R. Mejia Big Fly and Timely Walk Help Cubs Edge Snakes
Rafael Mejia belted a three-run HR to cap a five-run 4th and drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 8th to force-in what proved to be the winning run, Luis Diaz drilled an RBI double to put the Cubs on the board in the bottom of the 1st and later walked twice and scored a run, and Luis Vazquez singled twice and scored a run, helping the Cubs edge the Diamondbacks 8-7 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field #6 on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.
RHPs Fernando Calderon, Yan de la Cruz, Jose M. Gonzalez, Junior Marte, and Benjamin Rodriguez (all five recent arrivals from the Cubs Dominican Academy) threw "live" BP on Field #4 prior to the start of the Cactus League game on Field #6. Marte has pitched in both the AZL and the Northwest League in prior seasons (2015-17), but the other four are making their U. S. debut this year at Extended Spring Training.
Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only):
CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Luis Vazquez, SS: 2-3 (1B, 1B, 5-3, R, PO)
1b. Luis Verdugo, SS: 1-1 (1B, CS)
2. Chris Coghlan, DH #1: 0-4 (L-4, 4-3, K, K)
3a. Luis Diaz, 2B: 1-1 (2B, BB, BB, R, RBI)
3b. Orian Nunez, 2B: 0-1 (6-3)
4a. Jonathan Soto, C: 0-3 (4-3, K, L-4)
4b. Richard Nunez, C: 0-0 (BB, R)
5. Alexander Guerra, DH #2: 0-2 (K, E-6, BB, BB, 2 R)
6a. Kwangmin Kwon, RF: 1-3 (K, 1B, 1-6 FC, R)
6b. Abraham Rodriguez, RF: 1-1 (1B, RBI)
7. Delvin Zinn, 3B: 1-4 (F-8, 1B, F-8, L-8, R, RBI)
8. Jose A, Gonzalez, LF: 0-1 (K, L-9 SF, HBP, HBP, RBI)
9. Rafael Mejia, 1B: 1-3 (F-8, HR, K, BB, R, 4 RBI)
10a. Jose Gutierrez, CF: 0-3 (E-4, K, K)
10b. Tolly Filotei, PH-CF: 0-1 (K)
CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Faustino Carrera: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/2 GO/AO, 25 pitches (18 strikes)
2. Manuel Rondon: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 BALK, 2/0 GO/AO, 25 pitches (14 strikes)
3. Ivan Medina: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 6/0 GO/AO, 48 pitches (31 strikes)
4. Sean Barry: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1/1 GO/AO, 21 pitches (13 strikes)
5. Jeffrey Passantino: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 2/2 GO/AO, 41 pitches (25 strikes)
CUBS ERRORS: 2
1. 2B Luis Diaz: E-4 (errant thrown on attempted 4-6 FC allowed runner to reach 2nd base safely)
2. CF Luis Gutierrez: E-8 (dropped fly ball allowing batter to reach 3rd base safely and unearned run to score)
CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Richard Nunez: 0-1 CS
CUBS OUTFIELD ASSIST: 1
LF Jose A. Gonzalez - batter thrown out 7-4 attempting to stretch single into double
ATTENDANCE: 18
WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 70's
Arizona
Scoring
Service
"Just because it isn't official doesn't mean it didn't happen"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
But wait! There's more...
It wasn't a Cactus League game, but the Cubs did play a brief intrasquad game on on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex Wednesday morning, and then had a full-squad workout (but no game) yesterday (Thursday).
RHP Chi-Feng Lee tossed 2.1 IP of shutout ball in the intrasquad game, retiring the last seven men he faced after surrendering a lead-off single. Lee was signed as an 18-year old IFA out of Taiwan in 2016 but missed the last two seasons with a right elbow injury, so he will be making his debut in the AZL this summer.
All 11 of the position-players who arrived at the Cubs Mesa facility this week played in the intrasquad game, including infielders Reivaj Garcia ("Reivaj" is Javier spelled backwards), Josue Huma, Orian Nunez, Henrry Pedra (and that is indeed Henrry with two "r's"), Herson Perez (Henderson's older brother), Fabian Pertuz, and Luis Verdugo, and outfielders Jose Alonso Gaitan, Carlos Pacheco, Ruben Reyes, and Luis Ubiera.
