Josue Huma

Cole Roederer clobbered a solo HR, Jake Slaughter laced a double and a single, drew a walk, stole a base, and scored a run, and SP Marino Santy hurled three innings of one-run ball and combined with six relievers on a one-hitter, as the Cubs defeated the Athletics 4-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Roederer's bomb was his second in two days, and this one landed half-way up the right-centerfield berm.    

Three more Cubs pitchers who spent the 2021 season in the DSL made their stateside game debut in the game. 

The A's lone hit was an Jose Escorche double that led-off the game. Escorche then took third on an F-8 and scored on a 5-3 GO. The only other baserunner reached via a walk with one out in the 7th inning, and that runner was erased on a spectacular inning ending 6-4-3 DP started by SS Josue Huma, who made a no look / back-flip to 2nd basseman Carlos Sepuveda, who then completed the turn with a solid throw to 1st base.   

Although they only fanned four, Cubs pitchers collectively recorded 16 ground ball outs in the game. 

Marino Santy was dominiant in his three innings, allowing just the one hit and the one run, while issuing no walks and striking out three. The little lefty has a true starting pitcher's repertoire, featuring a 93-96 MPH FB, an 84-85 MPH CH, and a 78-81 MPH CV that he mixes with good effect.

Not counting pitchers at EXST for rehab & conditioning, Santy is the Cubs top LHSP prospect at EXST. He and RHSP Michael Arias should provide the ACL Cubs with a formidable 1-2 SP punch once the ACL season starts in June. Santy and Arias were two of the four DSL Cubs pitchers who were brought up to Minor League Camp in March and made their stateside debuts in Minor League Spring Training games prior to the start of EXST (the other two were RHPs Kenyi Perez and Joel Sierra, and like Santy and Arias, K. Perez is being primed to be a SP).     

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

Carlos Morfa and Frank Hernandez drilled two-run singles, Reivaj Garcia and Josue Huma belted RBI doubles, Cristian Hernandez tripled, singled, and reached base on an HBP, and SP Michael Arias hurled three innings of one-run ball, as the Cubs defeated the Diamondbacks Red squad 6-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick east of Scottsdale, AZ.

The game was called after 7-1/2 innings of play.
 
The 20-year old Arias is an ex-SS who was released by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020 and then subsequently signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at their Dominican Academy. He features a blazing 96-99 MPH FB, an inconsistent SL, and a nascenrt CH. He will be making his stateside debut in 2022, and not including pitchers in the Rehab & Conditioning Group, Arias is the Cubs top pitching prospect at EXST.   

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

Yonathan Perlaza drilled an RBI double and an RBI single, walked, stole a base, and scored a run, Edmond Americaan laced an RBI single and a double, walked, stole a base, and scored two runs. Jacob Hannemann collected three singles, stole a base, and scored two runs, Josue Huma belted a two-run double, drew a walk, and scored a run, Fernando Kelli knocked in two runs with a triple and a GO, walked, stole a base, and scored a run, Dalton Hurd smacked an inside-the-park HR (line-drive bounded past centerfielder after diving catch attempt and rolled to the base of the Batter's Eye), and Oscar de la Cruz hurled 4.1 IP of one run ball with six strikeouts, leading the Cubs "A" Team to a 12-6 thrashing of the Giants Black squad in Cactus League Extended Spring Training Opening Day game action Friday morning on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ.   

Addison Russell played SS for four innings and batted once in each of the first four innings, going 1-3 (single and a run scored and an RBI on a sac fly). As things stand right now, Russell is eligible to be reinstated from the Restricted List on May 2nd (which is an off day) and make his 2019 MLB regular season debut on Friday May 3rd at Wrigley Field vs STL.     

LHP Xavier Cedeno (on the Cubs MLB 10-day Injured List with left wrist inflammation) made his first game appearance of 2019 and easily struck out the side in the top of the 1st inning, mixing a filthy CV with a straight-CH and maybe one FB. The young Giants had no chance against him.      

Prior to the game on Field #6, RHRP Tony Barnette threw "live" BP on Field #5, facing hitters for the first time since being shut-down with right shoulder inflammation following an MLB Cactus League game appearance on March 3rd. (Barnette is a few days behind Cedeno).  

