Luis Vazquez

Tyler Payne cracked a solo HR in the bottom of the 2nd inning to put the Cubs on the board, and then Miguel Amaya tripled and scored in the 7th and belted a game-winning walk-off solo HR with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, earning the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics AA affiliate) in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Friday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.  

J. J. Schwarz clubbed a game tying solo HR for the RockHounds in the top of the 9th to necessitate Amaya's heroics. 

This was Miguel Amaya's first game action since being sent to Minor League Camp from the Cubs Alternate Training Site in South Bend last week. He was sent to Minor League Camp after Tony Wolters agreed to accept an Outright Assignment to the ATS.  

Veteran MLB LHRP Adam Morgan saw his first game action of 2021, tossing a 1-2-3 twelve-pitch inning with two strikeouts (FB 91-93, SL 81-82, and CH/CV 76-78). The Cubs signed the 31-year old to a minor league contract this past off-season, and while he did receive an NRI to Spring Training, he did not pitch in any MLB Cactus League games. 

But RHRP Robert Stock was the highlight of the day pitching-wise, throwing two shutout innings and striking out four (swinging). He threw 28 pitches (75% strikes!) including 12 FB and 16 SL, and all 12 FB were 99 MPH or better (five at 99, four at 100, and three 101 MPH). Stock was claimed off waivers by the Cubs from the Boston Red Sox last December, and was sent outright to the minors in March.    

INF Luis Vazquez was moved-up to the Tennessee squad from the South Bend squad to replace Brennen Davis (who was hit in the face with a pitch yesterday). 

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

Luis Vazquez clubbed an opposite-field HR onto the right-centerfield berm on the first pitch of the bottom of the 1st inning, Luis Verdugo blasted a solo HR and singled, and Fidel Mejia laced a two-run double, leading the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) to a 5-2 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (Oakland Athletics' Hi-A affiliate) in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Saturday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.  

Marty Bechina belted a solo HR for the Lugnuts in a losing cause. 

The game was called after six innings of play. 

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

Yohendrick Pinango drilled an RBI single, Luis Vazquez ripped an RBI triple, and Cam Balego lofted a sacrifice fly to highlight a three-run 8th. as the Cubs rallied to tie the Giants 4-4 in AZ Instructional League game action Friday afternoon on Field #2 (AKA "Jim Davenport Field") at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Ghordy Santos laced an RBI double in the bottom of the 5th and hammered a line-drive two-run HR over the CF Batter's Eye in the bottom of the 7th for the Giants. 

SP Gus Varland tossed three innings of one-hit shutout ball, Drew Millas singled twice, walked, and scored a run, and Danny Bautista singled twice, drove-in a run, scored a run, and stole a base, leading the Athletics to an 8-2 victory over the Cubs in AZ Instructional League game action Monday afternoon at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.     

Luis Vazquez collected three hits (two singles and an RBI double) and Chase Strumpf belted a solo HR (opposite field high fly off the top of the RF fence) to provide what there was of Cub offense (the Cubs had only two other hits in the game).  

Diego Rincones blasted a two-run HR in the 1st inning and an RBI double in the 3rd, and then with their team trailing by a run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Fabian Pena and Dalton Combs belted back-to-back RBI doubles for the walk-off victory, as the San Jose Giants (Hi-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) rallied to edge the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) 5-4 on Field #1, and Luis Vazquez drilled a two-run single, walked, and stole a base for the Cubs, and Marco Luciano rifled a two-run double for the Greenjackets, as the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) and Augusta Greenjackets (Giants Lo-A affiliate) played to a 3-3 tie on Field #2, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Wednesday afternoon at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Cole Roederer (who smacked a HR in the Cactus League MLB game at Sloan Park on Tuesday) tripled, singled, walked, and scored two runs for the Pelicans in a losing cause on Field #1. 

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

Nic Motley doubled twice, walked, and collected two RBI, Tyler Bugner singled twice, stole two bases, and scored twice, and RHSP Pearson McMahan hurled five innings of two-hit/one-run ball (retiring the first nine men and the last six men he faced), helping the Rockies edge the Cubs 7-6 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Wednesday morning on Field #5 on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Luis Hidalgo smacked a three-run HR, Luis Vazquez drilled a single and an RBI double and scored a run, Reivaj Garcia singled, doubled, and scored a run, and Yovanny Cuevas belted an RBI triple and drove-in another run with an RBI GO for the Cubs in a losing cause. 

The game was pre-planned as an eight-inning affair, but was extended an extra half-inning so that all of the Rockies pitchers who were scheduled to throw could get their work. 

Prior to the game, LHSP Justin Steele (July 2017 TJS) threw "live" BP (two innings - 35 pitches) on Field #4 and it went very well (FB velo good and flashed a plus-CH). Next step is three innings (45 pitches), and then he will begin to throw a breaking ball.  

