Cubs & Pelicans Pitchers Give Bees & 66ers That Sinking Feeling

Chesny Young belted a two-run triple, singled, and walked, Jason Vosler doubled twice, singled, and scored a run, Jesse Hodges ripped an RBI double and a single, Rashad Crawford roped a line-drive RBI single, drew a walk, stole a base, and scored a run, and Jeremy Null threw five innings of two-run ball with an amazing 12/1 GO/FO, as the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A  affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) rallied from a 3-0 deficit to edge the Burlington Bees (Lo-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels) 4-3 on Field #5, and Daury Torrez threw six shutout innings with four strikeouts and an 11/2 GO/FO, Kevin Brown belted a two-run triple, singled twice, and scored a run, Varonex Cuevas doubled twice, singled, and scored a run, and Danny Lockhart roped a two-run single, walked, and scored a run, as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (the Cubs Hi-A affiliate) rallied for four runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels Hi-A affiliate) on Field #6, in Cactus League Minor League game action this afternoon at Mesa CubTown at Riverview Park.    

The 66ers had just scored four runs in the top of the 9th off Myrtle Beach lefty reliever Gerardo Concepcion to take a 6-2 lead, but the Pelicans came right back with four of their own. 

Both Daury Torrez and Jeremy Null had the sinker working to perfection, combining to produce a 23/3 GO/FO ratio over 11 innings of work, one of the most extraordinary groundball heavy minor league doubleheaders I have seen in some time. Torrez will join Duane Underwood, Tyler Skulina, Paul Blackburn, and Jen-Ho Tseng in the Myrtle Beach starting rotation, and Null will be part of a South Bend rotation that will also feature Jake Stinnett, Erick Leal, Trevor Clifton, James Norwood, and/or Zach Hedges (last slot still TBD)  

The defensive play of the day was turned-in by South Bend CF Trey Martin, who made a spectacular diving catch in right-centerfield after a long run at full speed. Martin is a "long-strider" who can make long distances seem shorter than they really are, but what was especially impressive about Martin's play was that he dived onto his left (non-throwing) shoulder to complete the catch, the same shoulder that was surgically repaired about a year ago.    

With the exception of Travis Wood and Kyle Hendricks, the Chicago Cubs left town after last night's Cactus League game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in anticipation of their MLB Opening Day game tomorrow night at Wrigley Field, leaving minor league players behind to be presented as the "Chicago Cubs" for this afternoon's MLB Cactus League finale. Most of the players assigned to the MLB game at Chase were pulled from the AAA Iowa Cubs roster, but a few came from the Tennessee and Myrtle Beach squads as well. Also, several members of the Myrtle Beach squad were moved up to the Iowa Cubs for this afternoon's Cactus League minor league game in Tempe against the Angels AAA Salt Lake City affiliate, and a number of players from the Cubs Extended Spring Training contingent filled in for the missing Pelicans at Riverview, as well as providing roster depth in the South Bend, Tennessee, and Iowa games.  

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games played today at Riverview Park (Cubs players only): 

FIELD #5 

SOUTH BEND LINEUP
1a. Chesny Young, 2B: 2-3 (3-U, BB, 1B, 3B, 2 RBI)
1b. Frandy de la Rosa, 2B: 0-1 (3-1) 
2. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 1-4 (K, 1B, K, 6-3)
3a. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 2-3 (1B, F-9, 2B, RBI)
3b. Adonis Paula, 3B: 0-1 (F-9)
4. Yasiel Balaguert, DH: 0-4 (K, L-9, 5-2 FC, 5-3)
5. Cael Brockmeyer, 1B: 0-4 (L-4, 5-3, K, K)
6. Jason Vosler, SS: 3-4 (1B, 2B, F-8, 2B, R)
7. Trey Martin, CF: 0-4 (F-8, K, F-8, K) 
8. Rashad Crawford, LF: 1-3 (4-3, 4-3, BB, 1B, R, RBI, SB)
9. Gioskar Amaya, C: 0-2 (K, BB, BB, 4-3, 2 R)

