Luis Diaz

Henderson Perez collected four hits (two singles and two doubles) and two RBI, scored three runs, and threw out two baserunners attempting to steal, Orian Nunez clubbed a two-run HR, walked, and knocked-in another run with a sacrifice fly, Christopher Morel belted an RBI double and an RBI triple and scored a run, Luis Diaz drilled a double and a triple and scored a run, and Kwangmin Kwon doubled twice, drove-in two runs, and scored another, as the Cubs banged-out 15 hits (including ten XBH) en route to a 12-3 drubbing of the Athletics in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Wednesday morning on Field #4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.   

The game was called after seven innings of play.  

Cubs pitchers allowed only five hits but they walked ten (including five by Mitch Stophel in just 1.2 IP). However, the A's ran themselves out of some innings and/or left multiple runners stranded in other innings.

Cubs RHSP Jeremiah Estrada continues to struggle with command, laboring through two innings before being relieved. Also, his normal 94 MPH FB velocity was down a tick. But RHP Eduarniel Nunez had his FB cranked-up to 95 today and broke a couple of bats with it when he wasn't bouncing it in front of the plate or throwing it over the batter's head, but he apparently had a good feel for his curve, dropping about a half-dozen benders in for a called-strike when he really needed one. E. Nunez may be raw but he sure does have a "live" arm.   

Cubs shortstop Christopher Morel made two outstanding stops & throws that wowed the scouts in attendance (both times going deep into the 5.5 hole and backhanding a grounder before throwing a laser-strike to 1st base to retire the batter). But the defensive play of the day was turned-in by RF Chris Carrier (not known for his defense), who came out of nowhere to make a spectacular diving catch in short rightfield.    

While Miguel Amaya is clearly the Cubs #1 catching prospect (some of you will probably recall that he was MVP at Cubs Extended Spring Training last year), the Cubs #2 and #3 catching prospects are Jonathan Soto and Henderson Perez, and they are both at Extended Spring Training right now. And it is possible that one of them could (like M. Amaya did last year) jump over AZL and go directly to Eugene.     

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): 

Lazaro Armenteros (2016 IFA - Cuba - $3M signing bonus) belted a two-run HR over the RF fence in the 1st inning, crushed a solo HR over the LF fence and onto 8th Street in the 3rd inning, and hammered a triple off the top of the 30-foot high CF Batter's Eye and scored in the 8th inning, Jordan Diaz drilled an RBI single in the 2nd, a two-run HR in the 4th, doubled in the 6th, and drove-in a run with a sacrifice fly in the 8th, and Jesus Lage doubled, singled, walked, stole a base, and scored two runs, leading the Athletics to a 7-4 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Field #4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Christopher Morel ripped an RBI triple and an RBI single, Luis Diaz laced a double and an RBI single and scored a run, and Nelson Velazquez singled twice and scored twice for the Cubs in a losing cause. 

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

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):

Jazz Chisholm and Endy Ramos belted back-to-back doubles and Joey Rose followed with a two-run HR to fuel a four-run 8th, as the Kane County Cougars (Arizona Diamondbacks Lo-A affiliate) rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to ambush the Cubs Lo-A South Bend affiliate 7-4 on Field #5, and Ramon Hernandez doubled twice, singled twice, and drove-in six runs, Daulton Varsho reached base four times (two singles and two walks), stole a base, and scored three runs, Raymel Flores ripped a single, a double and an RBI triple, Drew Ellis collected three hits, stole a base, and scored twice, and RHSP Connor Grey hurled five innings of two-hit shutout ball, as the Visalia Rawhide (D'backs Hi-A affiliate) whitewashed the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) 8-0 on Field #6, in Cactus League Minor League Camp doubleheader game action Monday afternoon on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

Austin Filiere (RBI triple), Luis Diaz (RBI double), and Delvin Zinn (RBI double) each collected a two-out run-scoring extra-base hit to highlight a three-run 1st inning and RHSP Erich Uelmen tossed five innings of one-run ball for South Bend on Field #5.  

Several Iowa Cubs position-players traveled to Florida with the MLB squad for the two-game pre-season set versus the Red Sox in Ft. Myers, so a number of position-players on the Tennessee, Myrtle Beach, and South Bend squads have been temporarily promoted to higher levels for a few days (until the I-Cubs return from Florida).  

Here are the abdriged box scores from the two games played on Monday at Riverview Park: