Fernando Kelli belted an RBI triple, a two-run double, and a single, and scored two runs, Luis Diaz drilled two singles, stole two bases, scored two runs, and drove-in another, Alexander Guerra singled, doubled, and scored a run, Oswaldo Pina walloped a two-run HR, and Richard Gallardo and Didier Vargas combined to toss five innings of shutout ball, as the Cubs "A" team breezed past the Giants Black squad 9-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Wednesday morning on Field #5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ. 

Cubs batters collected 16 hits (including three doubles, a triple, and a HR) and Cubs pitchers combined to fan 14 in the game. 

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

CHC (28-18): LHP Cole Hamels (4-0, 3.13 ERA)
PHL (28-20): LHP Cole Irvin (2-0, 2.77 ERA)
First pitch 7:05pmCDT

The Cubs walked off to even the series and now send Cole Hamels to take on his former team in a battle of two guys named "Cole." Hamels has been working through some off-and-on command issues since late April but has managed to suppress run scoring and remain undefeated on the season anyway. Last time out he was limited to 5 innings but picked up his 4th win against the Nationals. He's held Bryce Harper to a .660 OPS in 34 ABs. Many of the other Phillies are getting their first look at him from the batter's box.

Jorge Barrosa belted a two-run triple and singled twice, Jose Corpa drilled a two-run triple and scored a run, and Luvin Valbuena doubled, walked, and scored two runs, leading the Diamondbacks past the Cubs "A" team 6-4 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Tuesday morning on Field #5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ. 

Jake Slaughter laced an RBI double and a single, Edmond Americaan singled, doubled, walked, and scored a run, and Marcus Mastrobuoni drove-in two runs with an RBI single and an RBI FC, stole a base, and threw out a runner attempting to steal a base, to aid the Cubs in a losing cause. 

LHP Danny Hultzen (on AAA Iowa 60-day IL - 2016 shoulder surgery rehab) saw his first game action of 2019, getting the start and striking out the side (all three swinging, and he threw 83% strikes) in the top of the 1st inning, and RHRP Chad Hockin (on Myrtle Beach 7-day IL - May 2018 TJS) threw a 1-2-3 2nd inning (4-3, 6-3, K-swinging) as he continues to look sharp while rehabbing from May 2018 TJS.

Once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball (he was the Seattle Mariners 1st round pick and the 2nd overall pick in the 2011 draft out of UVA), the 29-year old Hultzen still has a plus-CH and a very solid breaking ball and he runs his cutter at a respectable 88-90 MPH, and he has outstanding command of all of his pitches, too, but the problem he had last year (and it remains to be seen if the issue has been resolved) was that he was unable to throw more than one inning per appearance and he was also unable to throw two days in a row. If he is going to be an MLB lefty reliever he will need to be able to either throw multiple innings or pitch at least two days in a row.    

Prior to the game on Field #5, LHP Brendon Little (Cubs 2017 1st round draft pick) and RHP John Pomeroy (ex-PIT) threw "live" BP on Field #6. This was the first time Little has faced hitters since straining his lat in his first "live" BP session of Minor League Camp the first week of March.   
 
Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only): 

CHC (27-18): LHP José Quintana (4-3, 3.68 ERA)
PHL (28-19): RHP Zach Eflin (5-4, 2.89 ERA)
First pitch 6:05pmCDT

After dropping the series opener in the 10th, the Cubs send José Quintana to the mound against the Phillies' best starter. Quintana has given up 2 or 3 runs in each of his last 5 starts and has seen his strikeout rate drop from the early going. He's been steady but not great during that time. Former Pirates McCutchen and Sean Rodriguez are a collective 9-23 with 1 homerun off of him. Last night's Phillies hero, Hernandez, is 3-7 with a double, a triple, and two walks.

Rafael Mejia laced an RBI double and a two-run single, SP Kohl Franklin hurled three innings of shutout ball, and the Cubs "B" team took advantage of seven walks, four errors, four WP, and two PB to cruise past the Angels 9-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Field #5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ.  

The game was pre-planned as a ten-inning contest.  

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

CHC (27-17): RHP Yu Darvish (2-3, 5.14 ERA)
PHL (27-19): RHP Jake Arrieta (4-4, 4.02 ERA)
First pitch 7:05pmCDT

The Cubs return to Wrigley and bring a bit of the NL East with them. Darvish's last start was middling in some respects. He went 5.1 and allowed 2 earned runs on five hits against Cincinnati. But he showed his best command of 2019 and it's hard to care about anything else at this point. It's the first time he's walked fewer than 3 batters since April 10, when also allowed four earned runs and struck out only 4. His zone percentage was 47.1% compared to 40.8% on the season, and when he threw the ball out of the zone he got swings 35.2% of the time compared to 27.5% on the season. Today he'll try to establish some consistency. The current Phillies are 10-29 against him with no homeruns. Bryce Harper has never faced him.

Noah Vaughan belted an RBI triple and an RBI single, walked, and scored a run, as the Athletics Gold squad rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to edge the Cubs "A" team 3-2 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Field #5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ.  

Marcus Mastrobuoni singled twice, doubled, and scored a run, and Josue Huma doubled, singled, stole a base, and scored a run for the Cubs.  

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