Arizona Phil's Archives

The EXST Cubs rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the EXST Diamondbacks 6-6, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training game played this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ.

The Cubs did have a chance to win the game, but Reggie Golden popped out to the first-baseman to end the bottom of the 9th, leaving the potential winning run stranded at 3rd base.

Tennessee OF (and Cubs 2009 1st round draft pick and #1 position player prospect) Brett Jackson saw his first game action since going on the Smokies DL with a finger injury on May 12th, getting four plate appearances as a DH, one in each of the first four innings.

Yaniel Cabezas had four hits (three doubles and a single), scored three runs, and drove-in two more, Jesus Morelli drove-in four runs with two singles and a home run, and four pitchers combined to strike out 14, as a split squad of EXST Cubs drubbed the EXST Angels 13-5 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #2 in Mesa.

On an injury rehab assignment in Mesa, AZ, Cubs catcher Geovany Soto went hitless in five plate appearances this morning in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training game played at Fitch Park.

Soto, who was seeing his first game action in two weeks after suffering a groin strain in a game on May 10th, was the starting catcher and got five at bats in the game played on Field #2 (there was another game played simultaneously on Field #3), batting third in each of the first five innings. He looked a bit rusty at the plate, bouncing out 5-3 in the 1st inning, popping out to the first-baseman in foul territory in the 2nd, flying out to the warning track in CF in the 3rd, getting called out on strikes in the 4th, and striking out swinging in the bottom of the 5th. Also two Rockies base-runners stole 2nd base while Soto was behind the plate.

As far as the games were concerned, one squad of EXST Cubs and one squad of EXST Rockies played to a 1-1 tie on Field #2, while the other squad of Rockies defeated the other squad of Cubs 5-2 on Field #3.

The games were played simultaneously on adjacent fields, and both games were seven-inning affairs.

The EXST Athletics banged-out four doubles, a triple, and a home run, and coasted to a 7-1 victory over the EXST Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

Brian Inoa hit for the cycle and Dustin Geiger ripped two RBI doubles, leading a split squad of EXST Cubs to a 6-5 victory over the EXST Diamondbacks in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at the Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.

Justin Hilt and Wagner Mateo homered for the Diamondbacks.

The game was extended an extra inning to allow all of the pitchers who were due to throw today to get their scheduled work.

Dong-Yub Kim and Brandon May smacked back-to-back two out RBI doubles to key a two-run 1st inning that propelled one squad of EXST Cubs to a 5-2 victory over one squad of EXST Rockies on Red Mountain Field, while Yao-Lin Wang, Jin-Young Kim, and Starling Peralta combined to throw a three-hit shutout as the other squad of Cubs blanked the other squad of Rockies 3-0 on Dust Storm Field, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader action at Salt River Fields at the Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale this morning.

The games were played simultaneously, and both games were seven-inning affairs.

Tennessee Smokies OF Ty Wright (DL rehab assignment) had three hits (two singles and a double) in his first game action since suffering a sprained ankle in a Southern League game on April 17th, but the EXST Giants swept a doubleheader from the EXST Cubs by scores of 7-5 and 5-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

The games were played simultaneously on adjacent fields, and both games were seven-inning affairs.

Scott Kazmir and Alexander Burkard combined to throw a four-hit shutout, leading the EXST Angels to an 8-0 whitewashing of an EXST Cubs split squad in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Diablo Park Field #3 in Tempe this morning.

Kazmir has been on the Los Angeles Angels 15-DL with "back tightness" since April 9th, but he sure looked healthy today, throwing 6.2 IP of one-hit shutout ball (102 pitches – 62 strikes, 10/6 GO/FO), and not allowing his first hit until there was one out in the top of the 6th inning (opposite-field double lined into the RF corner by Dustin Geiger). Kazmir walked three and struck out three during the course of his outing, inducing one GIDP. Kazmir consistently threw his fastball at 91-92 MPH, and kept the Cubs youngsters off-balance with an assortment of change-ups and breaking balls.

Jesus Morelli reached base five times on a double, three singles, and a walk, scored twice, and drove-in a run, and Larry Suarez came out of the bullpen to throw 3.1 IP of one hit ball with seven strikeouts, as the EXST Cubs defeated the EXST Athletics 8-6 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Connie Mack Field at the Papago Park Sports Complex in Phoenix.

Jesus Morelli lined an RBI single to left to knock-in the tying run and Johan DeJesus roped a two-run double off the LF fence to plate the go-ahead runs, as a split squad of EXST Cubs rallied with five runs in the bottom of the 8th to defeat the EXST Angels 6-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

Stephen Cardullo ripped a two-run walk-off double to cap a three-run 9th, as the EXST Diamondbacks rallied to edge the EXST Cubs 3-2 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at the Talking Stick Resort, east of Scottsdale, AZ.

Andrew Cashner was scheduled to make his first Extended Spring Training rehab start in today’s game at Talking Stick, but was scratched after warming in the bullpen before the game. Whether this latest setback will significantly delay his return to the mound is not clear at this time, but it certainly is not good news for Cashner or for the Cubs.

Diomendes Lopez slugged a three-run home run to cap a four-run 7th inning, and the EXST A’s cruised to an 8-2 victory over the EXST Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ.

Oakland closer Andrew Bailey (15-day DL - forearm strain) started the game for the EXST A’s, working 1.1 IP (18 pitches), and allowing one run (earned) on two hits, with no walks and no strikeouts. Although he did not record any strikeouts, his fastball was topping out at 94 MPH.

After watching the EXST Giants score four runs in the top of the 7th inning (last inning) to take an 8-7 lead, Dustin Geiger slugged a two-out three-run game-winning walk-off HR in the bottom of the 7th to give the EXST Cubs a 10-8 victory over the Giants on Field #3 and a split in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader played this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

The Giants edged the Cubs 2-1 in the game that was played on Field #2. Both games were seven-inning affairs.

Ryan Cuneo homered and doubled (and just missed another HR when a long fly hooked foul at the last second), Pin Chieh Chen had three hits (a single, a double, and a triple), and Randy Wells saw his first game action since April 4th, but the EXST Angels got hits when they counted and induced three rally-killing double-plays, edging a split squad of EXST Cubs 5-4 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

The game was extended an extra inning to allow all of the Angels and Cubs pitchers due to throw today to get their scheduled work.

The EXST Angels banged-out 13 hits including four doubles and two triples en route to an 8-4 victory over the EXST Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Diablo Park in Tempe.