Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Indians Wednesday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2016-03-09T18:20:49-06:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/109231072016-03-09T18:20:49-06:002016-03-09T18:20:49-06:00Indians 5, Cubs 3: Jake, Great! Others Not So Much
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<figcaption>Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs ace was ace-like in his first spring start.</p> <p><b>MESA, Arizona</b> -- <span>Jake Arrieta</span> picked up where he left off last fall.</p>
<p>Well, not <i>exactly</i> where he left off, because after his amazing performance in the 2015 wild-card game, Jake wasn't all that great against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>. Jake himself admitted he was "gassed" after the wild-card game, so Joe Maddon is letting him break in slowly this year, and will likely limit his innings through the regular season.</p>
<p>Arrieta struck out four of the six hitters he faced and only one batter (<span>Carlos Santana</span>) hit the ball out of the infield. He looked just like the Jake we saw the second half of 2015. I found this interesting:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> Arrieta joked that considered intentionally walking leadoff batter in 3rd so he could pitch with a man on base</p>
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/707691289869815808">March 9, 2016</a>
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<p>Now, first of all, Jake didn't pitch the third inning -- maybe he meant the second. But I wonder if that was a joke or not. Maybe working with a runner on base is something worth doing. In reality, you probably don't want to "intentionally" put anyone on base, but in a spring training game where you might want to practice something that would help you during the season?</p>
<p>Anyway, it was all downhill after Jake left the game. <span>Pierce Johnson</span> threw one inning, allowed a homer to <span>Giovanny Urshela</span>, gave up another run on a couple of singles and a walk, and managed to get out of the inning on a fly ball with the bases loaded. That's not exactly good, especially since I'm pretty sure Maddon would have liked Johnson to throw two innings, not one. <span>Edgar Olmos</span> allowed a run in his one inning of work, and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> chipped away, scoring two more runs off relievers who won't make the team, <span>C.J. Riefenhauser</span> and Rex Brothers. Brothers, again, had no command nor control and I don't see where he could even be backup help at Iowa. He's on the 40-man roster... for now. If the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> need that spot he could be let go, I think.</p>
<p>The only Cubs pitcher who threw reasonably well was minor leaguer <span>Michael Jensen</span>, and he was helped out by two nice defensive plays. First, third baseman Khristopher Negron caught <span>Tyler Naquin</span> off third base after Naquin had apparently tripled into the gap. In the eighth, Negron started a slick 5-4-3 double play.</p>
<p>The Cubs' offense was pretty moribund. Of the six regulars who started, only <span>Miguel Montero</span> had a hit, a second-inning single. <span>Jeimer Candelario</span> homered in the fifth, his first of the spring, and that might have been it except for a two-out, ninth-inning error that allowed Taylor Davis to reach base. <span>John Andreoli</span> then homered, a home run that will likely be remembered only by his friends and family.</p>
<p>Winning, obviously, doesn't mean anything until April 4. But at a certain point, I'd think Maddon would like to get a regular rotation of front-line players going. There are 64 players in camp, and almost all of them seem to be getting playing time. After the split-squad games Saturday with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">White Sox</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, I'd expect some roster cuts to come at that point and the guys going north will get more playing time.</p>
<p>Ian Happ, last year's No. 1 draft pick, had his first experience in a big-league spring game. He entered in the sixth inning at second base, helped turn that above-mentioned double play, and grounded out and walked in two plate appearances.</p>
<p>Attendance watch: The Cubs were about 1,000 short of a sellout Wednesday with an announced crowd of 14,254. But then there was this:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> attendance: 15,224 at Sloan Park today</p>
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/707689165232545793">March 9, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Need to update <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> attendance today at Sloan Park -- it's 14,254.</p>
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/707696107325788160">March 9, 2016</a>
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<p>Not sure why or how that happened, but there it is. I'd expect sellouts or close Friday and Saturday and we'll see what they'll announce. That makes the season total attendance for five games 72,393, an average of 14,479 per date.</p>
<p>Thursday, the Cubs travel to Peoria to face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a>. <span>Jon Lester</span> makes the start, his first of the spring, and will face Seattle's Wade Miley.</p>
<p>And yes, my internet is back. As Joni Mitchell once sang, "You don't know what you got till it's gone."</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2016/3/9/11189710/cubs-indians-recap-jake-arrieta-jeimer-candelario-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2016-03-09T15:30:03-06:002016-03-09T15:30:03-06:00Overflow Thread: Cubs vs. Indians, Wednesday 3/9
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2016/3/9/11159276/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-indians-wednesday-3-9-2-05-ctAl Yellon2016-03-09T14:00:02-06:002016-03-09T14:00:02-06:00First Pitch Thread: Cubs vs Indians, Wednesday 3/9
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2016/3/9/11159238/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-indians-wednesday-3-9-2-05-ctAl Yellon2016-03-09T12:00:03-06:002016-03-09T12:00:03-06:00Cubs vs. Indians at Mesa Preview, Wednesday 3/9
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<figcaption>Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Eventually, the Cubs will win another game. How about today?</p> <p><b>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</b> -- This pitching matchup, if it were scheduled during the regular season, would get quite a bit of buzz. Instead, the matchup of previous Cy Young Award winners is just a spring tuneup.</p>
<p>Both Jake Arrieta and Corey Kluber will be making their first appearances of 2016, so there's that.</p>
<p>Incidentally, something I forgot to mention in yesterday's recap: for the first time in a couple of years, the temperature at game time in Mesa (64) was cooler than the temperature in Chicago (66). Trivial, I realize, but something of minor note.</p>
<p>Here are the rest of today's particulars.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
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<pre>Fowler CF, Heyward RF, Zobrist 2B, Rizzo 1B, Montero C, Russell SS, Candelario 3B, Vogelbach DH, Petez LF</pre>
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<p>Indians lineup:</p>
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<pre>Davis DH, Naquin CF, Santana 1B, Gomes C, Chisenhall RF, Grossman LF, Urshela 3B, Gonzalez SS, Martinez 2B</pre>
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<p><span>Jake Arrieta</span> will make his spring debut for the Cubs this afternoon. Other Cubs pitchers on the schedule to throw today: <span>Rex Brothers</span>, <span>Pierce Johnson</span>, <span>Manny Parra</span>, <span>Edgar Olmos</span> and <span>C.J. Riefenhauser</span>.</p>
<p><span>Corey Kluber</span> starts for the Tribe. Also scheduled: <span>Josh Tomlin</span>, <span>Ross Detwiler</span>, <span>Jeff Manship</span>, <span>Felipe Paulino</span> and <span>Kyle Crockett</span>.</p>
<p>Today's game is on cubs.com with Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie. Note: the next game available on TV is tomorrow, when the game will be carried by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a> network Root Sports Seattle (it'll be on MLB.tv if you have a subscription).</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2016_03_09_clemlb_chnmlb_1&mode=gameday">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?date=4/1/2015#date=3/9/2016">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p>Please visit our SB Nation <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> site <a href="http://www.letsgotribe.com" target="_blank">Let's Go Tribe</a>. If you do go there to interact with Indians fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.</p>
<p><i>Please note that during spring training, Gameday doesn't usually go pitch-by-pitch as it does during the regular season -- usually, it will update after each at-bat.</i></p>
<p>For spring-training games, we'll have a first-pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time (because I know how you all like overflow threads!). For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.</p>
<p>These threads will <i>not</i> post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked <a href="http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/chicago-cubs-game-threads">"Chicago Cubs Game Threads"</a> at the <i>bottom</i> of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher boxes and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.</p>
<p>Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2016/3/9/11159024/cubs-indians-mesa-preview-wednesdayAl Yellon