Cubs Extended Spring Training game report

Rafael Morel blasted a three-run HR, singled, and reached base on an HBP, and Jared Young collected three singles, reached base on an HBP, stole a base, and scored a run for the Cubs, and Pedro Pineda belted a two-run double, Jose Bonilla drilled a two-run single, drew a walk, and scored a run, and Jalen Greer laced an RBI single, walked twice, and scored a run for the Athletics, as the two teams played to a 5-5 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday night on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

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

Alexander Campos (RBI double), Jorge Romero (RBI double), and Marcos Betancourt (RBI single) contributed back-to-back-to-back run-scoring hits in a five-run 4th, propelling the Athletics to a 9-2 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Thursday morning on Field #4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

Owen Caissie blasted a solo HR (his third in his last two games) and Ismael Mena tripled and scored to account for the two Cub runs. Caissie also singled, so he has now reached base in 15 of his 21 EXST PA (three HR, four doubles, five singles, and three walks, in just seven games).  

Cubs SP Tyler Schlaffer easily retired the first ten A's in order (F-9, K, L-7 / K, 5-3, K / L-9, F-7, K / 5-3...) before the roof fell-in -- starting with a walk -- with one out in the 4th.  

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

Owen Caissie blasted a two-run HR over the right-centerfield fence just to the right of the CF Batter's Eye in the 4th and a three-run HR just to the left of the CF Batter's Eye (off a LHP) in the 5th, Yovanny Cuevas belted a solo HR, Ezequiel Pagan drilled an RBI double, Miguel Fabrizio laced a two-run single, and SP Porter Hodge fired four innings of shutout ball on just 38 pitches, as the Cubs trounced the Rockies 11-5 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Tuesday afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa,AZ.  

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

Over their first six Cactus League Extended Spring Training games, the Cubs are 3-2-1. 

With his two HR today, Owen Caissie has now reached base safely in 13 of his 18 PA over the course of the Cubs first six Cactus League EXST games, including two homers, four doubles, four sngles, and three walks (he's hitting a robust 667/722/1.333 - 2.055 OPS).  

Cubs top 2019 J-2 IFA signing Ronnier Quintero made his pro game debut, beginning the game at DH and then finishing the game at catcher. He went 0-3 -- K-swinging in his first AB in the 2nd inning, then a 3-U GO in the 4th, and a 6-3 GO in the 6th, before reaching base on a HBP in the 8th and scoring on Fabrizio's RBI single. He was clearly gassed after running the bases in the 110-degree heat in the bottom of the 8th, and after a delay in the top of the 9th while he downed the contents of a water bottle at home plate after warming up the pitcher, he was able to finish the game. 

While this was his pro game debut. Quintero did attend post-season AZ Instructs last October in Mesa, but he did not play in any AZIL games (not even as a DH). Rather, he spent 100% of his time learning the catching trade, and was the bullpen catcher at all of the games, in addition to catching as much "live" BP and as many side-bullpen sessions as he could handle.   

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

Rafael Morel belted a two-run HR, Ismael Mena ripped a two-run double and a single, Reggie Preciado tripled, walked, and scored a run, Jose Lopez smacked a PH RBI triple, Wally Soto laced an RBI double, and Alfonso Rivas drilled an RBI single, walked, reached base on an HBP, stole a base, and scored two runs for the Cubs, and Pedro Pineda smacked a solo HR and a triple and Jalen Greer belted an RBI triple and an RBI double for the Athletics, as the two teams played to an 8-8 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field # 4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.    

The two teams combined to hammer out twelve extra-base hits in the game. 

The game was called after seven innings of play. 

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

Nick Heath belted a HR on the first pitch of the game, led-off the inning with a triple and scored in the 4th, and walked, stole 2nd base, and scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the 8th, Junior Franco smacked a two-run triple in the 6th, Ben DeLuzio laced the two-out 8th inning RBI triple that drove-in Heath with the deciding run,.and SP Jean Marcelino hurled 2.2 IP of one-hit ball, helping the Diamondbacks edge the Cubs 6-5 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Thursday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

Heath is on the AAA Reno 7-day IL and is on a rehab assignment at EXST. 

Felix Stevens blasted a game-tying three-run HR over the scoreboard in left-centerfield in the 7th, and SP Tyler Schlaffer tossed four innings of two-hit ball for the Cubs in a losing cause. (The two hits surrendered by Schlaffer were the Nick Heath HR in the top of the 1st and the Nick Heath lead-off triple in the top of the 4th). The Stevens HR was his second dinger in four EXST games, and both were moon shots.  

