Giants Wear Their Hitting Clothes at Indian School Park
Gustavo Cabrera singled twice, doubled, and drove-in two runs, Jarrett Parker, Angel Villalona, and Tyler Horan contributed RBI singles to a four-run 3rd, and Giants hitters collectively belted out 17 hits, en route to a 9-7 victory over the Cubs in Arizona Instructional League action this afternoon at Indian School Park Field #1 in Scottsdale.
Mark Malave stroked two RBI singles, Trey Martin singled twice, scored a run, and drove-in another, and Giuseppe Papaccio and Jordan Hankins each hammered an RBI double for the Cubs in a losing cause.
16-year old Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres made his profesional game debut today, playing shotstop for three innings and getting two at-bats. He struck out his first time up (an ugly swing on a 3-2 breaking ball), and grounded out 4-3 in his final AB. He had one defensive chance and threw the ball away.
Torres was rated the #2 International prospect by Baseball America this past summer before signing with the Cubs on July 2nd ($1.7M bonus). The Cubs also signed the #1 rated 2013 International prospect (16-year old Dominican OF Eloy Jimenez - $2.8M bonus), and he is at Instructs, too, although he has yet to play in an AZIL game.
RHP Armando Rivero got an inning of work in today's game, in preparation for the start of the Arizona Fall League (AFL) season next Tuesday. (He is one of four Cubs pitchers who have been assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox). The 25-year old righthander's fastball was consistently clocked at 95-96 MPH today, and he used his hard splitter as his "chase" pitch.
Rivero was the closer for Industriales in Serie Nacional (the Cuban major league) for several seasons prior to defecting in 2011. He signed with the Cubs this past March ($3.1M signing bonus), and spent the 2013 season getting into playing shape (he hadn't piched competively since 2011) and then moving rapidly up through the pipeline, before finishing the season at AA Tennessee. Rivero had the fourth-highest K/IP rate in the organization.
Rivero will almost certainly get an NRI to Spring Training, and I would say as things stand right now, he has a reasonable chance of making the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster as a member of the bullpen. Depending on how things develop, he could even conceivably win the closer's job.
Here is the abridged box score from today's game. (Cubs players only). The game was stopped an inning early when the Cubs ran out of pitchers, plus after 3-1/2 hours of baseball in the hot afternoon sun (this was one of the longest Instructs games I've witnessed) following 2-1/2 hours of field instruction in the morning, everybody just wanted to go home.
CUBS LINEUP:
1. Kevin Encarnacion, DH #1: 0-4 (4-3, F-9, K, HBP, K)
2a. Trey Martin, CF: 2-3 (K, 1B, 1B, R, RBI)
2b. Rashad Crawford, CF: 0-1 (BB, K, RBI)
3. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 2-5 (1B, F-7, K, 3-U, 1B, R)
4a. Mark Malave, DH #2: 2-3 (6-4 FC, 1B, 1B, 2 RBI)
4b. Giuseppe Papaccio, PH-DH: 1-2 (K, 2B, R, RBI)
5a. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 1-3 (K, 6-4 FC, 1B, RBI)
5b. Jordan Hankins, 3B: 1-2 (K, 2B, RBI)
6a. Frandy de la Rosa, SS: 0-3 (4-3, L-9, K)
6b. Gleyber Torres, SS: 0-2 (K, 4-3)
7a. Kelvin Freeman, 1B: 0-1 (E-6, BB)
7b. Ben Carhart, 1B: 0-3 (3-1, F-9, L-5)
8a. Charcer Burks, LF: 0-2 (6-3, F-7)
8b. Jose Dore, LF: 0-2 (BB, K+WP, P-3, R)
9a. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-2 (1B, 1-6 FC, R, SB)
9b. Gioskar Amaya, 2B: 1-1 (BB, 1B)
10a. Cael Brockmeyer, C: 0-0 (HBP, BB, 2 R)
10b. Tyler Alamo, C: 0-1 (K, HBP)
CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Jose Rosario: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 4/1 GO/FO, 26 pitches (14 strikes)
2. Daury Torrez: 1.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 2/1 GO/FO, 34 pitches (22 strikes)
3. Armando Rivero: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 15 pitches (9 strikes)
4. Tyler Ihrig: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1 PO, 1/0 GO/FO, 42 pitches (29 strikes)
5. Scott Frazier: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 26 pitches (18 strikes)
CUBS ERRORS:
1. SS Frandy de la Rosa - E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)
2. SS Gleyber Torres - E-6 (throwing error on infield single allowed batter to advance an extra base)
CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Cael Brockmeyer: 1-1 CS
ATTENDANCE: 11 (mostly scouts)
WEATHER: Sunny, cloudless, and breezy, with temperatures in the 90's
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