Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. A's and Rangers Sunday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2013-03-17T19:18:24-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/38793012013-03-17T19:18:24-05:002013-03-17T19:18:24-05:00A Tale Of Two Cities: Cubs Lose In Phoenix & Vegas
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs went 3-3 in their six split-squad games over the weekend. Seems fitting.</p> <p><b>PHOENIX, Arizona </b>-- I didn't get one of my post-2012 wishes. You know the one: to never again see <span>Justin Germano</span> nor <span>Jason Berken</span> pitch in a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> uniform again. Well, I got half of that wish: Germano is gone -- signed by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a>, he's stinking out the Grapefruit League with a 7.20 ERA in five appearances.</p>
<p>When I heard over the Phoenix Muni P.A. system: "Now pitching for the Cubs, number 94, Jason Berken," I thought it must have been a joke. Or someone reading an old roster card. But here's how I figured it went, because no one has mentioned Berken's name in connection with the Cubs at all this spring: he was in the stands watching the game, and someone spotted him. When the trainer trotted out to the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning to examine <span>Rafael Dolis</span>, and the Cubs had to remove Dolis (looked like a blister, possibly), Berken was hurriedly called from his seat, given whatever uniform fit, and put on the mound... just to spite me.</p>
<p>It worked. Dolis had been pulled with a 3-0 count on Shane Peterson. Berken worked the count full, then walked Peterson. 2012 flashback, here we come. But, somehow, Berken got out of the inning with a fly ball to left and a nice called strikeout on Scott Sizemore. The game went to the seventh tied 6-6.</p>
<p>That's when Berken restored my faith in him... that is, his ability to turn victory into defeat. After another called K, he gave up a booming double to <span>Andy Parrino</span> and a ball hit even farther by <span>Adam Rosales</span>. That one, <span>Jae-Hoon Ha</span> didn't even bother to turn around and chase; it went for a long, long, long two-run homer and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics</a> had all the runs they needed. They added four more off <span>Jensen Lewis</span> and a pitcher I confess I'd never heard of until today, Steve Perakslis (whose name sounds like something you'd have happen to your abdomen). Perakslis gave up a second homer to Rosales that appeared to go even farther than the first, and <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2013_03_17_chnmlb_oakmlb_1" target="_blank">the A's had a 12-6 win over the Cubs</a> in front of 7,184, virtually all of whom were dressed in green for St. Patrick's Day, so much so that you couldn't tell the A's fans from the Cubs fans.</p>
<p>There were some good things for the Cubs Sunday, but let me finish the bad first -- <span>Scott Baker</span>. Oh, brother, as Jack Brickhouse might have said. Baker wasn't likely to have thrown more than two innings today, and he didn't make it out of the first after this sequence: single, walk, home run, long fly to left, single, walk. Don't have a pitch count but I'm guessing it was pushing 35, maybe even 40. I'm not sure if Baker was "working on something" or just had nothing, but his first outing of the spring in a real game was bad.</p>
<p><span>Casey Coleman</span> replaced him and threw decently for 1⅔ innings. That's good. So was <span>Dave Sappelt's</span> day; Sappelt homered and singled. <span>Brent Lillibridge</span>, playing center field, dropped a lovely pop-double down the right-field line and also homered.</p>
<p><span>Javier Baez</span>, playing what is one of his final games with the big-league squad before being reassigned to minor-league camp (though he and <span>Jorge Soler</span> are slated to play Monday in Peoria), singled and doubled. That's good. What isn't good is that he attempted to take second base on a deep fly to center after the first-inning single. He beat the throw, but the A's appealed that he had left first base too early and retired him there. It's a good lesson for Baez.</p>
<p><span>Christian Villanueva</span>, also about to be reassigned, went 1-for-4 and made several nice plays in the field. If he can hit, someday he will be a quality major-league third baseman, because I think he's already playing major-league quality defense at third base.</p>
<p>In Las Vegas, <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2013_03_17_texmlb_chnmlb_1" target="_blank">the Cubs lost to the Rangers 8-5</a>. Having seen nor heard none of that game, I can go only by what I see in that box score -- <span>Nate Schierholtz</span> and prospect Tim Saunders homered. That's good. <span>Carlos Villanueva</span> gave up three runs in four innings, including a home run by <span>Mitch Moreland</span>. Somebody named <span>Joey Gallo</span> (who sounds like he should be on <i>The Sopranos</i>) homered off <span>Esmailin Caridad</span>, another guy who seems to be just hanging on.</p>
<p>Now, hopefully, I'll never have to see Jason Berken pitch in a Cubs uniform again. (Please?)</p>
<p>Monday, the team reunites in Peoria to face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>. <span>Edwin Jackson</span> will go for the Cubs. San Diego will counter with <span>Clayton Richard</span>.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/3/17/4117130/cubs-lose-las-vegas-rangers-phoenix-athleticsAl Yellon2013-03-17T16:30:06-05:002013-03-17T16:30:06-05:00Overflow Thread: Cubs vs. Rangers and A's, Sunday
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>More comments for the St. Pat's split-squad games go here!</p> Go <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>, and Cubs!