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

Tyler Durna singled twice, doubled, scored a run, knocked-in a run with a sacrifice fly, and stole a base, D. J. Artis reached base three times (a single and two walks) and scored a run, Dalton Hurd smacked an RBI triple and a single and scored a run, Josue Huma ripped a two-run triple, and SP Cam Sanders tossed three innings of no run/no hit ball, leading the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Cubs) to a 4-1 victory over the Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies Lo-A affiliate) on Field #5, and Aramis Ademan belted a HR leading off the bottom of the 1st inning, singled, walked and scored, Miguel Amaya roped an RBI double into the LF corner and scored, Jimmy Herron drilled an RBI single, reached base on an HBP, and stole a base, and Jon Lester hurled six innings (87 pitches) of two-run ball (five hits, two walks, seven strikeouts, and a wild pitch) and combined with Bryan Hudson to fan 13, as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) edged the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies Hi-A affiliate) 3-2 on Field #6, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Monday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ. 

The rest of the Cubs MLB squad had the day off, but Victor Caratini came over to the Riverview backfields to catch Lester, and he had one AB in each of the first six innings (while he and Lester were in the game), going 1-5 with a double and a walk.  

In Cubs Minor League Camp news, OF Jamie Galazin (Cubs 2018 22nd round draft pick - St. John's) is being converted to a RHP. He was drafted by the Cubs as an outfielder, but he did pitch a bit in college (10 games), so he is at least somewhat familiar with the pitching thing. Whether Galazin will be used strictly as a pitcher or possibly as the now popular "two-way player" remains to be seen, but in either case he will be remaining at Extended Spring Training while he proceeds forward with the mound conversion.  

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

Ramsey Romano doubled twice, singled, and scored three runs, Josue Huma singled twice, doubled, and drove-in two runs, and SP Jesus Tejada hurled 3.2 IP of one-hit ball, leading the Cubs to a 6-2 victory over the Angels in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Tuesday morning on Field #5 on John Arguelo Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Erven Roper belted a two-run HR to account for the two Angel runs. 

Ramsey Romano (Cubs 2017 31st round draft pick - Long Beach State) is an athletic and versatile defender who can play anywhere in the infield and outfield. He almost certainly will be the #1 utility-supersub at Eugene when the Emeralds begin play in a couple of weeks.   

Prior to the game on Field #5, RHPs Dalton Geekie and Andry Rondon threw "live" BP on Field #4 (one "inning" - 25 pitches each). Geekie (Atlanta Braves 2015 22nd round draft pick - Georgia Highlands College) underwent TJS in August 2016 and missed the 2017 season. The 23-year old 6'5 righthander was acquired by the Cubs from Lake Erie (Frontier League) a couple of weeks ago. He signed with Lake Erie after being released by the Braves at the end of Minor League Camp in March. A. Rondon reported late to Extended Spring Training and it's taken him a while to round into game shape.  

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

Liover Peguero (July 2017 IFA - $475K signing bonus) smacked a three-run HR and RHSP Jayson McKinley hurled five innings of one-run/two-hit ball and combined with two relievers on a three-hitter with ten strikeouts, leading the Diamondbacks to a 6-1 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

Liover Peguero would leave the game after being hit on the left hand with a pitch in the bottom of the 7th, and it did not look good. 

Josue Huma was the Cubs offense, collecting all three Cub hits (a single, a double, and a triple) and scoring the lone Cub run. 

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

Jonathan Soto (RBI single) and Abraham Rodriguez (two-run double) drilled consecutive two-out run-scoring hits in the top of the 3rd inning, Josue Huma (RBI double) and Rafael Mejia (sacrifice fly) knocked-in runs in a three-run 4th (the other run scored on a WP), and Luis Diaz singled, doubled, reached base on an HBP, and scored a run, leading the Cubs to a 7-4 victory over the Angels in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field #3 at the Diablo Stadium Complex in Tempe, AZ. 

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

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

Chris Carrier (three-run shot) and Abraham Rodriguez (solo blast) hammered back-to-back HR to key a four-run 1st inning and Josue Huma, Orian Nunez, and Herson Perez drilled RBI singles to highlight a three-run 8th for the Cubs, and Raiber Gutierrez ripped a double and an RBI single, stole a base, and scored a run, Will Albertson smacked an RBI double and an RBI single and scored a run, and Dalton Combs laced a double and an RBI single and scored a run for the Giants black squad, as the two teams played to a 7-7 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Wednesday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

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

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