Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Brewers Tuesday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2017-03-14T19:05:12-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/146454432017-03-14T19:05:12-05:002017-03-14T19:05:12-05:00Cubs 7, Brewers 7: Fit To Be Tied
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<figcaption>Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs were one strike away from victory... twice.</p> <p id="e8pV6O"><strong>MESA, Arizona</strong> — Had this sort of thing happened in a regular-season game, I, and you, would probably be pretty upset.</p>
<p id="5FPwSC">But it’s the middle of March and it’s spring training and wins and losses mean nothing, especially when the pitches are being thrown by a reliever who was reassigned to the minor-league camp Monday and the batters are Single-A and Double-A hitters.</p>
<p id="DTTAmL"><span>Jose Rosario</span> retired the first two batters in the ninth with a 6-5 lead. Then he got to strike two on each of the next two, but walked both of them. The next hitter, Dustin Houle, an eighth-round pick who’s barely played above A ball, singled. Eloy Jimenez charged the ball as one run scored, and... well, I don’t even know if I can describe the throw, which went in the general direction of the third-base dugout. It bounced near the folding chairs where the coaches sit and into the third row of seats, scoring a second run.</p>
<p id="env72d">I honestly don’t know what happened to Eloy there; he’s played reasonably good defense in the times I’ve seen him play. That time... not so much.</p>
<p id="bET7Xr">The <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> thus took a 7-6 lead into the last of the ninth, but <span>Chris Dominguez</span> smashed a home run well onto the left-field berm off <span>Tyler Cravy</span>, who we’ve seen pitch against the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> before. The next three hitters went down 1-2-3 and so the game ended in <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2017_03_14_milmlb_chnmlb_1">a 7-7 tie</a>, the Cubs’ fourth of the spring. I am now officially out of “tie” phrases to use, so either the Cubs have to not have any more of them this spring, or perhaps you all can suggest some.</p>
<p id="wy36Cz">Now let’s go back to the beginning of the game and talk about the performances of the Cubs who’ll matter this year. <span>Brett Anderson</span> threw three innings, and even though he gave up two runs, the Brewers scored them with only one ball leaving the infield, a double by catcher Rene Garcia. The next ball was hit in the general direction of <span>Ben Zobrist</span>, but it went for a hit, scoring a run. <span>Kris Bryant</span> couldn’t pick up the next grounder, another infield single. A walk loaded the bases and an infield out scored the second run. I thought, in general, Anderson looked pretty good. He was getting ground balls, which is his specialty.</p>
<p id="3jItk9">The Cubs had previously scored a single run in the first on Bryant’s third homer of the spring. <span>Willson Contreras</span> knotted the game 2-2 with a solo shot in the bottom of the second, also his third. That followed a single by <span>Jason Heyward</span> — his first Sloan Park hit of the spring — but Heyward was thrown out trying to steal before Willson’s blast.</p>
<p id="OuC76T">Then the Cubs opened up for four runs in the third. Zobrist and Byrant walked and <span>Addison Russell</span> doubled them in. Heyward followed with a double to deep center, scoring Russell, and Contreras singled Heyward in. Heyward’s first hit was a bleeder that just got through, but the double was hit with authority. His third at-bat was a foul popup. Baby steps. I did think he looked much better at the plate in this one.</p>
<p id="nfkQBo">So it’s 6-2 after three and <span>Mike Montgomery</span> entered and did not look good, no he did not, not at all. He might have had better luck in the fourth, as Bryant made an error allowing Garcia to reach. The Brewers then posted two straight singles, scoring a run, and a wild pitch advanced both runners, and then another run scored on an infield out.</p>
<p id="TrEsZf"><span>Eric Thames</span>, who the Brewers hope will provide the power they lost when <span>Chris Carter</span> left to free agency, hit a long home run off Montgomery in the fifth that made it 6-5. Monty issued another walk, got out of it with a double-play ball, then gave up a double before ending the inning on a called third strike. </p>
<p id="L6PhJu">Monty’s third inning was scoreless, but he gave up another double (to <span>Travis Shaw</span>) and it might have been worse if Bryant hadn’t made a nice grab of a screaming liner that appeared headed to the left-field corner to end the frame.</p>
<p id="HaXA2m">So this “hybrid” thing that Joe Maddon is thinking about with Anderson and Montgomery might have to have some further thinking. Right now it appears to me that Anderson has won the fifth-starter spot and Montgomery goes to the bullpen for a role similar to what he did last year, relief and an occasional “sixth starter” spot.</p>