SOUTH BEND PITCHERS
1. Jeremy Null: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER). 0 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 12/1 GO/FO, 62 pitches (46 strikes) 
2. Jordan Minch: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 3/1 GO/FO, 30 pitches (22 strikes) 
3. Tommy Thorpe: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 13 pitches (8 strikes) 
4. Yomar Morel: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/2 GO/FO, 15 pitches (9 strikes)

SOUTH BEND ERRORS: 1
SS Jason Vosler  - E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely) 

SOUTH BEND CATCHERS DEFENSE
Gioskar Amaya: 1-1 CS 

FIELD #6

MYRTLE BEACH LINEUP
1a. Ricardo Marcano, LF: 0-3 (5-3, L-6, 6-4-3 DP, BB)
1b. Miguel Rico, PH: 1-1 (2B, R)
2. Carlos Penalver, SS: 1-3 (BB, K, 5-3, F-9 SF, 2B, R, RBI, SB)
3. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-4 (BB, F-8, 4-3,  P-6, 1B, R, 2 RBI) 
4. Kevin Brown, CF: 3-5 (F-7, 1B, 1B, F-9, 3B, 2 RBI, CS) 
5. Ben Carhart, 1B: 1-4 (6-3, 1B, F-8, L-8, F-8 SF, RBI)
6. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 0-5 (F-9, F-8, 1-3, K, 3-1)
7. Varonex Cuevas, 3B: 3-4: (2B, K, 2B, 1B, R) 
8. Alberto Mineo, C: 0-3 (BB, 3-1, K, K) 
9. Roberto Vahlis, DH: 1-2 (1B, BB, HBP, 6-3, R) 

MYRTLE BEACH PITCHERS
1. Daury Torrez: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 GIDP, 11/2 GO/FO, 75 pitches (58 strikes)
2. Tayler Scott: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 6/0 GO/FO, 35 pitches (24 strikes) 
3. Gerardo Concepcion: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 PO, 28 pitches (17 strikes) 

MYRTLE BEACH ERRORS: NONE 

ATTENDANCE: 26 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 80's 

Comments

Prior to games, C-1B Cael Brockmeyer was moved down from Tennessee to South Bend. The South Bend Cubs do not presently have a 1st baseman (Danny Canela is on Injury Rehab at Minor League Camp and will be assigned to Extended Spring Training), so Brockmeyer and Justin Marra will alternate with each other at 1st base and at catcher with Gioskar Amaya until Canela is ready to return to game action.  

It was interesting watching the Iowa Cubs take BP this morning at Riverview, because all of the I-Cubs position players were absent except three: Adron Chambers, John Andreoli, and some guy named Kris Bryant. They were left behind to play in the minor league game at Diablo Park in Tempe, together with several members of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (including Victor Caratini, Jacob Rogers, Shawon Dunston Jr, Wes Darvill, and Andrew Ely) and a few of the Extended Spring Training kids.  

Final minor league roster adjustments will be in place by tomorrow: 

Here are the current up-to-the-minute latest Cubs Spring Traing Minor League Camp rosters:

link

 

 

The starting pitching rotations for the four full season affiliates appear to be:

IOWA
Eric Jokisch 
Pierce Johnson
Donn Roach 
Carlos Pimentel 
Yoanner Negrin 
Drake Britton (once he is "stretched-out") 
NOTE: Dallas Beeler will start the season on the Cubs MLB 15-day DL. 