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/3/17/4115266/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-rangers-and-as-sunday-3-17-3-05-ctAl Yellon2013-03-17T15:00:09-05:002013-03-17T15:00:09-05:00First Pitch Thread: Cubs vs. A's and Rangers
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This thread is for comments on the Cubs' two Sunday games, starting at game time.</p> Go get 'em, Carlos. (And Scott.)
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/3/17/4115264/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-as-and-rangers-sunday-3-17-3-05-ctAl Yellon2013-03-17T13:00:08-05:002013-03-17T13:00:08-05:00Cubs vs. Athletics and Cubs vs. Rangers Preview
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<figcaption>Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs will spend St. Patrick's Day playing a team that wears green every day, as well as finishing up their "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" trip.</p> <p><b>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</b> -- Scott Baker. Remember him? The Cubs signed him to a one-year, $5.5 million (with incentive clauses) contract this past offseason. He hasn't pitched since 2011, recovering from Tommy John surgery. Before the surgery, he was an effective pitcher for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> for several seasons.</p>
<p>Sunday, he'll make his Cubs debut. It hasn't been announced how far he'll go into the game, but I'd suspect, as most starters do when they are first taking the ball for spring games, he probably won't go more than two, maybe three innings.</p>
<p>In today's <i>Sun-Times</i>, Chris DeLuca has <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/18887433-573/cubs-scott-baker-says-he-knows-what-derrick-rose-is-going-through.html" target="_blank">a good writeup on Baker's return from the surgery</a>.</p>
<p>More injury news: <span>Brett Jackson</span> was likely not going to make the 25-man roster anyway; it had been announced a while ago that he was going to head to Iowa. <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130316&content_id=42846882&notebook_id=42847030&vkey=notebook_chc&c_id=chc" target="_blank">Now he's got shoulder inflammation</a> and won't play for about a week.</p>
<p>Expect some roster cuts Monday, and probably more Wednesday, the off day; the Cubs still have well over 50 players in camp and Opening Day is just two weeks away. Most of the cuts will not be any surprise.</p>
<p>Here are some details re: some of those cuts:</p>
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<p>Soler will be assigned to Class A Daytona tmrw, Baez will be assigned to Minor League camp. Both will play for <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Cubs">#Cubs</a> Mon</p>
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/313340443096145920">March 17, 2013</a>
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<p>Vitters, Ch Villanueva, Lopez also will be sent to Minor League camp Monday. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Cubs">#Cubs</a></p>
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarrieMuskat/status/313340959607894018">March 17, 2013</a>
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<p><span>Josh Vitters</span> -- bit of a surprise, as I thought they might want to get him a few more at-bats in major-league ST games. (Plus, the Cubs still need a third baseman.)</p>
<p>Cubs lineup vs. A's:</p>
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<pre>DeJesus DH, Baez SS, Rizzo 1B, Soriano LF, Lillibridge CF, Sappelt RF, Castillo C, Villanueva 3B, Gonzalez 2B</pre>
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<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics</a> lineup:</p>
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<pre>Sogard 2B, Peterson LF, Young CF, Cespedes DH, Moss 1B, Jaso C, Donaldson 3B, Nakajima SS, Taylor RF</pre>
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<p>Cubs lineup vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>:</p>
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<pre>Valbuena 3b, Barney 2b, Castro ss, Schierholtz rf, Hairston cf, Navarro dh, McDonald lf, Nelson 1b, Boscan c</pre>
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<p>Once again, no Rangers lineup was available at posting time.</p>
<p>This afternoon, <span>Scott Baker</span> makes his Cubs debut against the A's in Phoenix; Oakland counters with <span>Tom Milone</span>. On the reliever list for this game: <span>Casey Coleman</span>, <span>Rafael Dolis</span>, <span>Cory Wade</span> and <span>Jensen Lewis</span>.</p>
<p>In Las Vegas, <span>Carlos Villanueva</span> gets the nod against Texas' <span>Robbie Ross</span>. Cubs relievers in Vegas: <span>Esmailin Caridad</span> (wow, he's still around?), <span>Hector Rondon</span> and <span>Trey McNutt</span>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_03_17_chnmlb_texmlb_1&mode=gameday">MLB.com Gameday for Cubs/Rangers</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_03_17_chnmlb_oakmlb_1&mode=gameday">MLB.com Gameday for Cubs/A's</a></p>
<p>Note for the Cubs/Rangers game: MLB's scoreboard page lists the Cubs as the "home" team for this game; this hasn't always been a reliable indicator of who actually does bat first, so you'll have to find out for sure when the game starts!</p>
<p>Today's game at Phoenix will be televised on WGN-TV with Len Kasper and Jim Deshaies. Today's game in Las Vegas will be on WGN radio with Pat Hughes and Keith Moreland. The Vegas game is being carried on the Rangers' TV network, FSN Southwest, so if you have MLB.TV, you should be able to watch it.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?date=2/28/2013#date=3/17/2013">Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.</a></p>
<p>For spring-training games, we'll have a first-pitch thread at 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. These threads will <i>not</i> post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked "<a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Cubs</a> Game Threads" at the <i>bottom</i> of the front page. They will also appear in this StoryStream™. The pitcher box and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.</p>
<p>Discuss amongst yourselves.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/3/17/4115242/chicago-cubs-oakland-athletics-texas-rangers-preview-sundayAl Yellon