeimer Candelario, in that both were born in New York City, but moved to the Dominican Republic when they were children.  

Four players were added to the Iowa roster for the game, with RHP Preston Morrison moving up from the Tennessee group, SS Gleyber Torres and 2B Ian Happ moving up from the Myrtle Beach squad, and 3B Wladimir Galindo moving up from the South Bend group.

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

Here is the box score frrom the game: 

IOWA LINEUP:
X. Matt Murton, DH #1: 2-4 (6-3, 2B, 1B, K)
NOTE: Murton batted third in the top of the 1st inning, and second in the bottom of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th
1 Gleyber Torres, SS: 2-2 (1B, 2B, R, RBI)
2. Matt Clark, DH #2: 0-2 (K, 5-2 FC)
3a. Bijan Rademacher, DH #3: 0-1 (1-3)
3b. Ben Carhart, PH: 0-1 (1-6 FC, RBI, CS)
4. Ian Happ, 2B: 0-2 (K, 6-3) 
5a. Will Remillard, C: 0-1 (K)
5b. Cael Brockmeyer, PH-C: 0-1 (K)
6. Kelly Dugan, RF: 0-2 (4-3, F-7)
7. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 1-2 (1B, L-9, PO)
8. Anthony Giansanti, LF: 1-2 (3-1, 1B)
9a. Mike O'Neill, CF: 0-1 (3-1)
9b. Bryant Flete, PH-CF: 0-1 (K)
10. Wladimir Galindo, 3B: 1-1 (1B, R)

TENNESSEE LINEUP:
X. David Ross, C: 0-4 (F-7, F-8, 6-4-3 DP, F-7)
NOTE: Ross batted second in the bottom of the 1st & 2nd innings, sixth in the bottom of the 3rd, and third in the bottom of the 4th 
1a. Trey Martin, CF: 0-1 (K, F-8 SF, RBI)
1b. Danny Lockhart, PH: 0-1 (4-3) 
2. Chesny Young, 2B: 1-1 (1B, BB) 
3. Billy McKinney, RF: 0-1 (K, BB)
4. Mark Zagunis, LF: 0-2 (L-8, K)
5. Jason Vosler, 3B: 0-1 (BB, F-8)
6. Jacob Rogers, 1B: 0-1 (BB, 3-1)
7a. David Bote, DH #1: 0-1 (P-3)
7b. Erick Castillo PH-C: 0-1 (F-9)
8. Victor Caratini, DH #2: 0-1 (BB, K, R)
9. Carlos Penalver, SS: 1-2 (1B, 1-3)
10. Shawon Dunston Jr, DH #3: 0-1 (HBP, 4-3) 
 
IOWA PITCHERS: 
1. Tyler Skulina: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 0/5 GO/AO, 49 pitches (27 strikes)
2. Preston Morrison: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 5/3 GO/AO, 42 pitches (26 strikes)

TENNESSEE PITCHERS:  
1. Jon Lester: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 5 K, 1 PO, 8/0 GO/AO, 68 pitches (53 strikes) 
2. Jose Rosario: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/2 GO/AO, 16 pitches (11 strikes) 

IOWA ERRORS: NONE 

TENNESSEE ERRORS: 3 
1. P Jon Lester: E-1 (errant pick-off attempt at 1st base allowed runner to advance to 2nd) 
2. P Jon Lester: E-1 (errant pick-off attempt at 1st base allowed runner to advance to 2nd) 
3. P Jon Lester: E-1 (errant pick-off attempt at 1st base allowed runner to advance to 2nd) 

TENNESSEE CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
David Ross: 1-1 CS

ATTENDANCE: 50 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 70's