Cubs & Rockies Split the Difference at Talking Stick

Jairo Rosario reached base four times (single, double, walk, and an HBP) and scored a run and RHSP Javier Palacios tossed four innings of shutout ball, leading the Rockies to a 7-2 victory over the Cubs on Dust Storm Field, and Roberto Caro belted a two-run triple and Andruw Monasterio followed with an RBI single to highlight a three-run third to help the Cubs take an early 3-0 lead, but then they had to hold-on to edge the Rockies 5-4 on Red Mountain Field, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader played this morning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.   

Eloy Jimenez drilled an RBI double and a single for the Cubs in a losing cause on Dust Storm Field. 

Chris Denorfia (on Cubs MLB 15-day DL - strained hamstring) continued his EXST rehab, serving as a DH for the Cubs squad on Red Mountain Field. He batted four times (once in each of the first four innings), and went 1-4 (5-3 GO his firsr time up, a strikeout looking in his second AB. a fly out to left his third time up, and a line-drive single to left in his fourth and final Plate Apparance). Denorfia appeared to be running better today than he did yesterday, but he clearly still isn't 100%.  

In EXST roster news, OF Kevin Encarnacion has been moved up to South Bend. Encarnacion was hitting 258/329/403 in 21 Cactus League EXST games (70 PA), with one HR and three triples, twelve RBI and nine runs scored, 7/10 BB/K, and one SB (no CS).  

Encarnnacion was signed by the Cubs out of Venezuela as an 18-year old in 2010, and has hit 291/402/428 in 797 career minor league games.

He was involved in a near-fatal car crash in the Dominican Republic post-2013 while attending an off-season mini-camp at the Cubs Dominican Academy. He was a passenger in the vehicle, and was pulled-out just seconds before the vehicle exploded.

Encarnacion suffered third-degree burns on his right side (he now wears a pressure-sleeve on his right arm) and shoulder damage as well, and the Cubs had him flown from the Dominican Republic to Phoenix immediately after the accident to be treated at the Burn Unit at Maricopa County Medical Center. After several surgeries and post-surgery rehabilitation that cost him the 2014 season, Encarnacion finally returned to the field at AZ Instructs post-2014.

The 23-year old Encarnacion was forced to give up switch-hitting as the result of the injuries sustained in the crash (he now only bats left-handed), and he was left behind at Extended Spring Training this year to continue working on hitting left-handed against LHP (not an easy task when you've never done it before) and to get regular playing time. 

Here are the abriged box scores from today's games (Cubs players only): 

DUST STORM FIELD 

CUBS SQUAD "A" LINEUP: 
1. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 1-4 (1B, F-7, F-8, 6-3) 
2. Ho-Young Son, SS: 1-2 (HBP, P-3, F-9 SF, 1B, RBI)
3. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 2-4 (4-6-3 DP, P-4, 2B, 1B, RBI)
4. Joey Martarano, 1B: 1-4 (K, 1B, K, P-6)
5. Frandy de la Rosa, 2B: 2-3 (1B, 1B, L-7)
6. Ricardo Marcano, LF: 1-3 (F-8, 1-3, 3B)
7. Jose Paniagua, DH: 0-3 (K, 5-3, K)
9. Adonis Paula, 3B: 1-3 (P-3, 1B, 6-3, R)
10. Erick Castillo, C: 1-3 (K, 1B, 3-1, R) 

CUBS SQUAD "A" PITCHERS: 
1. Carson Sands: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 PO, 1 BALK, 1/5 GO/FO, 76 pitches (46 strikes) 
2. Daniel Bard: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HBP, 0/2 GO/FO, 25 pitches (8 strikes) 
3. Pedro Araujo: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 0/5 GO/FO, 35 pitches (26 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "A" ERRORS: 1
2B Frandy de la Rosa: E-4 (two base throwing error allowed batter to reach 2nd base)

CUBS SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE::  
Erick Castillo: 0-1 CS 

RED MOUNTAIN FIELD 

CUBS SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
X.  Chris Denorfia, DH #1: 1-4 (5-3, K, F-7, 1B, R)
NOTE: Denorfia led-off the top of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings 
1. Andruw Monasterio, SS: 1-3 (F-7, 1B, 6-3, RBI)
2. Danny Gutierrez, LF: 0-2 (6-3, F-8, HBP, SB)
3. Alberto Mineo, 1B: 1-2 (2B, 6-3 DP) 
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED THIRD TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
4a. Jhonny Pereda, C: 0-1 (4-3, BB, R)
4b. Yohan Matos, C: 0-1 (6-3)
5. Robert Garcia, CF: 0-3 (K, K, 3-1)
6. Jenner Emeterio, DH #2: 1-2 (K, 1B, BB, R, SB)
7. Carlos Jimenez, 3B: 1-3 (F-8, 5-4 FC, 1B, RBI, SB, CS)
8. Varonex Cuevas, 2-3 (2B, F-7, 1B, R)
9. Roberto Caro, RF: 1-3 (3B, 1-3, K, R, 2 RBI)

CUBS SQUAD "B" PITCHERS:
1. Jesus Camargo: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 0/5 GO/FO, 63 pitches (32 strikes)
2. Dillon Maples: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, 1 PO, 3/0 GO/FO,  22 pitches (13 strikes) 
3. Scott Frazier: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 3 WP, 0/1 GO/FO, 34 pitches (19 strikes) 
4. Jae-Hoon Ha: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 5 pitches (3 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" ERRORS: NONE 

CUBS SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Jhonny Pereda; 1-2 CS 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's 

ATTENDANCE: 6