Arizona Phil's Archives

Bryan Lahair drilled a walk-off single off the right-centerfield fence to drive-in Fernando Perez from third-base with the winning run, as the Cubs rallied from a ten-run deficit to edge the Los Angeles Angels 14-13 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm and sunny (and VERY breezy) Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

Up from Minor League Camp (Fitch Park) to provide some back-up insurance on the bench, D. J. Lemahieu slugged a pinch-hit two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give a Cubs split squad a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm & sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

Marlon Byrd doubled twice, walked once, and scored three runs, and Bobby Scales walked with the bases loaded to drive-in one run and cracked a two-run HR to knock-in two more, leading the Cubs to a 9-4 victory over the San Diego Padres in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm and sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

Carlos Zambrano threw three shutout innings, Blake DeWitt doubled, singled, drove-in a run, and scored another, and Augie Ojeda smacked a bases-loaded two-run double, but a split squad of Texas Rangers rallied from a 5-1 deficit to edge the Cubs 8-7 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa this afternoon.

The Cubs left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th and in the bottom of the 8th, as a split squad of Milwaukee Brewers hung-on for a 5-3 Cactus League victory in front of a sparse crowd at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in cool & sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

The Cubs Minor League Camp officially opens at Fitch Park next Monday, although some of the minor league players have arrived early and are working-out under the supervision of the Cubs minor league managers and coaches who are not assigned as Spring Training Instructors with the MLB club.

The Oakland A's outscored the Cubs 15-3 over the final eight innings to overcome a 4-0 1st inning deficit, pounding out 18 hits while thrashing the Cubs 15-7 in what was the Cubs 2011 Cactus League opener, played in 50 degree temperatures after an all-night rain before a disappointing crowd of only 6,892 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.   

It was another day of "live" BP in Mesa, with ten Cubs pitchers throwing 30 pitches each to groups of Cubs position players this morning at Fitch Park.  

"Live" BP continued at Fitch Park this morning, as Cubs position players faced Cubs pitchers.

Aramis Ramirez ripped a towering home run high over the LF fence onto 8th Street and Max Ramirez drilled a liner off the right-centerfield fence and almost took the pitcher's head off with a line drive up the middle, as James Russell was hit hard in a 25-pitch "live" BP session at Fitch Park Field #3 this morning.

12 Cubs pitchers threw "live" BP this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa. Each pitcher threw 25 pitches, and each hitter saw five or six pitches befiore rotating out of the batting cage.

The Cubs acquired RHP Robert Coello from the Boston Red Sox yesterday, in exchange for minor league 2B Tony Thomas. Coello had been Designated for Assignment by the Red Sox last Wednesday to make room on their 40-man roster after the Sox signed free-agent RHP Alfredo Aceves. 

Pitchers & catchers and a number of position players have reported to Cubs Spring Training Camp at Fitch Park in Mesa.

ESPN's Bruce Levine reports that the Cubs have signed 34-year old free-agent OF Reed Johnson to a minor league contact with an invitation to Spring Training.

The right-handed hitting Johnson played college ball at Cal State - Fullerton, and was a 17th round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999. He made his big league debut in 2003, and is a career 281/340/408 hitter in MLB.

The Cubs have claimed 26-year old C-1B Max Ramirez off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.