Zak Blair (single, walk, 3-run HR, three runs scored), Kevin Brown (single, walk, solo HR, three runs scored), and Erick Castillo (three singles and a solo HR) slugged back-to-back-to-back home runs to cap a six-run 2nd inning, Varonex Cuevas clubbed a two-run HR, singled, walked, and scored two runs, and Roney Alcala drilled a two-run double, as the Cubs decimated the Diamondbacks 15-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Field #6 at the Under Armour Performance Center in Mesa, AZ.
Fernery Ozuna belted a solo HR, a triple, and a single, and Damion Smith slugged an RBI double, singled, walked, and stole two bases for the D'backs in a losing cause.
The Cubs came into game having homered only five times in their first 42 Cactus League EXST games (Tyler Alamo, Rashad Crawford, Erick Castillo, Jeffrey Baez, and Rony Rodriguez with one each), so hitting four dingers in one game was a bit of a surprise. (And Erick Castillo now leads the team in HR with two).
In EXST Cubs roster news, 22-year old LHP Tyler Ihrig (Cubs 2013 23rd round draft pick - College of Marin) and 22-year old RHP Trevor Graham (Cubs 2013 13th round draft pick - Franklin Pierce University) have been promoted to Hi-A Daytona, replacing RHP Jose Rosario (assigned to Extended Spring Training) and RHP Zach Cates (placed on D-Cubs 7-day DL). Graham and Ihrig have been the two best starting pitchers so far at Extended Spring Training and the duo very likely would have been the Boise Hawks top two starters, too. Graham was scheduled to start today's game at Riverview Park and Ihrig was scheduled to start tomorrow, so the EXST Cubs pitching plans were thrown into disarray with the two promotions (although nobody is complaining).
THE PITCHING LINES FROM TYLER IHRIG'S SEVEN 2014 CACTUS LEAGUE EXST OUTINGS:
4/11 - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 2/2 GO/FO, 40 pitches (25 strikes)
4/16 - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 3/0 GO/FO, 25 pitches (15 strikes)
4/23 - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 3/2 GO/FO, 51 pitches (32 strikes)
4/29 - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 4/1 GO/FO, 38 pitches (26 strikes)
5/5 - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 5 K, 3/1 GO/FO, 39 pitches (27 strikes)
5/10 - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 2/5 GO/FO, 53 pitches (39 strikes)
5/16 - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1 PO, 1 GIDP, 5/2 GO/FO, 61 pitches (41 strikes)
TOTAL: 21.0 IP, 16 H, 8 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 26 K, 1 WP, 1 PO, 1 GIDP, 22/13 GO/FO, 67% strikes, 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, .211 OppBA
THE PITCHING LINES FROM TREVOR GRAHAM'S FIVE 2014 CACTUS LEAGUE EXST OUTINGS:
4/10 - INTRASQUAD GAME
4/15 - 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 7/0 GO/FO, 43 pitches (26 strikes)
4/21 - 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 0/3 GO/FO, 33 pitches (24 strikes)
4/26 - INTRASQUAD GAME
5/2 - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 2/2 GO/FO, 65 pitches (36 strikes)
5/8 - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 2/6 GO/FO, 52 pitches (30 strikes)
5/15 - 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 4/1 GO/FO, 68 pitches (45 strikes)
TOTAL: 17.0 IP, 14 H, 4 R (3 ER), 5 BB, 22 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1 GIDP, 15/12 GO/FO, 62% strikes, 1.59 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, .226 OppBA
Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only):
Recent comments
crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:12 pm (view)
merryweather got out of it, but he loaded the bases with 1 out. of course ross got cuas up in the pen...thankfully he didn't need to come in.
looks like cuas gets the 9th.
crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:46 pm (view)
4ip 2h 0bb 6k, 49 pitches. no idea why they're giving the pen the last 2 innings when he's out there dealing like this and only threw 49 pitches. he was supposed to pitch tomorrow and he's fresh.
crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:52 pm (view)
...and assad is now a pen arm, evidently...odd move given recent success. i guess wicks starts tomorrow?
crunch 09/22/2023 - 09:16 pm (view)
ARZ, MIA, and CIN all lose. nice.
crunch 09/22/2023 - 09:54 pm (view)
stroman is now the saturday starter...okay, then.
jdrnym 09/22/2023 - 09:52 pm (view)
Phil,
Jordan Luplow was DFA'd by the Twins on Monday and was ultimately optioned and then recalled today. I didn't think that was possible since optional waivers were eliminated years ago. How did that work for the Twins?
crunch 09/22/2023 - 09:47 pm (view)
it's september and i have a legit reason to root for CIN, MIA, and ARZ to lose games. 2023 is an interesting time for baseball.
Cubster 09/22/2023 - 09:39 pm (view)
Brewers get a Twelve-spot in the 2nd vs Marlins. Odd to be rooting for them but whatever it takes.
Arizona Phil 09/22/2023 - 09:51 pm (view)
Here are the pitch type / velo from the game:
Luis Devers: FB 90-91, CV 73-77, CH 80-81 with ten swing & miss (why wasn't he assigned to the AFL???)
Nick Dean: FB 89-91, CV 77-80, CH 83 (FB command comes & goes, CH is his best pitch)
Will Sanders: FB 92-95, CH 85-86, SL 82-85, CV 80 (swing & miss breaking balls, a plus CH, and a firm FB, betcha he starts 2024 in South Bend starting rotation)
Daniel Brown: FB 92-95 and CH 80-82 (zero command - EXTREMELY remedial)
Landon Ginn: FB 92-93 and SL 85-87 (throws strikes, misses bats, and really works hitters with just the two-pitch mix, but needs PFP work)
Kenten Egbert: FB 91-92 and CV 79-82
Eric S 09/22/2023 - 09:11 pm (view)
Entering today, Suzuki’s post all star game stats: .298/.356/.556 (.912 OPS) - He’s been huge.
For kicks, here’s Bellinger’s post all star game stats: .321/.359/.583 (.942).