Pedro Ramirez

Erbin Jaque belted a two-run inside-the-park HR, Pedro Ramirez singled, doubled, and drew a walk, and Haydn McGeary singled twice and drove-in a run, as the Cubs "Blue Squad" blanked the Cubs "Red Squad" 4-0 in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Monday afternoon on Field # 1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

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

Pedro Ramirez saw his first-ever pro game action in CF, as the Cubs are attempting to exploit his power / speed combo all over the diamond. He was mostly a SS in the DSL in 2021, but was moved to 2B in the ACL this season to accommodate Cubs top SS prospect Cristian Hernandez. Ramirez also played some 3B in the ACL.   

The Jaque inside-the-park HR was amazing. It was like watching "The Freeze" race a fan at an Atlanta Braves game. The hit itself was an oppo-field line-drive into the right-centerfield alley, and CF Ismael Mena got to it quickly. Parker Chavers was on 1st base and was running on the pitch, but Jaque caught up with him at 3rd base and they both scored standing up about a foot apart.

Jaque may be the fastest runner I have ever seen on a baseball diamond. He is really, really fast. That said, there may be some issues with his hit tool. Despite the blazing speed displayed with the inside-the-park job, he also struck out swinging against DSL Cubs Blue Pitching Coach Jose Zapata.

Cubs 2022 4th round pick Nazier Mule once again served as a DH, the second time he has done so in a Cubs AZIL intrasquad game. He singled, stole second, and scored a run in the top of the 5th. Although he has not yet appeared in an AZIL game as a pitcher, he has been throwing bullpen side sessions and metriculating in the Pitch Lab on Camp Days. He also has taken ground balls at SS in infield practice. By all appearances, the Cubs do intend to allow Mule to be a two-way player. He is a very unique five-tool SS / RHP.

Raino Coran belted an RBI double and scored in the first, singled, stole second, and scored a run in the third, and walked, stole another base, and scored another run in the eighth, Rafael Morel drilled a two-run single in the first, walked in the sixth, and walked and scored in the eighth, and Pedro Ramirez singled twice and knocked-in a run for the "Blue" squad, but Ronnier Quintero laced a two-out two run single in the bottom of the fifth for the "Red" squad that broke a 4-4 tie, as the Cubs "Red" squad rallied to defeat the Cubs "Blue" squad 8-6 in Extended Spring Training intrasquad game action Thursday night on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game was pre-planned as an eight-inning contest. 

Here is the box score from the game:        

Christian Olivo belted a two-run double and Cristian Hernandez collected an RBI on a bases-loaded walk for the Cubs, and SP Wander Guante hurled four innings of two-hit shutout ball with seven strikeouts (no walks) for the Athletics, as the two teams played to a 3-3 tie in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game was originally scheduled to be played at Sloan Park, but a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) event was held in the stadium simultaneous with the Cubs game, so the ball game was moved across the street. 

Pedro Ramirez returned to the Cubs lineup after being hit in the helmet by a pitch in an intrasquad game on Wednesday, so he apparently passed the concussion protocol with flying colors. 

In other EXST news, INF Andrelton Simmons has completed his EXST rehab and has been assigned to AAA Iowa on an official Article XIX-C Minor League Rehab Assignment (a maximum of 20 days because he is a position player, and the player can call it off at any time). Simmons appeared to be 100% at the plate and on the bases in Mesa, and while he hasn't played much shorstop in Cactus League EXST games, he did take grounders for 20 minutes on Field #1 on Wednesday and made all of the throws a shortstop would need to make in a game. How his shoulder felt afterward, I don't know. 

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

Bryan Serra belted a walk-off two-run HR halfway up the RF berm, as the Cubs "Blue" squad came from behind to edge the Cubs "Red" squad 2-1 in a three-inning Cactus League Extended Spring Training intrasquad game played at Sloan Park on Wednesday afternoon. 

Felix Stevens, Bryan Serra, and Carlos Morfa played for both squads.  

Pedro Ramirez was hit on the helmet by an Anthony Martinez fastball leading off the bottom of the first inning. He laid motionless on the ground for about a minute as Cubs trainers attended to him and was eventually helped off the field, but he was unable to remain in the game. I would think he will probably be in concussion protocol for a while.   

Here is the box score from the game: 

Anthony Rodriguez reached base five times (four walks and a single) and scored two runs, Kwan Adkins singled and scored in the 1st inning and clubbed a two-run HR in the 2nd, Tyler Forner ripped an RBI single and scored in the 2nd and belted a solo HR in the 7th, and Elian Rayo laced an RBI double, walked three times, and scored a run, leading the Giants to an 11-6 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning at the Papago Park Complex in Phoenix, AZ. 

Pedro Ramirez slugged a two-run HR, singled and scored, and drew a walk, and Edgar Gamargo and Grayson Byrd each ripped a two-run double to account for the six Cub runs. An inning after his two-run double, Gamargo suffered a left knee injury trying to corral one of Wyatt Short's wild pitches and had to be carried off the field.    

Andrelton Simmons got back into game action as a DH, going 1-3 with a single and a stolen base. He has been taking grounders most every morning on Field #1 at the Cubs facility, but I haven't seen him throw since before he was shut down last week. What he does do is he fields the grounder (sometimes in spectacular fashion) and then tosses the ball into a nearby bucket, sort of like the Grand Prize Game at Bozo's Circus back in the day. 

Cristian Hernandez struck out three more times today (all three swinging), so he has struck out twelve times in 23 PA over the course of the six Cactus League Extended Spring Training games in which he has played so far.

One more Cubs pitcher who pitched in the DSL last season (Oliver Roque) made his stateside debut in the game. (SP Joel Sierra also pitched in the DSL in 2021, but he has been pitching in games since Minor League Camp in March). Still waiting to see Anthony Martinez and Anthony Mendez.  

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

Felix Stevens belted a solo HR, singled twice, and scored two runs, Pedro Ramirez (Cubs 2021 IFA - U. S. game debut) drilled an RBI double, singled, stole a base, and scored a run, Frank Hernandez (Cubs 2019 IFA - Team Spain 18U - U. S. game debut) singled twice and drove-in a run, Reggie Preciado laced an RBI single and drew a walk, and RHP Luis Devers tossed 3.1 IP of shutout ball anf picked a runner off base (third PO in his last two games), helping the Cubs throttle the Athletics 7-4 in AZ Instructional League game action Thursday afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

A's 2021 2nd round pick Zack Gelof ripped a two-run double in a losing cause. 

Pedro Ramirez and Frank Hernandez were supposed to have made their U. S. game debut on Tuesday versus the Angels, except the contest was rained out just as the Cubs were about to take the field. (Angels 2021 1st round pick RHP Sam Bachman was to be the Halos' SP). Cubs SP Luke Little had finished his warm-up in the pen and the umpires were meeting with the Cubs and Angels managers at home plate, when lightning from an approaching storm drove everybody off the field. Then within ten minutes a gully-washer downpour flooded the field and canceled the game (and the planned U. S. game debut of P. Ramirez and F. Hernandez). The Cubs had an instructional "Camp Day" yesterday (emphasizing situational hitting, baserunning, and relay throws from the outfied), so today's game was the first AZIL game played by the Cubs since Monday. And for Ramirez and F. Hernandez, it was certainly worth the wait! 

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