Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Astros Friday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2017-03-31T16:00:30-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/147731512017-03-31T16:00:30-05:002017-03-31T16:00:30-05:00Cubs 6, Astros 3: Ready To Go!
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Two more days till things start for real.</p> <p id="kIlyhc"><strong>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</strong> — The <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> finished the 2017 spring-training season with a record of 13-18, similar to last year’s 11-19 mark (although the five tie games they played were the most of any spring in Cubs history).</p>
<p id="KIqB6V">Let’s hope the 2017 regular season follows in the wonderful footsteps that 2016 left for history.</p>
<p id="t5EQil">Friday’s <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2017_03_31_chnmlb_houmlb_1">6-3 win over the Astros</a> in front of a crowd of 15,420 that again seemed about half Cubs fans wasn’t supposed to be much more than a tune-up:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Plan today re: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> is let regulars get 1 at-bat, then done. If they want more, that's up to them, Maddon says. Opening Day is Sunday</p>— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/847859459187556352">March 31, 2017</a>
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<p id="tJjHbV">Apparently the regulars did want more than that. Every starter had at least two at-bats, and <span>Jon Jay</span> had three trips to the plate, with two hits. Jay also did this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">School of Defense at THE <a href="https://twitter.com/jonjayU">@jonjayU</a>. <a href="https://t.co/WnrY2zxk81">pic.twitter.com/WnrY2zxk81</a></p>— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/847888637647880194">March 31, 2017</a>
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<p id="ZJejK3">Defensive credit where credit is due, it’s worth a look at this terrific play Astros third baseman <span>Alex Bregman</span> made on <span>Albert Almora Jr.</span> in the fourth:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/ABREG_1">@ABREG_1</a> is interested in moving third base back: <a href="https://t.co/Cy1cLhmXSo">https://t.co/Cy1cLhmXSo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpringTraining?src=hash">#SpringTraining</a> <a href="https://t.co/3PxtXEMZtu">pic.twitter.com/3PxtXEMZtu</a></p>— Cut4 (@Cut4) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cut4/status/847892709557891072">March 31, 2017</a>
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<p id="GNToIL">The game went scoreless into the fifth, when the Cubs scored four runs. <span>Matt Szczur</span> drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run, a wild pitch scored another, and Chesny Young singled to make it 4-0.</p>
<p id="cvieD9"><span>Kyle Hendricks</span> is clearly ready for the season. He had another fine outing, throwing five shutout innings, allowing just two singles and a walk. Hendricks, who never, ever looks different on the mound, always with a deadly-serious face and a pitching motion that never seems to vary, had an excellent spring. He threw 21⅔ innings, allowing 18 hits and five walks (1.062 WHIP). He gave up four earned runs (1.66 ERA) and did not allow a home run, a rarity for someone training in the thin air of Arizona.</p>
<p id="ZDFSDg">Even though Kyle is the Cubs’ “No. 5” starter, based on the fact that he’s going to be starting Game No. 5 of the season, he’s clearly higher than that in the hierarchy. The 2016 MLB ERA leader is one of the best pitchers in the game despite not throwing 95+. I like this kind of approach, too:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cubs?src=hash">#Cubs</a> Hendricks said he treated today's start as if it were 1st of the season. He did normal pre game routine, went over scouting report</p>— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/847914232804917248">March 31, 2017</a>
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<p id="jcwcQm">Szczur added an RBI single in the Cubs’ two-run sixth. With the Cubs going with seven relievers to begin the season, Szczur’s presence on the bench gives Joe Maddon quite a bit more flexibility in making defensive replacements or pinch-running assignments.</p>
<p id="9fiIC1">That concludes the spring-training season for 2017. Best news: no serious injuries for any Cubs, everyone seemed to get the work in that they needed, and all seems ready to go when the season begins Sunday night with a national broadcast on ESPN of the Cubs vs. the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Game time is 7:35 p.m. CT and it’ll be <span>Jon Lester</span> on the mound for the Cubs, <span>Carlos Martinez</span> for the Cardinals.</p>
<p id="A8V8CZ">Can’t wait.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/31/15142800/cubs-astros-recap-jon-jay-kyle-hendricks-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2017-03-31T14:30:01-05:002017-03-31T14:30:01-05:00Overflow Thread: Cubs vs. Astros, Friday 3/31, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="E4UrND">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/31/15003624/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-astros-friday-3-31-1-10-ctAl Yellon2017-03-31T13:00:01-05:002017-03-31T13:00:01-05:00First Pitch Thread: Cubs vs. Astros, Friday 3/31, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="KsA04O">Go get ‘em, Kyle.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/31/15002904/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-astros-friday-3-31-1-10-ctAl Yellon2017-03-31T11:30:00-05:002017-03-31T11:30:00-05:00Cubs vs. Astros at Houston Preview, Friday 3/31, 1:10 CT
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This is it! One last practice game before the real thing begins Sunday.</p> <p><strong>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</strong> -- Well, this is it. After today's game the Cubs will fly to St. Louis, enjoy a Saturday off and the begin the defense of their <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> championship Sunday eveing against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>.</p>
<p>Man, that sounds good, right? "Defense of their World Series championship." Let's hope we're saying that again a year from now.</p>
<p id="eMiaMp">Here are today's particulars.</p>
<p id="zTT2Yn"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Schwarber DH, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Zobrist 2B, Russell SS, Heyward RF, Almora CF, Montero C, Jay LF</blockquote>
<p id="N3NTj0"><a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote>Springer CF, Bregman 3B, Altuve 2B, Correa SS, Reddick DH, Gattis C, Gonzalez 1B, Marisnick RF, Aoki LF</blockquote>
<p id="StHaDT"><span>Kyle Hendricks</span> will start for the Cubs. Cubs relievers today: <span>Felix Pena</span>, <span>David Rollins</span> and <span>Pierce Johnson</span>. Here's the complete roster of available players for today:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In case you're keeping score tonight: <a href="https://t.co/7Tvdm8uWlH">pic.twitter.com/7Tvdm8uWlH</a></p>
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) <a href="https://twitter.com/MDGonzales/status/847546050537811972">March 30, 2017</a>
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<p id="Nbgq2d"><span>Joe Musgrove</span> gets the call for the Astros. Other Houston pitchers scheduled: <span>Ken Giles</span>, <span>Will Harris</span>, <span>Tony Sipp</span>, <span>Brad Peacock</span> and <span>Michael Feliz</span>.</p>
<p id="4h93y7">Today’s game is on CSN Chicago with Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies. It’s also on <a href="http://cubs.com">cubs.com</a> with Mick Gillispie.</p>
<p id="twws67"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2017_03_31_chnmlb_houmlb_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=3/27/2017">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p id="77FG6H">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> site <a href="http://www.crawfishboxes.com/">The Crawfish Boxes</a>. If you do go there to interact with Astros 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 1 p.m. CT and 2:30 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="eFNcl1">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2017/3/31/15005442/cubs-astros-houston-preview-fridayAl Yellon