Caridad Rehab Moves Up to Iowa from Extended Spring Training

LHP Marcos Perez threw four shutout innings and DH Jae-Hoon Ha homered and doubled, but the EXST Angels scored two in the 5th, three in the 7th, and two more in the 8th, to defeat the EXST Cubs 7-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

With four more shutout innings today, Perez has now thrown 14-1/3 innings of shutout ball in six Extended Spring Training outings (2 GS), allowing just five hits and one walk in those 14.1 IP, while striking out 15. He also has a 17/10 GO/FO ratio, has averaged just 11.5 Pitches-Per-Inning, and has thrown 73% of his pitches strikes. I would say the Cubs pitching prospect Perez most-closely resembles is Peoria LHSP Jeffry Antigua, except Perez has better control.

19-year old Jae-Hoon Ha was a DH today, and he appears to finally be healthy after playing most of last season with a sore wrist. The power that he displayed at Minor League Camp in 2009 is slowly returning (he homered over the LF fence onto 8th Street today), and he’s finally able to turn on the ball and drive it. The only negative with Ha is that his catching has not progressed as well as was hoped, and I’m not sure he will remain behind the plate. While you do see some infielders or outfielders take to the position (most-notably Steve Clevenger and Robinson Chirinos), others (like Matt Cerda and Brandon May) just don’t seem to adapt very well. In the case of Ha, he was a catcher in high school in South Korea, but you wouldn’t know it by watching him operate behind the plate. He needs a LOT of work. (20% CS and 6 PB in six games at catcher so far at EXST). It’s no wonder the Cubs moved him to RF after they signed him (although they moved him back to catcher in the AZ Instructional League last September).

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHP Esmailin Caridad (on the Cubs 15-day DL since April 12th with a strained right forearm) has completed the Fitch Park portion of his injury rehab and will be joining the Iowa Cubs in New Orleans tonight, where he will be continuing his minor league rehab assignment. Caridad was at Extended Spring Training for a couple of weeks, but only appeared in one game (this past Saturday at Indian School Park in Scottsdale versus the EXST Giants, where he threw 19 pitches in 1.1 IP, allowing no hits or runs, while walking two and striking out one). He had good zip on his fastball, but his control was a bit off.

Here is today’s abridged box score (EXST Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Arismendy Alcantara, SS: 1-4 (1B, 2-3, 6-3, 4-3)
2. Runey Davis, CF: 1-4 (6-4-3 GIDP, F-8, L-6, 1B)
3. Jesus Morelli, RF: 2-3 (1B, 2B, BB, K)
4. Brandon May, DH #1: 1-3 (1B, K, BB, 6-3)
5. Charles Thomas, 3B: 0-3 (C-INT, K, P-4, K)
6. Bobby Wagner, 1B: 1-4 (K, F-7, 2B, K, R)
7. Jae-Hoon Ha, DH #2: 2-3 (K, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI)
8a. Carlos Romero, C: 0-3 (F-7, K, 4-3, RBI)
8b. Luis Flores, C: ---
9. Wes Darvill, 2B: 1-3 (P-5, K, 1B, RBI, CS)
10a. Cody Shields, LF: 0-2 (K, F-9)
10b. Albert Hernandez, LF: 0-1 (K)

PITCHERS:
1. Marcos Perez – 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 3/3 GO/FO, 49 pitches (36 strikes)
2. Yao-Lin Wang – 3.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, (5 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, 1 BALK, 1 PO, 1/3 GO/FO, 52 pitches (36 strikes)
3. Gian Guzman – 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 28 pitches (17 strikes)
4. Carlos Rojas - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 2/0 GO/FO, 16 pitches (11 strikes)

ERRORS (2):
2B Wes Darvill E-4 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base – did not score)
SS Arismendy Alcantara E-6 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base – did not score)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Luis Flores: 0-1 CS, 1 PO (runner at 3rd base)

OUTFIELD ASSIST:
CF Runey Davis threw out runner 8-6 trying to advance from 1st to 3rd on single

BASERUNNING ADVENTURES:
Runey Davis was thrown out 8-6 trying to stretch a single into a double with one out and the bases empty in the 7th

ATTENDANCE: 7

WEATHER: Sunny, breezy and cloudless, with temperatures in the 70’s