Three Cub pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts, as the AZL Cubs celebrated the 4th of July with a 2-0 blanking of the AZL Indians in Arizona League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa tonight.
Cody Shields had three hits, an RBI, and an outfield assist, Wes Darvill reached base three times on two singles and a walk, and Jesus Morelli extended his hitting streak to 18 games, but Eduardo Figueroa and Jose Rosario were tagged to the tune of seven runs on ten hits (including two doubles and a HR) and four walks in five combined innings, as the EXST A’s edged the EXST Cubs 7-6 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Papago Park Field #2 in Phoenix this morning. The game was pre-planned as a ten-inning affair, to allow more pitchers to get work.
Rafael Disla, Cody Shields, and Xavier Batista ripped RBI triples in a five-run Cub 7th, leading the EXST Cubs to an 8-3 victory over the EXST A’s in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 this morning in Mesa.
21-year old Cuban Defector RHP Juan Yasser Serrano got the start for the Cubs and went three innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out two. This was Serrano’s third appearance in the last week, and his pitch count has been increased each time out (one inning - 13 pitches last Saturday, two innings - 23 pitches this past Tuesday, and now three innings - 40 pitches today), as it appears that the Cubs are making an effort to get him through Extended Spring Training as quickly as possible. Serrano received a reported $250K bonus (essentially equivalent to "4th round money") when he was signed by the Cubs this past March.
Cody Shields launched a grand slam home run to cap a five-run Cub 1st inning, but the EXST A’s followed with twelve unanswered runs while holding the EXST Cubs scoreless en route to a 12-5 victory in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.
Oakland A’s 18-year old 6’7 Dominican RHP Michael Inoa made his long-awaited pro debut at Fitch Park today, throwing one inning (10 pitches) for the EXST A's. He walked Sergio Burruel on a 3-2 pitch to lead-off the bottom of the 7th inning, before inducing Blair Springfield to bounce into a first-pitch 5-4-3 DP, and striking out Jose Guevara on three fastballs. Inoa received a record $4.25M bonus when he signed with the A’s as a 16-year old in July 2008, but his debut was delayed for more than a year due to a sore elbow.