Cubs Minor League Spring Training Game Recap

Michael Rucker (five innings) and Tom Hatch (four no hit innings) combined to hurl a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts, but neither team could push across a run, and so the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies AA affiliate) and the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA affiliate) played to a scoreless tie on Field #5, and the Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies AAA affiliate) blistered five HR en route to a 13-5 drubbing of the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Cubs) on Field #6, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Sunday afternoon on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Zack Short drilled a two-run double for the I-Cubs in a losing cause. 

Yu Darvish came over to the Riverview backfields from MLB Camp and got the start for Iowa, going 4.1 IP (71 pitches - 47 strikes), and allowing three runs on five hits (a HR on the very first pitch of the game, a double, and three singles), no walks, one HBP, two wild pitches, eight strikeouts, and 1/4 GO/AO. Despite allowing the three runs, it actually was a decent outing for Yu.

INF Daniel Descalso, who has been nursing a sore shoulder, also came over to the Minor League side from MLB Camp. Descalso batted second in each of the first six innings, going a combined 0-5 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored, and two strikeouts (one swinging and one looking). He looked a bit rusty at the plate. He played 2B for three innings, then moved to 3B for two innings, and then served as a DH, before retiring to the clubhouse in the 7th.  

Here are the abridged box scores from the game (Cubs players only) 

SP Justin Steele and five relievers combined to hurl a one-hit shutout, Robel Garcia belted a solo HR and an RBI single, Eddy Julio Martinez drilled two RBI singles, walked, and scored, and Jhonny Bethencourt hammered a single and a double, stole a base, and scored two runs, as the Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs AA affiliate) blanked the Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics AA afffiliate) 8-0 on Field #3, and Zach Borenstein walloped a monster grand slam HR over the CF batter's eye, Zack Short ripped a solo HR and an RBI single and scored two runs, Fernando Arcia singled twice, walked, stole a base, and drove-in a run, and SP Duncan Robinson hurled 4.2 IP of one-run ball (he gave up his only run on a sac fly on his 71st and final pitch), propelling the Iowa Cubs (AAA affiliate of the Cubs) to a 7-1 victory over the Las Vegas Aviators (AAA affiliate of the A's) on Field #4, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Saturday afternoon at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.   

Of the ten Cubs minor league pitchers who threw in the games at Fitch Park on Saturday, only two (Duncan Robinson and George Kontos) are actually assigned to the AAA Iowa squad at Minor League Camp. The other eight who threw (including two who pitched in the AAA game) are assigned to the AA Tennessee squad.   

Speaking of the AA Tennessee pitching staff, with Bailey Clark throwing three innings for Tennessee in Friday's intrasquad game at Riverview and Ian Clarkin and Tyson Miller working out of the Smokies bullpen Saturday at Fitch Park (each threw only 19 pitches), it would appear that the Cubs may be prepping Clark to be a SP and Clarkin and T. Miller to be bullpen guys at Tennessee (which is the exact opposite of how things looked just a week ago).   

Here are the abridged box scores from Saturday's games (Cubs players only):  

Delvin Zinn walloped a solo HR, doubled, reach base on an HBP, and scored three runs, Yonathan Perlaza tripled, walked, stole two bases, and scored two runs, Chris Singleton singled twice, stole two bases, and scored two runs, and seven Cub pitchers combined to toss a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts (including five by SP Yunior Perez in just 1.2 IP), as the Mesa Cubs thrashed the Langley Blaze 7-1 in Minor League Camp game action Friday morning on Field #4 on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

A member of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (BCPBL), the Langley Blaze are one of the top amateur baseball clubs in Canada. Notable alumni include Brett Lawrie and Scott Mathieson, as well as ex-Cub minor leaguer Wes Darvill. 

The Blaze are on a ten-day Arizona Spring Training Trip, where they are playing minor league teams, and college and high school teams. The Blaze are scheduled to play one or two (and sometimes even three!) games per day, including morning games, afternoon games, night games, doubleheaders, and split squad games, so the Canadian lads (age 15-18) are playing a LOT of baseball in the Valley of the Sun.
 
Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only): 

Diego Rincones blasted a two-run HR in the 1st inning and an RBI double in the 3rd, and then with their team trailing by a run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Fabian Pena and Dalton Combs belted back-to-back RBI doubles for the walk-off victory, as the San Jose Giants (Hi-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) rallied to edge the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) 5-4 on Field #1, and Luis Vazquez drilled a two-run single, walked, and stole a base for the Cubs, and Marco Luciano rifled a two-run double for the Greenjackets, as the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) and Augusta Greenjackets (Giants Lo-A affiliate) played to a 3-3 tie on Field #2, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Wednesday afternoon at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Cole Roederer (who smacked a HR in the Cactus League MLB game at Sloan Park on Tuesday) tripled, singled, walked, and scored two runs for the Pelicans in a losing cause on Field #1. 

