Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Brewers Saturday game threadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2019-02-23T17:55:02-06:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/176982052019-02-23T17:55:02-06:002019-02-23T17:55:02-06:00Cubs 8, Brewers 4: Time has come today
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs won their spring opener.</p> <p id="32RNj6"><strong>MESA, Arizona</strong> — The best thing about being out at Sloan Park for <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2019_02_23_milmlb_chnmlb_1">the Cubs’ 8-4 win over the Brewers</a> wasn’t the win, because most of the guys who produced this win won’t be part of the Cubs this season. I can’t really even give you much analysis of the guys who pitched, because it’s very likely that not one of the eight men who threw baseballs off the mound at Sloan Park Saturday will wear a Cubs uniform during the 2019 regular season.</p>
<p id="W3CLEX">Instead, the best thing was just being part of the sights and sounds of baseball again, especially after this offseasonus horribilis. Sunshine, balls slapping into gloves, the crack of the bat... this is why we all love this game so much, and why it attracts us every spring, to the hope of new beginnings and perhaps, again, a championship waiting for us about eight months from now.</p>
<p id="u8pOk5"><span>Kris Bryant</span>, whose 2018 season was ruined by injury, gave us a hint that he might just be back to form this year. Early, yes, a spring game, yes, but after <span>Jason Heyward</span> led off the first inning with a single, KB was the next hitter. And fortunately, my friend Jon Ferlise of <a href="https://www.cubsinsider.com/">Cubs Insider</a> was ready with his camera:</p>
<div id="lzK5F0"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Iv4P21inL0E?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="e5aXJX">Since there was no TV for this game, there’s a good look at KB’s homer. He also singled before departing after the third inning.</p>
<p id="tJLDeF">That was off <span>Chase Anderson</span>, too, one of the mainstays of the Brewers rotation. Now, you might say — and you’re probably right — that Anderson, like many pitchers early in the spring, was throwing mostly fastballs, or “working on something,” but still, Bryant put a pretty good charge into that baseball. It was good to see.</p>
<p id="ZQiik2">Jen-Ho Tseng, who was once a pretty good prospect who’s just hanging on, gave that right back in the second inning, on a homer by Corey Ray. Ray isn’t likely to play much in Milwaukee this year. The Brewers, in fact, brought none of their big names: No Moustakas, Shaw, Aguilar, Braun, Cain or Yelich. About the only recognizable names in their starting lineup were DH <span>Eric Thames</span> and catcher Manny Pina. They, along with all the starting Cubs, were gone by the sixth inning.</p>
<p id="L2BTLP">Oh, yes, the designated hitter. For those of you who have forgotten since last spring, the DH is generally used by all teams, in both leagues, no matter the home park, for the first couple of weeks of camp. Only in the last two weeks or so do N.L. starting pitchers take at-bats.</p>
<p id="Jrgx7K">I also took note of the pitch clock. Here, in the at-bat where KB homered, you can see it in use:</p>
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<p id="2EyXQL">You can see the clock at the right of the photo. There’s another one in center field, where hitters can see it, and a smaller one on the press box. This was the first Cubs game where it was used, and... the usage was spotty. Sometimes it was set for the first pitch of an at-bat, other times not. Sometimes I saw it in use with runners on (theoretically, it’s not supposed to be), sometimes not. When the pitcher began his motion (or stretch), it went off. I saw it count down below 3 a couple of times, but usually the pitch was being delivered before it got to 10.</p>
<p id="JBAqp5">Obviously, it’s a work in progress. (Also, BCB points for the song reference in the headline.)</p>
<p id="sehdbB"><span>Matt Carasiti</span>, who the Cubs acquired from the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> in 2017 for <span>Zac Rosscup</span> and who pitched in 2018 in Korea, struck out the side in the fifth, allowing an infield single, while Brewers major leaguers were still in the game. That was the most impressive pitching performance of the day from a Cubs hurler. Carasiti likely heads to Iowa to be on the shuttle this year.</p>
<p id="whRgVP">There was a nice play made at third base by <span>Cristhian Adames</span> in the fourth; Adames had taken over for Bryant. Adames, who had some big-league time from 2013-17 with the Rockies, likely plays infield at Iowa this year. He can play shortstop, so he’s an injury backup sort of along the lines of a <span>Munenori Kawasaki</span>.</p>
<p id="JGwDv8">The paid attendance was 15,176, the sixth-largest in Sloan Park (and Cactus League) history, and the berm was very, very crowded. The seating area emptied out in the middle innings, as the temperature was only in the mid 50s and in the shade it was quite cool. Temps are supposed to warm into the 60s tomorrow and into the 70s early in the week, a big change from the wet winter storm that produced snow in these mountains north of Scottsdale:</p>
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<cite>Al Yellon</cite>
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<p id="A51CGO">Speaking of Scottsdale, that’s where the Cubs head Sunday. I won’t be going to this game as the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> set prices at Scottsdale Stadium ridiculously high ($45 for lawn!) when the Cubs are there. <span>Tyler Chatwood</span> will go for the Cubs and <span>Madison Bumgarner</span> for the Giants. No TV Sunday, radio on 670 The Score again.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/2/23/18237944/cubs-brewers-recap-kris-bryant-jason-heyward-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2019-02-23T15:30:00-06:002019-02-23T15:30:00-06:00Overflow thread: Cubs vs. Brewers, Saturday 2/23, 2:05 CT
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="HOtncZ">——</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/2/23/17934162/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-brewers-saturday-2-23-2-05-ctAl Yellon2019-02-23T14:00:00-06:002019-02-23T14:00:00-06:00First pitch thread: Cubs vs. Brewers, Saturday 2/23, 2:05 CT
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<figcaption>Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="0WosTK">Go get ‘em, Jen-Ho.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/2/23/17934112/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-brewers-saturday-2-23-2-05-ctAl Yellon2019-02-23T12:00:00-06:002019-02-23T12:00:00-06:00Cubs vs. Brewers at Mesa preview, Saturday 2/23, 2:05 CT
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<figcaption>Al Yellon</figcaption>
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<p>Spring training baseball, at last!</p> <p id="9z71Qw"><strong>MESA, Arizona</strong> — So, Game 164?</p>
<p id="oOO7Ns">Not really, of course. But it’s fun to realize that the first time the Cubs will be on the field in 2019 will be against the team that forced them into the wild-card game last October. The Cubs and Brewers do have a nascent rivalry, and that’s good for the game.</p>
<p id="WBQzKX">And, in general, it’s good to have real baseball, with real Cubs players, on the field, even though this one is just for practice. It occurs to me that there likely won’t be as many guys from the minor league camp in big-league spring games this year, at least not for the first couple of weeks. Why? Well, there are 70 (!) players in camp this year, including 40 (!) pitchers. They’ll have to find work for all of those guys before the minor leaguers get to play.</p>
<p id="ILcWZB"><a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-111.88214611262082&lat=33.431033521400536">The weather forecast</a> reads more like Opening Day in Chicago than Opening Day for the Cactus League, with temperatures in the mid-50s. The normal high temperature for February 23 in Mesa is 70. Fortunately, it’s supposed to warm up and be in the 70s by early next week, much better baseball weather.</p>
<p id="mnra6s">Here are today’s particulars.</p>
<p id="NIhSkF"><a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="W7rudA">Heyward RF, Bryant 3B, Baez SS, Descalso 2B, Contreras DH, Adduci 1B, Davis C, Field LF, Hannemann CF</p></blockquote>
<p id="P1Js7r"><a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> lineup:</p>
<blockquote><p id="qVY5Nw">Spangenberg LF, Saladino SS, Thames DH, Pina C, Orf 3B, Taylor RF, Ray CF, Dubon 2B, Nottingham 1B</p></blockquote>
<p id="PseYGE"><span>Jen-Ho Tseng</span> will start for the Cubs. Also scheduled for the Cubs today: Alberto Baldonado, Craig Brooks, <span>Matt Carasiti</span>, Oscar De La Cruz, <span>Carlos Ramirez</span>, <span>Rowan Wick</span> and <span>Mike Zagurski</span>. Thus, don’t expect any of these guys to go more than one inning. And pretty much zero of these guys have any shot at the Opening Day roster.</p>
<p id="sxrDZ4">We aren’t likely to see the five pitchers who will make up the Cubs rotation this year in games until next week.</p>
<p id="qO0uSl"><span>Chase Anderson</span> will go for the Brewers. <span>Zach Davies</span> will also see action on the mound for Milwaukee.</p>
<p id="OC139U">Today’s game is on 670 The Score. No TV today.</p>
<p id="MNoeEF"><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2019_02_23_milmlb_chnmlb_1">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p id="0b0ENG"><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/2019/02/23">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="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="mI6dIM">Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/2/23/17934076/cubs-brewers-mesa-preview-saturdayAl Yellon