Chris Pieters

Shane Victorino (two-run single), Trey Martin (RBI double), and Chris Pieters (RBI single) stroked run-scoring hits to highlight a five-run 2nd and four pitchers combined to toss a four-hit shutout, as the Cubs scored eight runs over the first four innings and blanked the Athletics 8-0 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action this morning on Field #4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Shane Victirino (calf strain rehab) served as a DH and singled twice, walked, stole a base, scored two runs, and drove-in two more.  

Ex-KC RHRP Aaron Crow (April 2015 TJS) threw a perfect 1-2-3 twelve-pitch inning to get things started, RHP Jeremy Null followed with four innings of shutout ball, and then RHP Pedro Silverio tossed three innings of perfect baseball, as Cubs pitchers completely throttled the A's hitters.  

The Cubs stole five more bases today, making it 17 SB in their last four games (only one CS). 

In a display of good sportsmanship, A's first-baseman Miguel Mercedes let Cubs first baseman Gustavo Polanco use his glove when playing defense the last three innings of the game, with the two first-basemen laying the glove on top of the 1st base bag at the end of each half-inning for the other to pick-up when he arrived at his defensive position. (We used to do that in my old neighborhood, too). Although Polanco is primarliy a catcher, he also plays 1B, but he forgot to bring his first-baseman's glove to the game, and Chris Pieters (the only other Cubs player at the game with a first-baseman's mitt) is left-handed. 

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only), followed by the updated Cubs Extended Spring Training roster: 

The Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics Lo-A affiliate) defeated the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) 5-2 on Field #3, and the Stockton Ports (A's Hi-A affiliate) edged the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) 5-4 on Field #4, in Cactus League Minor League doubleheader action Wednesday afternoon at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

Miguel Guzman belted a solo HR for Beloit and Chris Pieters smacked a solo HR for the SB Cubs on Field #3.   

Kevonte Mitchell left the game on Field #3 after being hit in the head by a fly ball in foul territory in the bottom of the 4th inning. 

Both Cubs starting pitchers (South Bend LHSP Carson Sands on Field #3 and Myrtle Beach RHSP Erick Leal on Field #4) fared poorly, allowing a combined seven runs on twelve hits (including five doubles and a triple), five walks, and a HBP (and a WP) in just 5.1 IP. 

Because of the Cubs-Rangers Futures Game in Surprise, more than the usual number of position players from the Eugene/Mesa squad (Extended Spring Training group) were temporarily added to the South Bend and Myrtle Beach rosters on Wednesday to replace absent players.    

John Arguello has posted pics & observations from Tuesday's AA and AAA games at Riverview at Cubs Den:

link

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games played Wednesday at Fitch Park (Cubs players only): 

Tyler Brown singled, doubled, tripled, and scored a run, and Byron Murray belted a solo home run with one-out in the top of the 8th inning to break a 2-2 tie, as the AZL Giants edged the AZL Cubs 3-2 in Arizona League action Thursday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.  

P. J. Higgins (who collected two singles, a double, and a triple Wednesday night) clubbed a two-run HR in his first AB Thursday night to account for both AZL Cubs runs.

The Eugene Emeralds (the Cubs affiliate in the SS-A Northwest League) begin play tonight at Everett (Seattle Mariners affiliate in NWL) with a four-game series that extends through Monday, and the AZL Cubs begin play Saturday night at Sloan Park in Mesa with a single game versus the AZL Brewers. After a day off on Sunday, the AZL Cubs will play four days in a row and then have a day off every 5th day for the balance of the AZL schedule (barring rain-out make-up games).  

Eugene has a 35-man reserve list limit and a 30-man active list limit, of which 25 players may be designated as "active" for each game, and 10 of the 25 players designated as active must be pitchers. In effect, this means that one starting pitcher and nine relief pitchers are active for each game, so Eugene will begin the season with a 14-man pitching staff (five starters and nine relievers) and 11 position players (three catchers, five infielders, and three outfieldes).

The AZL Cubs have a 35-man reserve list limit and a 35-man active list limit, of which 30 players may be designated as "active" for each game, and ten of the 30 players designated as active must be pitchers.

2015 Cubs draft picks who sign do not have to be added to a minor league reserve list for up to 15 days after signing, or until the player is placed on a minor league active list (whichever comes first). So at least five of the Cubs 2015 Draft picks (the more-advanced ones) will be assigned to Eugene as soon as they complete their orientation at the Cubs Training Complex (Under Armour Performance Center) at Riverview Park, at which point the Eugene 30-man active roster will be full. As more draft picks are gradually moved-up to Eugene, some of the players who were on the Eugene Opening Day roster could be either promoted to South Bend, sent back to the AZL Cubs in Mesa, or released. Other 2015 draft picks will begin their pro career with the AZL Cubs and remain in Mesa for the rest of the summer.

In AZL Cubs roster news, RHP Pedro Silverio and OF-1B (ex-LHP) Chris Pieters have been moved up to the AZL Cubs from the DSL Cubs, and RHPs Francisco Carrillo and John Michael Knighton were temporarily assigned to the AZL Cubs Reserve List, although they will remain with the South Bend Cubs. (Knighton was moved up to South Bend from Extended Spring Training last Sunday).

The 21-year old Silverio was signed by the Cubs as an 18-year old out of the Dominican Republic in 2012, and he has been the ace of the 2015 DSL Cubs (so far), with a 0.00 ERA and 0.76 WHIP. He has allowed no runs, 11 hits, two walks, and an HBP, with 17 strikeouts, in 17 IP (three GS).

Pieters (signed by the Cubs as a 16-year old out of Curacao in 2011 - $350K bonus) is making the unusual conversion of LHP to outfielder in 2015, after posting an ugly 9.31 ERA and issuing 119 walks in 77.1 IP over three seasons 2012-14. The 20-year old has put up equally bizarre numbers as a position player, hitting 238/484/262 with only one XBH in 58 PA for the DSL Cubs this season, but he has drawn 16 walks and has eight stolen bases (1 CS) in just 15 games.

Here are the updated rosters for the two teams, plus the Mesa Pitchers Rehab Group: