Miscues Help Angels Edge Cubs at Fitch Park

Taking advantage of two costly Cub errors, the Angels rallied for three runs in the top of the 8th and edged the Cubs 4-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ.

While the Cubs were playing the Angels on Field #3, Brian Smith, Su-Min Jung, Amaury Paulino, and Ryan Hartman worked in a four inning “sim” game on Field #1, facing a lineup of Cubs position players who were not in the game on Field #3.

The four pitchers who threw in the “sim” game have been struggling with their control, and are being held out of EXST games until they can demonstrate that they can throw strikes more consistently. If they are unable to do that, a couple of them (Jung and Hartman) could get released before the end of Extended Spring Training.

Here is the abridged box score from the EXST game on Field #3 (Cubs players only):

CUBS LINEUP:
1. Shawon Dunston Jr, CF: 1-4 (K, 3B, 3-1, 3-U, R, RBI)
2. Gioskar Amaya, 2B: 0-2 (K, F-9 SF, P-4, BB, RBI)
3. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 0-3 (BB, 3-U, 3-U, F-9)
4a. Xavier Batista, LF: 1-2 (K, BB, 1B, R)
4b. Trevor Gretzky, LF: 0-1 (K)
5. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 0-2 (K, K, BB)
6. Anthony Giansanti, C: 0-3 (5-3, F-9, F-8)
7. Yasiel Balaguert, RF: 1-3 (1B, 6-3, 5-3, RBI)
8a. Eduardo Gonzalez, DH #1: 0-1 (F-7, BB)
8b. Dong-Yub Kim, PH: 0-1 (F-8)
9. Neftali Rosario, DH #2: 0-2 (P-3, 5-4-3 DP, BB)
10a. Carlos Penalver, SS: 1-2 (1B, K, R, SB)
10b. Danny Lockhart, SS: 0-1 (6-4-3 DP)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Tayler Scott: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 GIDP, 41 pitches (23 strikes), 5/2 GO/FO
2. Hunter Ackerman: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 29 pitches (17 strikes), 2/2 GO/FO
3. Javier Castro: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 28 pitches (15 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
4. Augusto Colina: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 23 pitches (15 strikes)
5. Roderik Pichardo: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 14 pitches (8 strikes), 2/3 GO/FO

CUBS ERRORS: 2
1. SS Danny Lockhart - E-6 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base – eventually scored unearned run)
2. SS Danny Lockhart - E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely and unearned run to score)

CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:
LF Xavier Batista threw out batter 7-4 trying to stretch a single into a double

ATTENDANCE: 13

WEATHER: Mostly sunny and a bit breezy with temperatures in the 80’s