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHSP Erick Leal (missed 2017 season with a non-TJS elbow injury) has completed his rehab and has rejoined Myrtle Beach, replacing RHRP Elvis Diaz on the Pelicans roster (E. Diaz was released). In addition, RHP Kyle Miller (Cubs 2015 19th round draft pick - Florida Atlantic) has been released from Extended Spring Training. (K. Miller had a lot of difficulty throwing strikes at Minor League Camp and was left behind in Mesa to work on his mechanics when Myrtle Beach departed Arizona at the end of March, but he was unable to overcome the problem). 

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

Yovanny Cuevas (RBI triple), Cam Balego (two-run single), Jonathan Sierra (RBI single), and Fernando Kelli (RBI single) contributed run-scoring hits and LHSP Brailyn Marquez and four relievers combined to hurl a five-hitter, as the Cubs cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Diamondbacks in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Tuesday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

The defensive gem of the game was turned-in by Cubs SS Luis Vazquez, who made a spectacular back-handed diving catch (at full-speed and with full extension) in short LF at the foul line, quickly righted himself, and then threw a laser-strike to 1st base to double-off the shocked/amazed D'backs baserunner to end the top of the 7th inning. (To prove he isn't ready for MLB just yet, Vazquez made a fielding error on an easy grounder to short in the top of the 9th).   
 
Recently-signed OF Lane Adams served as a DH in the game for the Cubs and got three AB, walking and scoring in the 1st, flying out to the warning track in CF in the 2nd, and striking out (swinging) on a 3-2 breaking ball in the 4th. Adams elected free-agency after being sent outright to AAA Gwinnett by the Atlanta Braves on April 25th,.and he officially signed with the Cubs today. He is at Extended Spring Training partly because he hadn't played in a game in about three weeks, and partly because there is not (at present) room for him at AAA Iowa.

The 28-year old Adams was one of the better "4th outfielders" in MLB last year, hitting 275/339/468 in 85 games with the Braves. But his best attribute is base-stealing. He swiped 25 bags last year, ten with Atlanta (no CS) and 15 for AAA Gwinnett prior to getting called up, after stealing 38 in AA in both 2013 and 2014, 31 in AA/AAA in 2015, and 44 in AA/AAA in 2016. 

Adams played in the Cubs organization in 2016 (first at AA Tennessee and then at AAA Iowa) after being released by the Yankees (he was released from AA Trenton to make room for OF Billy McKinney after the Yanks acquired McKinney as part of the Aroldis Chapman trade, so in a way Adams signing with the Cubs in 2016 was indirectly a result of the Chapman deal), and he was actually "on the bubble" for a potential September call-up to Chicago that season as a "5th outfielder" (late-inning pinch-runner and defensive replacement), but he never got the call.

In EXST Cubs roster news, Cubs 2017 5th round draft pick OF Nelson Velazquez (P. J. Education School - Carolina, PR) has been promoted to South Bend.  

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

Kevin Moreno (making his pro debut) singled twice, walked, and stole a base, Luis Vazquez singled twice, stole a base, scored a run, and drove-in another, and Gustavo Polanco belted a solo HR for the Cubs, and Jesus Lage drilled an RBI double and a single and scored a run, Daniel Bautista doubled, walked, scored a run, and drove-in another with an RBI GO, Kevin Richards singled twice, stole a base, and scored a run, and Lazaro Armenteros singled, walked, stole two bases, and scored a run for the Athletics, as the two teams played to a 5-5 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Field #4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.  

The game was called after eight innings of play.

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHSP Jesus Camargo has been moved-up to South Bend. 

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):

David Bote (solo HR), Christopher Morel (RBI double), Fernando Kelli (RBI single), and Luis Vazquez (RBI single) contributed run-scoring hits and LHP Bryan Hudson hurled 4.2 IP of one-run ball, leading the Iowa Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Tennessee Smokies in Minor League Camp intrasquad game action Sunday morning on Field #6 on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

Kevin Zamudio (RBI double) and Joe Martarano (RBI single) drove-in the two Tennessee runs.   

Iowa relievers Randy Rosario, Rob Zastryzny, and Daury Torrez (combined) retired nine in a row.   

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans left town today, so the South Bend Cubs had a full workout (baserunning drills, fielding practice, and BP) on Field #3 but did not play a game. As a result, Myrtle Beach LHSP Bryan Hudson (who remained behind in Mesa) and South Bend RHSP Erich Uelmen pitched the latter innings of the Iowa-Tennessee game, which was extended an extra inning so that all of the pitchers who were scheduled to throw could get their work.   

Also, two pitchers who have been in the Rehab Throwing Program (RHP Erick Leal and LHP Manuel Rondon) got some work in the game as well. (Leal hadn't piched in a game since 2016).

The game was really two different games, because position players from the Eugene/Mesa (Extended Spring Training) squad replaced the Iowa and Tennessee position players after each of the I-Cubs and Smokies starters got two AB. (Christopher Morel -- who began the game as the Iowa DH and then moved to 3B in the 5th -- was the only player to play the entire game). So Uelmen faced the EXST Cubs rather than AAA hitters during his five innings of work, while Hudson faced the AA starting lineup first time through the order and then EXST guys the next time.    
 
Here is the box score from the game: