Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Rockies Monday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2017-03-20T19:00:05-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/146471372017-03-20T19:00:05-05:002017-03-20T19:00:05-05:00Cubs 9, Rockies 6: A Tale of Two Games
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<figcaption>Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This one was going quickly. And then it wasn’t.</p> <p id="Qj2P03"><strong>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</strong> — While most of the regulars for both the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> and <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> were playing Monday afternoon at Talking Stick, this game was speeding right along, much as Sunday night’s game did.</p>
<p id="gMzd0B">The Cubs fashioned a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single by <span>Kyle Schwarber</span> and a sac fly from <span>Albert Almora Jr.</span> They scored one more in the third, on another sac fly, this one from Ian Happ.</p>
<p id="dZV7uJ"><span>Kyle Hendricks</span>, again breezing through most of the Rox lineup, got touched up for three straight singles after two were out in the last of the fourth, scoring two runs. In general, Hendricks looked fine and again ready to start the season. He was removed with two out in the fifth, presumably because he had reached a pitch count limit (he threw 64 pitches, probably limited to 65 on a very hot afternoon).</p>
<p id="FJ5o8b">That score held up through a number of big-league relievers, including <span>Justin Grimm</span>, <span>Wade Davis</span> and <span>Koji Uehara</span> for the Cubs and <span>Greg Holland</span> and our old buddy <span>Jason Motte</span> for the Rox.</p>
<p id="SeB193">Seven innings were completed in just over two hours.</p>
<p id="wi3dgM">And then... minor-league relievers entered and the eighth inning took about 40 minutes to complete. Cubs regulars were still in the game when Rockies reliever <span>Jairo Diaz</span> entered. He retired the first two hitters he faced, then gave up a single to Miguel Montero. Then this happened:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/superSZCZ4">@superSZCZ4</a>'s opens a big 8th inning with a two-run homer.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> 9-2 in 8th. <a href="https://t.co/GQ4xzvs5k6">https://t.co/GQ4xzvs5k6</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpringTraining?src=hash">#SpringTraining</a> <a href="https://t.co/nTUQXJXDWH">pic.twitter.com/nTUQXJXDWH</a></p>— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/843955286679347201">March 20, 2017</a>
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<p id="Swaopc"><span>Matt Szczur</span>’s two-run homer made it 5-2, but the Cubs weren’t done. They had three more hits, two walks and a hit batsman in the inning, winding up with 11 men taking a turn at bat and six runs scoring. Szczur was 3-for-4 on the afternoon and is hitting .387 this spring. I certainly hope he makes the 25-man roster. His main competition, <span>Tommy La Stella</span>, went 1-for-4 and is hitting .227 so far. Yes, I know, spring results, minor-league pitchers, etc. But I think Szczur is more valuable to this team. TLS did make a nice play in the field, snaring a line drive off the bat of <span>Pat Valaika</span> (Chris’ younger brother) in the seventh.</p>
<p id="VSAjQn"><span>Alec Mills</span> wasn’t any better for the Cubs in the last of the eighth, though the minor leaguers behind him on the field didn’t do him any favors. A catchable ball dropped for a single, then Jason Vosler made an error. After that Mills seemed to lose it. He issued a walk, got a called third strike, then gave up hits to three of the next four hitters. The four-run inning made it relatively close at 9-6, though only two of the four runs off Mills were earned.</p>
<p id="NnxHD7">He recovered for a scoreless ninth, leaving <span>Dylan Floro</span>, the only Cubs pitcher making the trip over who didn’t throw in the game, warming up in the bullpen.</p>
<p id="TBhw12">Again, a large crowd over the listed capacity (12,500) at Talking Stick attended this game — 13,380, about half Cubs fans.</p>
<p id="KjtwfF">I’m going to make this recap a bit abbreviated as at 7:30 p.m. CT, there will be a preview & game thread for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-baseball-classic">World Baseball Classic</a> semifinal between Puerto Rico and the Netherlands posted here. Enjoy the WBC game — the Cubs have Tuesday off and will resume the spring schedule Wednesday evening (8:05 p.m. CT) against the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> at Goodyear.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/20/14991106/cubs-rockies-recap-kyle-hendricks-matt-szczur-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2017-03-20T16:30:02-05:002017-03-20T16:30:02-05:00Overflow Thread: Cubs vs. Rockies, Monday 3/20, 3:10 CT
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="fhw1Ey">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/20/14882224/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-rockies-monday-3-20-3-10-ctAl Yellon2017-03-20T15:00:01-05:002017-03-20T15:00:01-05:00First Pitch Thread: Cubs vs. Rockies, Monday 3/20, 3:10 CT
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="yBC0D5">Go get ‘em, Kyle. </p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/20/14882048/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-rockies-monday-3-20-3-10-ctAl Yellon2017-03-20T13:00:01-05:002017-03-20T13:00:01-05:00Cubs vs. Rockies at Talking Stick Preview, Monday 3/20, 3:10 CT
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs will play three times at Talking Stick this week.</p> <p id="eMiaMp"><b>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</b> -- As you would expect with a day game after a night game in spring training, everyone who started in Sunday night's contest gets today off.</p>
<p>I would expect that would begin to change after Tuesday's off day, as Joe Maddon begins to get everyone prepared for the grind of the regular season.</p>
<p>Here are today's particulars.</p>
<p id="zTT2Yn"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Schwarber LF, Almora CF, Montero C, Szczur RF, La Stella 3B, Happ 2B, Candelario 1B, Kawasaki SS, Hendricks P</blockquote>
<p id="N3NTj0">Rockies lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Blackmon CF, LeMahieu 2B, Story SS, Reynolds 1B, Cardullo LF, Tapia RF, Adames 3B, Garneau C, Anderson P</blockquote>
<p id="StHaDT">This is the first Cubs game this spring in which pitchers will bat for both teams.</p>
<p><span>Kyle Hendricks</span> will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled: <span>Alec Mills</span>, <span>Koji Uehara</span>, <span>Justin Grimm</span>, <span>Wade Davis</span> and <span>Dylan Floro</span>.</p>
<p id="Nbgq2d"><span>Tyler Anderson</span> gets the call for the Rockies. Other Colorado pitchers scheduled: <span>Greg Holland</span>, <span>Carlos Estevez</span>, <span>Jairo Diaz</span> and <span>Jason Motte</span>.</p>
<p id="4h93y7">Today’s game is on <a href="http://cubs.com">cubs.com</a> with Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie. It’s also on Root Sports Rocky Mountain with the Rockies broadcast team and will be available on MLB.tv. The Root Sports telecast will be rebroadcast on MLB Network at 5 a.m. CT on Tuesday.</p>
<p id="twws67"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2017_03_20_chnmlb_colmlb_1&mode=gameday">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p id="i22M99"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?date=4/1/2015#date=3/20/2017">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p id="77FG6H">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> site <a href="http://www.purplerow.com/">Purple Row</a>. If you do go there to interact with Rockies 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="ciDYdj">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/20/14882846/cubs-rockies-talking-stick-preview-mondayAl Yellon