TENNESSEE
C. J. Edwards 
Corey Black 
Rob Zastryzny 
Ivan Pineyro
Felix Pena

MYRTLE
 BEACH
Daury Torrez 
Tyler Skulina 
Duane Underwood 
Jen-Ho Tseng
Paul Blackburn 
PIGGY-BACK: Jonathan Martinez 

SOUTH
 BEND
Jake Stinnett 
Jeremy Null 
Erick Leal 
Trevor Clifton 
James Norwood 
Zach Hedges 
NOTE: Which five of the six will start and which one will "piggy-back" is still to be decided. Also, Ryan Williams and Ryan McNeil are stretched-out as starters, but neither will likely be in the SB rotation to start the season.  

Cubs minor league RHRP Tony Zych (2011 4th round draft pick - U. of Louisville) was sent to the Seattle Mariners for cash prior to his release officially going through. No players were involved. 

The Mariners found out that he was going to be released and offered the Cubs a nominal amount of cash for his contract so they wouldn't have to bid for his services as a minor league FA. 

Also, by acquiring Zych's "first contract" instead of signing him to a "second contract" after he is released, the Mariners will retain club control over Zych through the 2017 season (he will be a minor league 6YFA post-2017 if he is not added to an MLB 40-man roster by that time), instead of just for the 2015 season, which would have been the case if they had signed him after he was released. 

I guess they got in some BP today. Paul Sullivan @PWSullivan Congrats to @JorgeSoler68 on hitting the Jumbotron already.

I am happy to see my favorite Daury Torrez throwing a great six innings. I hope he is the first of the MB starting pitchers to be sent to Tenn.

Any predictions for the year? I have two - the realistic and the lofty, everything goes right, Bryant really up in two weeks kind. 82-80 is my expectation, only because I'm expecting the usual slow start. My lofty is 162-0, with Bryant getting a home run in every game.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

i think the cubs lawyers will go 3-0 in court cases. predicting new OF advertising for RF, and left-center. predicting only a single minor league player will be lost to another club in exchange for a coach or office guy (or perhaps another club's lawyer). going out on a limb and proclaiming neither MLB nor another club will file a grievance against the cubs for improper actions off the playing field. and tim wilken will be extended through 2030. also, i hope there's some baseball activity worth watching. i'm out of practice for rooting for the cubs. this is supposed to be one of those non-intetionally tanking years and i don't know how to feel about that.

[ ]

In reply to by The Joe

dems jokes...as they are most of the time. i got cubs PTSD after romping through the jungle with improper equipment for years...integration back into the real competitive world takes a while. i don't know what color magnetic ribbon to stick on my car to call awareness to this. never forget.

BTW while it is fun to see te world fighting over two Cubs for Rookie of the Year ... I am going with Addison Russell who will come up before the All Star Break to fill in for injuries and light the world on fire.

Cubs MLB Roster

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40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on 60-DAY IL   

30 players
are on the MLB ACTIVE LIST (26-man limit in effect on MLB Opening Day)

7 players signed to minor league contracts are Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

CUBS MLB SPRING TRAINING ACTIVE LIST
: 37 

Last updated 3-25-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Adbert Alzolay
Javier Assad 
Brad Boxberger
Michael Fulmer
Kyle Hendricks
* Brandon Hughes
Julian Merryweather
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele 
Marcus Stroman
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski
Rowan Wick

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
* Ryan Borucki  
Tyler Duffey 
* Roenis Elias  
* Anthony Kay  
Mark Leiter Jr 

CATCHERS: 2 
* Tucker Barnhart 
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 1  
Luis Torrens 

INFIELDERS: 9
Nico Hoerner
* Eric Hosmer
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Zach McKinstry
Christopher Morel
* Edwin Rios
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

NRI INFIELDERS
NONE   

OUTFIELDERS: 4 
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Trey Mancini 
Seiya Suzuki 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1
* Mike Tauchman   

OPTIONED: 10
Keven Alcantara, OF 
Miguel Amaya, C 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Jeremiah Estrada, P 
Ryan Jensen, P 
Caleb Kilian, P
Adrian Sampson, P 
Nelson Velazquez, OF 

60-DAY IL: 2 
Codi Heuer, P 
Ethan Roberts, P
  



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