Here are the abridged box scores from the games (Cubs players only): 

Tyler Durna singled twice, doubled, scored a run, knocked-in a run with a sacrifice fly, and stole a base, D. J. Artis reached base three times (a single and two walks) and scored a run, Dalton Hurd smacked an RBI triple and a single and scored a run, Josue Huma ripped a two-run triple, and SP Cam Sanders tossed three innings of no run/no hit ball, leading the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Cubs) to a 4-1 victory over the Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies Lo-A affiliate) on Field #5, and Aramis Ademan belted a HR leading off the bottom of the 1st inning, singled, walked and scored, Miguel Amaya roped an RBI double into the LF corner and scored, Jimmy Herron drilled an RBI single, reached base on an HBP, and stole a base, and Jon Lester hurled six innings (87 pitches) of two-run ball (five hits, two walks, seven strikeouts, and a wild pitch) and combined with Bryan Hudson to fan 13, as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) edged the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies Hi-A affiliate) 3-2 on Field #6, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Monday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ. 

The rest of the Cubs MLB squad had the day off, but Victor Caratini came over to the Riverview backfields to catch Lester, and he had one AB in each of the first six innings (while he and Lester were in the game), going 1-5 with a double and a walk.  

In Cubs Minor League Camp news, OF Jamie Galazin (Cubs 2018 22nd round draft pick - St. John's) is being converted to a RHP. He was drafted by the Cubs as an outfielder, but he did pitch a bit in college (10 games), so he is at least somewhat familiar with the pitching thing. Whether Galazin will be used strictly as a pitcher or possibly as the now popular "two-way player" remains to be seen, but in either case he will be remaining at Extended Spring Training while he proceeds forward with the mound conversion.  

Here are the abridged box scores from the games (Cubs players only): 

Dalton Hurd laced a two-strike opposite-field line drive RBI single to right to tie the game and D. J. Artis followed two batters later with a walk-off game-winning RBI single to CF, as the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Cubs) rallied from a 2-1 deficit entering the bottom of the 9th to edge the Augusta Greenjackets (San Francisco Giants Lo-A affiliate) 3-2 on Field #5, and SP Ryan Williams and four relievers combined to toss a four-hit shutout with ten strikeouts as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) blanked the San Jose Giants (Hi-A affiliate of the Giants) 1-0 on Field #6, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Sunday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ.      

Cubs coaches played Irish Folk Music during morning BP and it obviously really inspired the lads!  

Here are the abridged box scores from the games (Cubs players only): 

Delvin Zinn singled, doubled, walked, stole a base, and scored a run, Andy Weber singled twice, walked, and scored a run, and Miguel Amaya ripped a bases-loaded RBI single (Wladimir Galindo was thrown out at home on the play or it would have been two RBI), as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) edged the Stockton Ports (Hi-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics) 2-1 on Field #4, and SP Wyatt Marks hurled three innings of no run/no hit ball, Max Schuemann drilled an RBI single and a double and scored a run, and Jesus Lopez belted a solo HR, leading the Beloit Snappers (A's Lo-A affiliate) to a 5-3 victory over the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Cubs) on Field #3, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Saturday afternoon at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Nelson Velazquez laced an RBI double and a single and Jake Slaughter belted a game-tying two-run double as the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Cubs) rallied to tie the Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics Lo-A affiliate) 4-4 on Field #5, and Jeremy Eierman collected four RBI (by way of a two-run double and a two-run single), Lizaro Armenteros clubbed a solo HR, and RHSP Brady Feigl hurled three innings of one-run ball and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter with nine strikeouts, helping the Stockton Ports (A's Hi-A affiliate) cruise past the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) 7-1 on Field #6, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Friday afternoon on John Arguello Way at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

As is typical for Cubs Minor League Spring Training games, several players assigned to the bloated South Bend roster were moved-up to higher levels for the day. 

And MLB NRI catcher Francisco Arcia wandered into the backfields in about the 4th inning and was invited to be a DH in the South Bend game. He went 1-2 with a double into the right-centerfield alley and an F-9 (near-HR) to the warning track. 

Here are the abridged box scores from the games (Cubs players only):  

Tyler Durna stroked a three-run HR and Ian Clarkin, Ryan Kellogg, Javier Assad, amd Scott Effross combined to strike out 16, leading the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) to a 4-2 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Angels Hi-A affiliate) an Field #3, and Luke Reynolds and Grant Fennell each belted a two-run HR, Christopher Morel singled, doubled, stole two bases, and scored two runs, Yonathan Perlaza drilled an RBI triple, walked, stole a base, and scored a run, and Riley Thompson hurled three perfect innings and combined with three other pitchers to toss a four-hit shutout, as the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Cubs) blanked the Burlington Bees (Angels Lo-A affiliate) 9-0 on Field #4, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training game action Thursday afternoon at Diablo Stadium Fields in Tempe, AZ.  

The two Cubs affiliates combined to walk 15 times in the two games (ten by South Bend) and the SB-Cubs also stole seven bases.  

As is typical for Cubs Minor League Spring Training games, several players assigned to the bloated South Bend roster were moved-up to higher levels for the day. 

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only):  

Vimael Machin ripped an RBI double, singled, and stole a base, Jhonny Pereda singled twice and drove-in a run, and Keegan Thompson and three relievers combined to toss a two-hit shutout, in Cubs Minor League Camp intrasquad game action Monday afternoon on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ. 

It was a rare day off for the MLB squad (one of only two this spring), so there was no activity on the other side of the UAPC. 

Here is the box score from the game: