Kyle Schwarber singled, doubled, and scored a run, Mark Zagunis ripped an RBI double and scored and drove-in another run with a sacrifice fly, and Charcer Burks singled twice and walked, in a seven-inning AZ Instructional League Cubs intrasquad game played this morning on Field #1 at the Under Armour Performance Center at Riverview Park in Mesa, AZ.
The contest was game one in a five game intrasquad "Cubs World Series" to be played at Riverview Park this week, between the "Northside Rooftops" and the "Wrigley Field Ivy," each team chosen by draft by the two managers (Jimmy Gonzalez and Mark Johnson). Team Johnson won today's game by a score of 3-1.
Gioskar Amaya got the start at catcher for Team Gonzalez, and handled himself well behind the plate for the four innings he spent there. (Amaya is in the Catcher Conversion Program at Instructs). He then moved to 3rd base for the final three innings and made the defensive play of the game, a run-saving stop & throw to end the top of the 5th. Amaya had a fine day offensively, too, with a line-drive double into the LF corner, a walk, and a stolen base.
Kevin Encarnacion played RF for Team Johnson, his first game action since suffering a near career-ending shoulder injury and 3rd degree burns in a car crash in the Dominican Republic last December. He (understandably) looked rusty both in the field and at the plate, committing an error on a ground single to right (he bobbled the ball, allowing a baserunner to advance from 2nd to 3rd), and he went 0-3 at the plate with two strikeouts (both swinging) and a weak infield pop out. Probably because of the injuries he sustained in the car crash, Encarnacion is now hitting only left-handed (he previously had been a switch-hitter). In his one AB batting LH against a LH pitcher (Jordan Minch), Encarnacion struck out on three pitches.
The Cubs are not playing games against other MLB organizations at Instructs this year, instead opting to spend more time on morning field instruction & afternoon classroom training. Players attending Instructs are also spending some of their off hours researching the history of the Cubs, and presenting the information they learn to the the other players.
Most of the Cub brass are in attendance at Instructs this week, including Team President Theo Epstein, Executive VP & GM Jed Hoyer, and Senior VP & Scoutng/Player Development Director Jason McLeod.
Here is the box score from today's game:
Recent comments
crunch 09/21/2023 - 09:53 pm (view)
the WC surge gains are gone. tied with MIA for the 3rd WC spot. ARZ +2 and PHI +5.
Cubster 09/21/2023 - 09:44 pm (view)
Toast is ready. So is the fork and the singing fat lady. Backs against the wall…
sigh-
Eric S 09/21/2023 - 09:23 pm (view)
Dansby has to be dog tired or something. Other than the basket shot, it’s been a rough go for awhile.
crunch 09/21/2023 - 09:13 pm (view)
that's moneyballs as hell. guys, ohtani is back on the free agent menu.
Jackstraw 09/21/2023 - 09:11 pm (view)
I'm confident that if Cuas' right arm falls completely off, Ross will see him as the first lefty to get up in the 'pen.
Maybe he's been a lefty all along.
crunch 09/21/2023 - 09:48 pm (view)
don't see why he can't. he's got a pulse and all of his fingers. that seems to be good enough to march him out there as long as there's men on base.
Jackstraw 09/21/2023 - 09:40 pm (view)
As long as Cuas gets to pitch again today.
crunch 09/21/2023 - 09:24 pm (view)
morel DH, tauchman CF, masterboney 3rd
imagine a world where a manager decides to put morel at 3rd and canario DH. crazy, huh?
masterboney had 3 hits yesterday so we're stuck with him again today and probably for a chunk of what's left.
canario had a double and grand slam a couple games ago and he's riding pine again.
crunch 09/21/2023 - 09:41 am (view)
madrigal's hamstring strain is a grade 2 strain. we probably won't see him anymore this season or post-season (if applicable) unless the team goes deep.
crunch 09/20/2023 - 09:23 pm (view)
well that took all of 15 minutes to not be fun anymore.