Cubs Extended Spring Training

Bryan Hudson hurled three innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts, Shane Victorino singled twice and walked, and Chris Pieters singled twice and scored two runs, as the Cubs defeated the Athletics 7-2 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Field #4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ. 

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

Dylan Cease fired three innings of shutout ball, Vimael Machin lined a triple off the CF Batter's Eye and scored and Alex Bautista rifled an RBI double into the LF corner to highlight a two-run 7th, and then Bautista ripped an RBI single through the box into CF and Yohan Matos followed with an RBI triple high off the LF screen (near HR) to spark a two-run 9th, as the Cubs plated five runs over the final three innings and defeated the Brewers 6-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Field #7 (AKA "Paul Molitor Field") at the Maryvale Baseball Park Complex in Phoenix, AZ.  

Cease threw a higher percentage of strikes (62%) today than in any previous outing (he usually struggles to throw strikes, typically throwing 50-55% strikes), breaking his curve for called strikes time & again, and humming his heater consistently knee-high at 98-99 MPH (per both the Brewers & Cubs guns -- for example, 99-99-99-98-99-99-98-98-99-99-99 in the bottom of the 2nd). He even got a swing & miss on a change-up (the pitch that is his "work-in-progress").

Cease allowed four hits (three singles and a double) over his three-inning stint, but three of the hits were opposite-field grounders, and the fourth was a broken-bat humpback liner looped over the shortstop's head and into short left. 

Cease was so dominating that one of the Brewer pitchers seated behind home plate asked "Is that Arrieta?" as Cease dropped his knee-bending hook to get ahead 0-2 and then blew unhittable gas past the last two Brew Crew hitters for strike-three in the bottom of the 2nd (stranding runners at 2nd & 3rd). It's unusual when the other team's pitchers are mesmerized by an EXST opponent who isn't a major league rehabber.  

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

Kwang-Min Kwon drilled an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the 10th to plate Tyler Pearson with the winning run, lifting the Cubs to a 7-6 victory over the Rockies in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action Saturday morning at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.

Isaac Paredes hammered a solo home run, Kevonte Mitchell blasted a two-run HR, and Robert Garcia (two-run single), Yeiler Peguero (RBI double), and Marcus Mastrobuoni (RBI double) contributed run-scoring hits, leading the Cubs to a 7-2 victory over the Angels at Sloan Park, and Jose Paniagua slugged a two-run HR, Tyler Pearson smacked a solo HR, and Jesus Castillo and three relievers combined to hurl a three-hit shutout, helping the Cubs blank the Angels 3-0 on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader action this morning in Mesa, AZ.   

Jabari Henry belted a solo HR in a losing cause for the Angels at Sloan Park.

Chris Pieters drilled a two-run single and a double, Kevonte Mitchell ripped an RBI single, walked three times, and scored a run, Yeiler Peguero doubled twice and drew a walk, and Dylan Cease tossed three innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts and combined with five relievers to fan 14, leading the Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the Athletics in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action Wednesday morning at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

LHSP Jose Paulino hurled three innings of shutout ball for the Cubs, and RHSP Christian Talley tossed four innings of shutout ball for the Rockies, as the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.  

Jose Paulino combined Cactus League Extended Spring Training line (three outings):
9.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 8 K, 15/3 GO/AO 

The 21-year old Paulino features a heavy 91-93 MPH sinker that touches 94-95 (hence the extreme GO rate), a hard-breaking slider, and a so-so change-up, but has struggled to command his electric stuff throughout his career. He was the last cut from the South Bend squad at the end of Minor League Camp, so he could find himself in the Midwest League sooner rather than later. If you're looking for an "under-the-radar" Cubs pitching prospect, Paulino might be one. At the very least, he could eventually be a very effective lefty reliever at the higher levels. 

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHSP Kyle Miller (Cubs 2015 19th round draft pick - Florida Atlantic U.) and 3B Jesse Hodges (2012 NDFA - Canadian Junior National Team) have been moved-up to South Bend, and RHRP Scott Frazier has been sent to Extended Spring Training from South Bend.

In two Cactus League EXST outings (one GS), Miler has allowed one hit, one run (unearned), and no walks with five strikeouts in 5.1 IP, and (like Paulino, Hudson, Cease, and Null) has been one of the more-impressive SP down here. He'll probably be used as a "piggy-back" reliever at SB. 

The 22-year old Hodges was the everyday 3B at South Bend last year (hitting 238/316/363 in 90 MWL games), but was a late-cut from the Myrtle Beach squad at the end of Minor League Camp and was left behind at Extended Spring Training. He was hitting 333/500/333 in four Cactus League EXST games, and he has made several eye-popping defensive stops at the "hot corner." He also drilled an RBI double off Dylan Cease and a HR off Eugenio Palma in an intrasquad game last week. 

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

Shane Victorino drilled an RBI single and a double, Kelly Dugan walked five times (including one BB with the bases loaded that forced-in a run), and SP Jeremy Null and two relievers combined to toss a four-hitter, leading the Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Giants in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Field #2 at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Null threw 86% of his 51 pitches for strikes. 

The Cubs banged-out nine hits, drew twelve walks and one reached base on an E-3 (so 22 baserunners total). 

Through their first ten Cactus League Extended Spring Training games, the Cubs are 6-2-2. 

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