Trent Giambrone

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) 

Zack Short singled, doubled, stole a base, and scored a run, and Jose Gutierrez singled, walked, stole a base and scored two runs, helping the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) defeat the Burlington Bees (Lo-A affilate of the Los Angeles Angels) 7-4 on Field #3, and Trent Giambrone belted a two-run double, stole 3rd base, and then scored on a FC to highlight a three-run 2nd, D. J. Wilson smashed a tape-measure solo home run off the Angels clubhouse in the 3rd, Michael Cruz blasted a two-run HR down the RF line in the 4th, and Kyle Miller hurled three innings of shutout ball, leading the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) to an 11-7 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels Hi-A affiliate) on Field #4, in Cactus League Minor League doubleheader action Saturday afternoon at the Diablo Stadium Complex n Tempe, AZ.

Myrtle Beach 1B Matt Rose left the game on Field #4 in the top of the 2nd inning after being hit by a pitch, and he was driven back to the UAPC in Mesa by Cubs training staff. Also, South Bend catcher Tyler Payne suffered what appeared to be a lower-body injury while sliding into 2nd base (RBI double) in the top of the 6th on Field #3.   

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only):

Jeffrey Baez belted a solo home run leading off the game and contributed two RBI doubles later in the contest (all three run-scoring hits coming off Jon Lester), but it wasn't enough as Carlos Penalver drilled a solo HR leading off the bottom of the 1st inning, Wladmir Galindo smacked a solo shot onto the freeway berm beyond the left field fence in the bottom of the 6th, and Jonathan Sierra belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the 7th, helping the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) rally to tie the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) 7-7 on Field #6, and Carlos Sepulveda singled, doubled, and tripled, scored two runs, and drove-in two more, Trent Giambrone belted a three-run HR, walked, stole a base, and scored two runs, Connor Myers doubled, walked, stole two bases, and scored a run, and RHSP Thomas Hatch (Cubs 2016 3rd round draft pick - Oklahoma State) hurled three innings of shutout ball with five strikeouts, leading the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) to a 9-1 victory over the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) on Field #5, in Minor League Camp intrasquad doubleheader game action this morning at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

Chicago Cubs ace LHSP Jon Lester came over to Minor League Camp to get his scheduled game work, but the Tennessee Smokies were ready for him, hammering him to the tune of six runs on nine hits (including three doubles, two triples, and a home run). Lester eventually recorded 12 outs (including three strikeouts) and did not issue any walks, but he left the game with his team trailing 6-3.  

Willson Conteras was Lester's catcher, and he batted five times in six innings, going 1-4 with a single and a walk, and two strikeouts. He also was thrown out attempting to steal a base. Defensively he was 0-1 CS.

Sometimes called the "Other Baez" by those who follow the Cubs farm system, Jeffey Baez was signed by the Cubs previous regime as a 16-year old International Free-Agent out of Venezuela in July 2010. Now 23, the "other Baez" has moved somewhat slowly (fits & starts) through the Cubs system over the past six years, only occasionally showing the five-tool package the Cubs thought they had when they signed him. But he does have skills (plus-arm, plus-power, plus-speed), and he was MVP of Cubs Extended Spring Training in both 2013 and 2014 (he led the EXST Cubs in home runs both seasons), and he tied for the league lead in stolen bases in the Carolina League in 2016 (built like an NFL running back, Baez is an excellent base stealer). But 2017 is a make-or-break year for the Jeffrey Baez Cub connection, because he is eligible to be an MLB Rule 55 six-year minor league free-agent post-2017, and so the Cubs must decide by 5 PM (Eastern) five days after the final game of the World Series whether to add him to their MLB 40-man roster, or let him walk away as a minor league free-agent (or possibly trade him before he hits free-agency). He is projected to be the starting RF at AA Tennessee in 2017 (although he can play all three outfield positions), so we will just have to wait and see how Baez performs at the AA level, and what the Cubs will choose to do with him post-2017. I'm not sure the Cubs will want to let a talent like Jeffrey Baez just walk away after investing so much time and effort in his development.

It was a "bullpen day" for both the South Bend Cubs and Tennessee Smokies, with a number of pitchers battling for pen jobs getting an inning of work. The best performance of the day among the relievers who threw in the two games was turned-in by Iowa Cubs RHRP Daniel Corcino, who threw high-octane gas past three Smokies hitters while striking out the side1-2-3  in the 7th. Tennessee RHRP Scott Effross also struck out the side 1-2-3 in his one inning of work.

Here are the box scores from the two games: