Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Reds Saturday game threadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2018-03-03T19:00:13-06:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/168142892018-03-03T19:00:13-06:002018-03-03T19:00:13-06:00Cubs 7, Reds 4: Don’t you just love Reds pitching?
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<figcaption>Tommy La Stella certainly liked hitting Reds pitching on Saturday | Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The game wasn’t even in Cincinnati and Cubs hitters had fun.</p> <p id="9YSJgB"><strong>MESA, Arizona</strong> — Over the last three seasons <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> hitters have feasted off <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> pitchers. The Cubs have gone 40-17 against the Reds in that time span and hit 100 home runs off Reds pitching in those 57 games.</p>
<p id="GgZJF5">Only one home run came in this one, off the bat of non-roster catcher <span>Ali Solis</span>, but the Cubs smacked out 12 hits and drew seven walks and <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2018_03_03_cinmlb_chnmlb_1">defeated the Reds 7-4</a>. With the two tie games this week, the Cubs have not lost since the first game of the spring, a week ago Friday, and in the span since have six wins and two ties.</p>
<p id="xJtXZK">Wins and losses mean nothing in spring training, given who’s playing, so let’s look at some of the more important individual performances. <span>Tyler Chatwood</span> looked sharp in his two-inning outing, issuing just one walk. He was helped out by a fine diving catch by <span>Ian Happ</span> in center field. Happ looks much more comfortable out there this year than last; he’ll never be <span>Albert Almora Jr.</span>’s equal as a center fielder, but he does look like he can be at least competent there, and with his bat that’s important. Today with the bat, Happ was 0-for-3 with a walk.</p>
<p id="tXBy9P"><span>Kris Bryant</span>, still recovering from an illness, took two at-bats at DH today, hitting a double to center field in one of them. Among the other regulars, <span>Anthony Rizzo</span> and <span>Kyle Schwarber</span> each had a single in two at-bats, and <span>Tommy La Stella</span> hit two doubles and scored twice.</p>
<p id="F38hZN">The starters all had departed by the sixth inning, by which time the Cubs had a 3-0 lead thanks in part to three hits by Mike Freeman. Freeman, who’s likely in competition with <span>Ryan Court</span> for the “injury replacement” infielder spot at Iowa, has hit pretty well, but then, so has Court (though Court was 0-for-1 with a walk in this one).</p>
<p id="GRtrHG">Cubs relievers who will make the major-league team did well today. <span>Justin Wilson</span> allowed a single but was otherwise unscored on, and more importantly, threw strikes and didn’t walk anyone. He seems to have tamed last year’s walk demon. It’s early, of course, but the signs are positive.</p>
<p id="Y927q4"><span>Mike Montgomery</span> also had a scoreless inning, helped out by some slick defense. Happ made another nice grab, and <span>David Bote</span> made an outstanding stop at third base on a sharp ground ball by <span>Eugenio Suarez</span> and an excellent throw to retire Suarez at first.</p>
<p id="oHUnsa"><span>Carl Edwards Jr.</span> allowed a leadoff single to <span>Tucker Barnhart</span>, but <span>Chris Gimenez</span> threw his catching counterpart out trying to steal. </p>
<p id="O8IlqH">It was guys heading to Iowa who had trouble in the late innings. After some of the sub Cubs put together a four-run seventh off <span>Oliver Perez</span> (who looks done), including Solis’ three-run homer, giving the Cubs a 7-0 lead, <span>Rob Zastryzny</span> was touched for a two-run homer in the eighth and <span>Dillon Maples</span> threw a 98 mile per hour fastball that was deposited on the berm with a man on base and two out in the ninth.</p>
<p id="hT4fzw">Maples, who’s also had trouble with control and command, was at least throwing strikes. And as you can see, the man can bring it at 98. If he can throw strikes like that, he will have major-league success.</p>
<p id="ZboEyR">The Cubs’ “Respect Bald” event before the game was a great success, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-shave-heads-for-joe-maddon-fundraiser/c-267770134">with over $80,000 raised for pediatric cancer research</a>. BCB’s Danny Rockett participated and will have a full report soon.</p>
<p id="WIGnaT"><strong>Attendance watch:</strong> The gorgeous weather, the best of the spring so far (74 degrees, unlimited sunshine) and the weekend date brought out the second-largest crowd in the history of Sloan Park, 15,516. Season total for six dates: 69,607, or 11,601 per date.</p>
<p id="QDxDfV">Sunday, the Cubs travel to Talking Stick to face the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>. Jon Lester makes his second spring start against Arizona’s Taijuan Walker. The game starts at 2:10 p.m. CT and will be on 670 The Score with Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer. TV coverage via MLB.tv is from Fox Sports Arizona Plus with D-backs announcers Steve Berthiaume and Bob Brenly.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/3/3/17076616/cubs-reds-recap-mike-freeman-tommy-la-stella-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2018-03-03T15:30:02-06:002018-03-03T15:30:02-06:00Overflow thread: Cubs vs. Reds, Saturday 3/3, 2:05 CT
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="F2hZj4">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/3/3/17050246/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-reds-saturday-3-3-2-05-ctAl Yellon2018-03-03T14:00:02-06:002018-03-03T14:00:02-06:00First pitch thread: Cubs vs. Reds, Saturday 3/3, 2:05 CT
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="F2hZj4">Go get ‘em, Tyler.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/3/3/17050238/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-reds-saturday-3-3-2-05-ctAl Yellon2018-03-03T12:00:02-06:002018-03-03T12:00:02-06:00Cubs vs. Reds at Mesa preview, Saturday 3/3, 2:05 CT
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<figcaption>Christian Petersen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs return to Sloan Park for a date with their division rivals.</p> <p id="CaUdsX"><strong>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</strong> — Take a close look at the photo at the top of this post. What’s unusual about it?</p>
<p id="QyBzuV">This isn’t a trivia quiz, so I’ll give you the answer. Obviously, that’s <span>Albert Almora Jr.</span> signing autographs, taken earlier this week.</p>
<p id="BpY1bS">And he’s signing... lefthanded. Almora throws and bats righthanded, so I found this interesting. </p>
<p id="r1b4M0">Do any of you write with a different hand than you throw or bat, or do other things? Me, I’m righthanded for everything. But perhaps you differ. I’m curious.</p>
<p id="5D5DKG">The Cubs are hosting Joe Maddon’s <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/community/charities/respectbald.jsp">“Respect Bald”</a> annual charity event today at 11 a.m. outside Field 1 at the Sloan Park complex. Fans can have their heads shaved alongside Cubs players and coaches; the event will raise money for pediatric cancer research. BCB’s Danny Rockett is participating.</p>
<p id="hEX5SN">Here are today’s particulars.</p>
<p id="NIhSkF"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="GerhRs">Happ CF, Bryant DH, Rizzo 1B, Schwarber LF, La Stella 2B, Gimenez C, Freeman SS, Bote 3B, Hannemann RF</p></blockquote>
<p id="qjtsCq"><span>Kris Bryant</span> must have passed whatever “test” Joe Maddon mentioned Friday, as he’s in the lineup again, though at DH. It’s also two days in a row for <span>Anthony Rizzo</span>, for the first time this spring. <span>Kyle Schwarber</span> appears in his third straight game.</p>
<p id="E6KRtk"><a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="T9uMqG">Hamilton CF, Revere LF, Votto 1B, Suarez 3B, Gennett 2B, Senzel SS, Barnhart C, Elizalde DH, Kivlehan RF</p></blockquote>
<p id="B29vTD"><span>Tyler Chatwood</span> will start for the Cubs. Relievers for the Cubs today: <span>Mike Montgomery</span>, <span>Rob Zastryzny</span>, <span>Carl Edwards Jr.</span>, <span>Justin Wilson</span>, <span>Dillon Maples</span>, <span>Dario Alvarez</span> and Alberto Baldonado. </p>
<p id="6K7hEQ"><span>Luis Castillo</span> gets the call for the Reds. Other Reds relievers on today’s list: <span>Robert Stephenson</span>, <span>Oliver Perez</span>, <span>Kyle Crockett</span>, <span>Jackson Stephens</span>, <span>Kevin Quackenbush</span>, <span>Keury Mella</span> and <span>Ariel Hernandez</span>.</p>
<p id="JUVDf6">Oliver Perez, who is 36 and spent the last two years with the <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a>, was one of this offseason’s free agents who waited a long time for a deal. He just signed with the Reds last Saturday, on a minor league deal.</p>
<p id="3Ksfyr">Today’s game is on 670 The Score with Pat Hughes and <span>Ron Coomer</span>.</p>
<p id="XAtl65"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2018_03_03_cinmlb_chnmlb_1">MLB.com Gameday</a></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="duh5N2"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/2018/03/03">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p id="77FG6H">Please visit our SB Nation <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> site <a href="http://www.redreporter.com/">Red Reporter</a>. If you do go there to interact with Reds 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="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 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 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 Day.</p>
<p id="GXPqHV">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/3/3/17050234/cubs-reds-mesa-preview-saturdayAl Yellon