James Triantos

James Triantos belted an RBI triple in the bottom of the first and crushed a tape-measure three-run HR in the 5th, Cristian Hernandez tripled and scored in the first, collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the 2nd, and drilled an RBI double and scored in the 5th, Haydn McGeary blasted a two-run HR, and four pitchers combined to hurl a three-hitter, as the Cubs "Red Squad" battered the Cubs "Blue Squad" 9-2 in AZ Instructional League intasquad game action Tuesday afternoon at Sloan Park In Mesa, AZ. 

Pedro Ramirez singled twice, stole a base, scored a run, and drove-in another, and Ismael Mena tripled and scored to account for the Blue Squad's three hits and two runs.  

The game was pre-planned as a six-inning contest. 

Prior to the game, Nazier Mule and Koen Moreno threw one inning each (twenty pitches) of "live" BP, with Kevin Alcantara, Parker Chavers, and Raino Coran serving as the hitters.   

The AZIL Cubs have played only three games in the last ten days, instead spending most of their time working on ocular training, situational hitting, baserunning drills, fielding practice, cut-off drills, bullpen side sessions, and "live" BP, in addition to matriculating in the Pitch Lab and the Hitting Lab.  

Here is the box score from the game: 

Matt Mervis slugged a two-run HR and drove-in another run with a FC, Reggie Preciado clubbed an RBI double and scored a run, and James Triantos drilled an RBI single and scored a run, helping the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) defeat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Hi-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels) 6-4 on Field #6, and four pitchers combined to toss a one-hitter as the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels Lo-A affiliate) cruised past the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Lo-A affiliate) 7-1 on Field #5, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training Opening Day game action Friday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game on Field #6 was pre-planned as a seven-inning affair, and the game on Field #5 was called after six innings of play. 

South Bend CF Christian Franklin (Cubs 2021 4th round draft pick - U. of Arkansas) had to be carted off the field after he was beaned on the top of the head by a fly ball in the top of the 5th inning of the game on Field #6.  

Here are the abridged box scores from the games (Cubs players only): 

Brayan Altuve (Cubs 2019 IFA signing - $1M bonus) drilled a game-tying RBI single in his first U. S. AB in the top of third inning and belted a two-run triple off the left-centerfield wall and scored a run in a four run fifth, Luis Verdugo drilled RBI singles in consecutive innings (one in the fourth and one in the fifth), Kevin Alcantara (acquired from the Yankees in the Anthony Rizzo trade) singled twice, scored a run, and drove-in another, Cubs 2021 4th round draft pick Christian Franklin singled twice, walked, and scored a run, Matt Mervis singled twice and scored a run, Cubs 2021 2nd round pick James Triantos singled, walked, and scored a run, Moises Ballesteros (Cubs 2021 IFA signing - $1.5M bonus) clubbed a PH double into the RF corner in his first U. S. AB, and Cubs 2021 9th round pick LHP Chase Watkins fired three innings of one-hit no-run ball out of the pen, helping the Cubs defeat the Rockies 7-3 in AZ Instructional League game action Monday afternoon on Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick east of Scottsdale. AZ. 

Ezequiel Tovar tripled and scored in the bottom of the first inning and belted a two-run HR in the bottom of the third to account for all of the Rockies runs. 

The game was called after 8-1/2 innings of play. 

Here is the abridged box score frrom the game (Cubs players only):