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Ballesteros and Morfa Launch Cub Comeback at Riverview
Moises Ballesteros drilled an RBI single in the bottom of the first, singled and scored in the fourth, and belted a game-tying HR over the RF fence in the seventh, Carlos Morfa slugged a solo HR over the LF fence in the seventh and roped a double and scored in the eighth, Reivaj Garcia singled twice, walked, scored two runs, and drove-in three, and the bullpen retired nine of the last ten batters faced, as the Cubs raliied to score eight runs in the final two innings while holding the opposition scoreless, en route to a hard-fought 13-10 victory over the Diamondbacks Red squad in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.
This was the third HR hit by Ballesteros in the last eight days, as he is now second on the EXST Cubs in HR with three (Cristian Hernandez has four, plus two more in intrasquad games). Over his last nine Cactus League EXST games (29 PA), Ballesteros is hitting a robust 480/552/960, with three HR, three doubles, four walks, and seven RBI.
As outstanding as the bullpen was at the end of the game, two Cubs pitchers -- LHP Marino Santy and RHP Gleiber Morales -- combined to issue twelve walks, hit a batter, uncork five wild pitches, and commit two balks, as the D'backs took an early 9-5 lead.
The Diamondbacks Red squad manager was thrown out of the game after arguing that an RBI double that drove-in a runner from 1st base was actually a ground-rule double that bounced off the warning track and then off the netting beyond the RF fence (and he was right, by the way). He then sat in the bleachers outside the first base side fence, until he was spotted by the base umpire and told to go sit in the bus. It was 105 degrees, so having to sit in an air-conditioned bus wasn't necessarily the worst punishment imaginable!
The game was called after eight innings of play.
In EXST Cubs news, catcher Dilan Granadillo is no longer switch-hitting, He is now batting LH-only.
Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only):
CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Christian Olivo, CF: 2-2 (1B, 1B, R, SB)
1b. Cristian More, CF: 2-3 (6-3, 1B, 2B, SB, R)
2. Pedro Ramirez, 2B-DH: 1-4 (BB, 4-3, 3-U, 5-3, 1B, R, RBI, SB)
3a. Cristian Hernandez, SS: 0-2 (4-3, L-4 DP)
3b. Josue Huma, SS: 1-3 (1B, 6-3, F-8, SB)
4. Moises Ballesteros, DH #1: 3-4 (1B, 1B, K, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
5. Frank Hernandez, LF: 1-4 (K, 1B, 4-3, 6-3)
6. Rafael Morel, 3B: 1-4 (1B, K, K, 5-3)
7a. Casey Opitz, C: 0-2 (F-7, HBP, 3-U, R)
7b. Dilan Granadillo, C: 0-0 (HBP, R)
8a. Raino Coran, RF: 0-2 (3-U, 5-U FC, R, RBI)
8b. Carlos Morfa, RF: 2-2 (HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI)
9. Reivaj Garcia, DH-2B: 2-3 (5-3, 1B, BB, 1B, 2 R, 3 RBI)
10. Alejandro Rivero, 1B: 1-4 (5-3, 5-3, 2B, F-7, R, RBI, SB)
CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Marino Santy: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 4 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 3 WP, 1 BALK, 1 PO, 0/1 GO/AO, 40 pitches (12 strikes)
2. Yovanny Cabrera: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 17 pitches (12 strikes)
3. Gleiber Morales: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 1 BALK, 1/1 GO/AO, 48 pitches (17 strikes)
4. Dominic Hambley: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 3/1 GO/AO, 26 pitches (16 strikes)
5. Angel Hernandez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 22 pitches (13 strikes)
6. Gregori Montano: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 14 pitches (9 strikes)
CUBS ERRORS: 1
SS Cristian Hernandez: E-6 (booted ground ball allowing batter to reach base safely)
CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Casey Opitz: 1-3 CS
CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:
1. RF Raino Coran - runner thrown out 9-2 attempting to score from 2nd base on line-drive single to right
2. LF Frank Hernandez - batter thrown out 7-4 attempting to stretch bloop single down LF line into double
WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures 100+
ATTENDANCE: 16
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