Alexander Guerra

Yonathan Perlaza slugged a grand slam, Alexander Guerra singled and scored, drove-in two runs with two sacrifice flies, and threw-out a runner attempting to steal, Cam Balego collected three singles, and SP Brailyn Marquez hurled five innings of two-hit shutout ball, leading the Cubs to an 8-4 victory over the Rockies in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.  

Danny Edgeworth belted a two-run triple and scored a run in a losing cause for the Rockies. 

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHRP Jeffrey Passantino and RHRP Garrett Kelly have been moved-up to South Bend from Extended Spring Training, and RHP Benjamin Rodriguez and SS Fabian Pertuz have been sent to the Cubs Dominican Academy (they were assigned to DSL Cubs #1) from Extended Spring Training. 

In Cubs Dominican Academy medical news, DSL Cubs #2 LHP Andres Bonalde underwent elbow surgery last month (not sure if it was TJS or something else) and will miss the 2018 season. 

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

Alexander Guerra drilled an RBI single and a double and LHSP Brailyn Marquez and three relievers combined to toss a four-hit shutout with eleven strikeouts, as the Cubs blanked the Angels 1-0 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Field #3 at the Diablo Stadium Complex in Tempe, AZ.   

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

In EXST Cubs roster news, OF Lane Adams has been moved-up to AAA Iowa. 

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

Alexander Guerra drilled a two-run HR and a single and Jonathan Sierra doubled, walked twice, and scored a run for the Cubs, and Francisco Medina belted a solo HR for the Giants black squad, as the two teams played to a 3-3 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Field #5 on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

With two outs and the scored tied in the bottom of the 9th inning, Jonathan Sierra sliced an opposite-field double into the LF corner, but then was thrown out at the plate by Giants LF Aaron Bond a batter later to end the game while attempting score on an Alexander Guerra ground single to left.   

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

RHP Ivan Medina hurled three innings of shutout ball (in relief), Alexander Guerra singled and scored twice and drove-in a run, and Eric Gonzalez drilled a two-run double to break a 4-4 tie, as the Cubs rallied to upend the Giants orange squad 6-4 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action on Field #5 on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 
 
Beicker Mendoza (RBI double), Cody Brickhouse (two-run double), and Dylan Manwaring (RBI triple) contributed run-scoring extra-base hits for the Giants to highlight a four-run 4th that chased RHRP Eury Ramos before he could retire a batter in his second inning of work.

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

As happened with Brendan King and Enrique de los Rios a couple of weeks ago, Ivan Medina is being stretched-out at EXST in likely anticipation of either being a SP at Eugene or possibly a move-up to South Bend where he would work as a "swing-man" out of the SB-Cubs bullpen. (I. Medina was the last cut from the South Bend roster at the end of Minor League Camp). 

Prior to the Cactus League game on Field #5, RHP Ryan Williams (2017 shoulder surgery) and RHP Peyton Remy (Cubs 2017 17th round draft pick - Central Arizona JC) threw "live" BP on Field #4 (one "inning" & 25 pitches a piece).   

In EXST Cubs roster news, OF Roberto Caro has been moved-up to South Bend. 

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

Oscar de la Cruz hurled six innings (78 pitches - 72% strikes) of one-run/three-hit ball (run was unearned) with five strikeouts and no walks, Cam Balego drilled an RBI single and an RBI double and drew a walk, Delvin Zinn singled, doubled, stole a base, and scored three runs, Jonathan Soto belted a two-run HR and a single, and Alexander Guerra smacked a solo HR, in Cubs Extended Spring Training intrasquad game action Tuesday morning on Field #6 on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

Alec Mills (Iowa) and Oscar de la Cruz (Tennessee) were the starting pitchers in the game. Both were left behind in Mesa by their respective full-season clubs so that they could pitch in a game on what was their normal day to pitch, with both scheduled to make regular-season starts for their teams this coming Sunday or Monday. So it was a matter of them getting both their normal-scheduled work and increasing their pitch counts closer to regular-season levels.  

Enrique de los Rios and Brendan King followed de la Cruz and Mills to the mound, getting stretched-out in preparation for being Cubs EXST SP.  
 
Here is the box score from the game:      

Kevonte Mitchell blasted a grand slam over the LF fence and onto the south bank of the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway to cap a nine-run explosion in the bottom of the 5th inning as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-affiliate) turned a 5-0 deficit into a 9-5 lead and then hung-on for dear life to edge the Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Angels Hi-A affiliate) 9-8 on Field #6, and RHSP Erich Uelmen (Cubs 2017 4th round draft pick - Cal Poly SLO) hurled four innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts, no walks (72% strikes), and 6/0 GO/AO, and Cam Balego (RBI triple), Alexander Guerra (RBI double), and Luis Hidalgo (RBI single) contributed run-scoring hits to stake the Cubs Lo-A South Bend affiliate to a 4-1 lead, but the Burlington Bees (Angels Lo-A affiliate) came-back in the late innings to tie the game at four and then the potential winning run was picked-off 2nd base with no outs in the bottom of the 9th to thwart a Cub plan to plate the winning run with a sac bunt and maybe a sac fly, as Burlington and South Bend played to a 4-4 tie on Field #5, in Cactus League Minor League Camp doubleheader game action Tuesday afternoon on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

The MLB Cubs had the day off so Kyle Hendricks was supposed to have started the Myrtle Beach game on Field #6, but he was scratched due to illness (strep throat). 

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