<p id="Cb65HI">After the fourth inning, 12 Cubs in a row were retired until Dominguez hit the home run to tie the game. This Brewers squad wasn’t anything like the ones we’ll see during the season. Only four players who will be Milwaukee regulars were in the game (shortstop <span>Orlando Arcia</span>, right fielder <span>Domingo Santana</span>, Thames, and Shaw). And here’s a comment from Brewers starter <span>Zach Davies</span>, who has handled the Cubs well in the past:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Davies admitted he fell behind too much vs. Cubs. But: “It’s tough when you don’t want to show a team in your division everything you have.”</p>— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/841777118530887680">March 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="CYsb8Q">This is why spring results don’t mean very much. That statement tells you that <span>Davies</span> wasn’t throwing his best stuff.</p>
<p id="RcMqus">It was really, really hot in Mesa Tuesday, listed as 91 at game time, the temperature indicator in my car said 97 when I left, and while hot weather is typical for the Phoenix area, not this hot, not this early. The average high for this date is 76.</p>
<p id="LBhYyU">That didn’t stop Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts from coming out to sign autographs for fans:</p>
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<cite>Al Yellon</cite>
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<p id="wWpWpb">And it didn’t stop another huge crowd, 15,478, from attending. That makes the season total for nine dates 134,187, or 14,910 per date.</p>
<p id="R2iV73">Wednesday will be the first of two home night games this spring. <span>Kyle Hendricks</span> will start for the Cubs and <span>Taijuan Walker</span> for the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>. A reminder that with the time change, the 7:05 p.m. Arizona time start means 9:05 p.m. CT.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/14/14929578/cubs-brewers-recap-kris-bryant-willson-contreras-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2017-03-14T16:30:01-05:002017-03-14T16:30:01-05:00Overflow Thread: Cubs vs. Brewers, Tuesday 3/14, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="gZ3B3k">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/14/14854908/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-brewers-tuesday-3-14-3-05-ctAl Yellon2017-03-14T15:00:01-05:002017-03-14T15:00:01-05:00First Pitch Thread: Cubs vs. Brewers, Tuesday 3/14, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="WZgMDI">Go get ‘em, Brett.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/14/14854660/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-brewers-tuesday-3-14-3-05-ctAl Yellon2017-03-14T13:00:01-05:002017-03-14T13:00:01-05:00Cubs vs. Brewers at Mesa Preview, Tuesday 3/14, 3:05 CT
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs return home after a couple of road games.</p> <p><strong>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</strong> -- On a snowy day in Chicago, I suspect it might be fun for you to listen (no TV today) to a baseball game, to think about the spring and summer to come.</p>
<p>The Brewers, who visit Mesa this afternoon, had a big day yesterday. <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2017_03_13_seamlb_milmlb_1" target="_blank">They defeated the Mariners 24-3.</a> Even for spring training, that's pretty wild. In all of big-league history in the regular season, a team has scored 24 or more runs just 27 times.</p>
<p>Beyond that, the Brewers had 23 of those runs by the fifth inning. And our old buddy <span>Kirk Nieuwenhuis</span> -- who hits Cubs pitching but really no one else -- went 3-for-4 with a home run and six RBI.</p>
<p>Most of the Brewers in that game aren't playing today.</p>
<p id="eMiaMp">Here are today's particulars.</p>
<p id="zTT2Yn"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Zobrist 2B, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Russell SS, Heyward RF, Contreras C, Montero DH, Szczur LF, Jay CF</blockquote>
<p id="N3NTj0"><a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Brinson CF, Arcia SS, Shaw DH, Santana RF, Thames 1B, Reed LF, Susac C, Erceg 3B, Diaz 2B</blockquote>
<p id="xGreyq"><span>Brett Anderson</span> will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: <span>Mike Montgomery</span> (again piggybacking with <span>Anderson</span>), <span>Zac Rosscup</span>, <span>Felix Pena</span>, <span>Jose Rosario</span> and <span>Pierce Johnson</span>.</p>
<p id="Nbgq2d"><span>Zach Davies</span> gets the call for the Brewers.</p>
<p id="iCuKSm">Today’s game is on <a href="http://cubs.com">cubs.com</a> with Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie. As noted above, no TV today.</p>
<p id="twws67"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2017_03_14_milmlb_chnmlb_1&mode=gameday">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p id="CaUdsX"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?date=4/1/2015#date=3/14/2017">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p id="77FG6H">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> site <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brew Crew Ball</a>. If you do go there to interact with Brewers 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 id="MNoeEF"><em>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.</em></p>
<p id="fnbMtI">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 3 p.m. CT and 4:30 p.m. CT.</p>
<p id="eDrZXV">These threads will <em>not</em> 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 <em>bottom</em> 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 Night.</p>
<p id="gybvBV">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/14/14854348/cubs-brewers-mesa-preview-tuesdayAl Yellon