Pertuz (from Colombia) and R. Garcia and Verdugo (both from Mexico) were signed by the Cubs as 16-year old IFAs last Summer and are attending Extended Spring Training without having played in the DSL (although Pertuz and Verdugo did attend AZ Instructs post-2017), Gaitan, Huma, O. Nunez, Pacheco, Pedra, Herson Perez, and Ubiera have all played in the DSL (Gaitan, Huma, and Pacheco attended AZ Instructs post-2017 and O. Nunez attended AZ Instructs post-2016 and post-2017 as well as Extended Spring Training last year but he will be making his debut in the AZL in 2018, but the other three are making their U. S. debut at EXST), and Reyes has spent two seasons in the AZL (he did not play in the DSL) but he was not invited to Minor League Camo this year, instead reporting directly to EXST.
LHPs Riger Fernandez and Didier Vargas (both just arrived from the Cubs Dominican Academy) threw "live" BP on Field #4 Wednesday morning prior to the intrasquad game. Both Fernandez and Vargas attended post-2017 AZ Instructs last Fall but did not pitch in any games there, so when they appear in an EXST game, it will be their U. S. game debut.
Also, AZL Cubs LHRP Pablo Ochoa underwent TJS earlier this month and will miss the 2018 season.
Here is the box score from Wednesday's intrasquad game:
SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1. Jose Gutierrez, CF: 0-3 (K, 6-3, K)
2. Luis Verdugo, SS: 0-2 (5-3, F-9)
3. Alexander Guerra, C: 1-2 (2B, K)
4. Rafael Mejia, 1B: 0-2 (6-3, P-2)
5. Orian Nunez, 3B: 0-2 (5-3, P-3)
6. Roberto Caro, LF: 0-1 (BB, K, R)
7. Luis Ubiera, RF: 1-1 (HBP, 1B, R)
8. Herson Perez, 2B: 1-1 (1B, BB, RBI)
9. Eric Gonzalez, DH #1: 0-2 (P-4, P-6)
10. Tolly Filotei, DH #2: 1-2 (1B, K, RBI, SB)
11. Gustavo Polanco, DH #3: 0-1 (5-3)
NOTE: Slot was skipped second time thru batting order
SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
1. Jose A. Gonzalez, DH #1: 1-2 (1B, 4-6 FC)
2. Josue Huma, 3B: 0-2 (F-8, 4-3)
3. Carlos Pacheco, CF: 0-2 (K, F-8)
4. Kevin Zamudio, 1B: 0-2 (P-3, K)
5. Fabian Pertuz, SS: 0-2 (5-3, K)
6. Richard Nunez, C: 0-1 (5-3)
7. Jose Alonso Gaitan, RF: 0-1 (4-3)
8. Reivaj Garcia, 2B: 0-1 (K)
9. Henrry Pedra, DH #2: 0-0 (BB, R, SB)
10. Ruben Reyes, LF: 1-1 (1B, RBI)
SQUAD "A" PITCHERS:
1. Chi-Feng Lee; 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3/2 GO/AO, 32 pitches (18 strikes)
2. Casey Ryan: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 17 pitches (12 strikes)
3. Fauris Guerrero: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 14 pitches (9 strikes)
SQUAD "B" PTCHERS:
1. Danis Correa: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 2 WP, 4/1 GO/AP, 34 pitches (22 strikes)
2. Eury Ramos: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/3 GO/AO, 27 pitches (17 strikes)
3. M. T. Minacci: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 0/1 GO/AO, 21 pitches (10 strikes)
SQUAD "A" ERRORS: NONE
SQUAD "B" ERRORS: NONE
SQUAD "B" CATCHERS:DEFENSE:
Richard Nunez: 0-1 CS
ATTENDANCE: 5
WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's
Arizona
Scoring
Service
"Just because it isn't official doesn't mean it didn't happen"
Comments