Matt Mervis

The Cubs get a quick rematch against the Marlins, who swept them on the road to end the month of April. This time, the Cubs are reinforced by designated hitter and first baseman Matt Mervis, who is likely to make his MLB debut, and catcher Miguel Amaya, who debuted on May 4 collecting his first MLB RBI on a sac fly but still in search of his first time reaching base safely. See below for the matchups in this weekend series at Wrigley.

Game 32, Friday, May 5, 1:20 pm central

MIA: RHP Edward Cabrera (2-2, 4.67 ERA)

CHC: LHP Justin Steele (4-0, 1.49 ERA)

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): 

Cubs 2021 2nd round draft pick James Triantos doubled and scored in the bottom of the first inning and belted a solo HR in the bottom of the eighth, Yeison Santana singled, walked, stole a base, and scored a run, Reggie Preciado drilled an RBI single, stole a base, and scored a run, Matt Mervis laced an RBI triple and scored a run, and five pitchers combined to toss a three-hitter with 16 strikeouts, as the Cubs defeated the Angels 5-2 in AZ Instructional League game action Friday afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Here is the abridged box score from the game (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): 

Ezequiel Pagan belted a two-run HR, Matt Mervis blasted a solo HR off the third base-side exterior facade of Sloan Park, Yeison Santana singled twice and drove-in a run, and Parker Chavers (Cubs 2021 7th round pick) singled, walked, stole a base and scored two runs for the Cubs, and Zack Gelof (Oakland Athletics 2021 2nd round draft pick) drilled a two-run triple, a double, and an RBI single, and scored two runs, Max Muncy (A's 2021 1st round pick) singled twice, walked, and scored two runs, and Denzel Clarke (A's 2021 4th round pick) laced an RBI double, walked, reached base on an HBP, and scored a run for the A's, as the two teams played to a 6-6 tie in AZ Instructional League Opening Day game action Tuesday afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

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

Matt Mervis crushed a solo HR over the RF fence & 30-foot high screen and off the outside west wall of the stadium across the street, Alfonso Rivas rifled an RBI double and a single and scored run, and Nelson Velazquez walked, stole a base, scored a run, and collected an outfield assist, in Cubs AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Saturday afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

Matt Mervis blasted a three-run home run, Cole Roederer belted a solo HR, and Andy Weber stroked a single and an RBI double, helping to lead the Cubs to a 6-4 victory over the Brewers in AZ Instructional League game action Tuesday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Carlos Rodriguez drilled an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to put the Brew Crew up 2-0 in the top of the 1st inning and Brice Turang laced an RBI single in the top of the 7th in a losing cause.   

Cole Roederer drilled a line-drive two-out two-run single to CF to put the Cubs on the board in the bottom of the 1st, Alfonso Rivas doubled, singled, and scored, Luis Verdugo doubled, singled, and scored, Nelson Velazquez singled twice, scored a run, and drove-in another, Ethan Hearn singled twice and knocked-in a run, Cam Balego singled twice and scored twice, and Matt Mervis doubled and singled, as the Cubs collected 13 hits and edged the Athletics 5-4 in AZ Instructional League game action Monday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Jonah Bride (two-run HR) and Tyler Soderstrom (solo shot) belted four-baggers for the A's in a losing cause.

Jared Young singled twice, stole a base, scored a run, and drove-in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Alfonso Rivas (RBI single), Matt Mervis (two-out RBI double), Cam Balego (RBI double), Christopher Morel (RBI triple), and Rafael Morel (game-tying two-out two-run single) collected run-scoring hits for the Cubs, and Armani Smith belted a booming three-run home run and Tyler Fitzgerald drilled a line-drive solo shot for the Giants, as the two teams played to a 7-7 tie in AZ Instructional League game action Saturday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

RHP Manuel Rodriguez (on Cubs MLB 60-day IL) made his first game appearance since leaving a Cactus League Spring Training game last March with a right biceps strain, throwing one inning (10 pitches) and allowing one hit and one run (Fitzgerald's solo HR). He struck out one (swinging) and retired the other two batters on a 4-3 GO and F-8 FO.    

INF Kevin Made (July 2019 IFA - Dominican Republic - $1.5M signing bonus) made his pro game debut and got a hit in his first pro AB, reaching base on a two-out bloop single that fell in front of a diving Giants RF in the bottom of the 7th inning. Made would later score one of the two runs driven-in by Rafael Morel.  

You may have noticed that the Cubs have been playing their infielders all around the infield in AZIL games (and in instructs pre-game and Camp Day infield practice as well), and that's because with the extensive use of shifting today in MLB, infielders need to know the mechanics of all three positions (2B, 3B, and SS) as they move forward, even if the player might profile primarily at one infield position in particular.