In 13 PA over the course of the Cubs first four EXST games, Owen Caissie has reached base ten times (four doubles, three singles, and three walks), and there was nothing cheap-o about any of the hits, either.   

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

Alfonso Rivas (on AA Tennessee 7-day IL) belted a solo HR and a single, Wally Soto clubbed a solo HR and an RBI double and scored two runs, Shendrik Apostel thumped an RBI triple off the top of the CF Batter's Eye and singled, Owen Caissie doubled and singled and scored two runs, and Yeison Santana drilled a two-run double and reached base on a walk and an HBP and scored a run, leading the Cubs to an 8-5 victory over the Athletics in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Tuesday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

George Bell hammered a solo HR for the A's in a losing cause. 

LHP Brendon Little (on AA Tennessee 7-day IL) made a rehab start and needed only 18 pitches to toss two perfect innings (4-3, 6-3, K / L-8, 6-3, 6-3). In fact, he was so efficient that he was sent to the bullpen after he left the game to throw another 15 pitches in the pen.  

Recently acquired catcher Tim Susnara (ex-AZ) made his Cub debut, catching the first five innings of the game and going 0-2 at the plate with a walk. Susnara's contract was purchased by the Cubs from Ogden (Pioneer League) last week, the second player acquired by the Cubs from the Pioneer League (formerly an affiliated short-season league, but now it's an independent MLB "Partner League"). The other player acquired by the Cubs from the Pioneer League recently is 1B Matt Warkentin, and he has been at EXST for about ten days.  

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

Yeison Santana went 4-4 (solo HR and three singles) and scored three runs, Owen Caissie drilled two doubles and a single, drew a walk, scored a run, and  knocked-in two, Felix Stevens blasted a two-run HR, Jose Lopez belted a two-run triple, and SP Porter Hodge fired 3.1 IP of shutout ball, as the Cubs demolished the Rockies 13-2 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

The game was called after 7-1/2 innings of play.  

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

Junior Franco tripled and scored and Ricardo Caldera belted a three run home run to highlight a four-run 4th inning, as the Diamonbacks cruised to a 4-2 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Thursday morning on Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.  

Trent Giambrone is on a Conditioning Assignment at EXST, and he played 3B for the Cubs in the game, batted five times (he led-off each of the first five innings), drew four walks, and scored a run. He also committed a costly throwing error and was caught stealing on the basepaths. 

The Cubs played as the home team because the D'backs had a limited number of pitchers available to throw in the game, and the game was called after 6-1/2 innings of play. 

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

Eddy Julio Martinez reached base on a HBP, tripled, singled, stole a base, and scored, and collected an RBI with a sacrifice fly, Yonathan Perlaza tripled, singled, stole a base, and scored a run, Oswaldo Pina ripped a two-run double and a single, and SP Brendon Little tossed two perfect innings and combined with five relievers on a two-hitter, as the Cubs "A" team defeated the Giants Orange squad 5-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

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

The Cubs 2017 1st round draft pick out of SCF - Sarasota-Manatee, Little saw his first game action of the season after suffering a lat strain in his first "live" BP session the first week of Minor League Camp in March. And Little didn't miss a beat, either, easily retiring all six Giants he faced (P-2, F-8, K * F-9, 4-3, 5-3) on just 14 pitches. He displayed a 92-94 MPH FB, a plus-CV, and a CH, and he had command of all three of his pitches and threw all three pitches for strikes. In fact he was so efficient that after he finished his two innings, he was sent down to the bullpen to throw an additional 15 pitches (five FB, five CV, and five CH). So things are looking up for Little. 

Prior to the Cactus League EXST game on Field #1, RHSP Keegan Thompson (on AA Tennessee 7-day IL since April 11th) threw a two-inning "sim" game on Field #5. 

Here is the abridged box score from the Cactus League EXST game on Field #1 (Cubs players only): 

Rafael Mejia walloped a line-drive three-run HR over the LF fence to give the Cubs "B" team a 3-1 lead in the 5th, but Cam Williams (RBI double) and Michael Hermosillo (RBI single) stroked consecutive two-out run-scoring hits in the 7th for the Angels, as the two teams played to a 3-3 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game was called after nine innings of play. 

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