Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs vs. Rangers Tuesday Game ThreadsA Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47557/cubbieblue.png2014-03-19T08:00:34-05:00http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/rss/stream/52810932014-03-19T08:00:34-05:002014-03-19T08:00:34-05:00Rangers 7, Cubs 6: Zero Dark Thirty
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs and Rangers played deep into the night Tuesday. (And early Wednesday, if you live in the Midwest.)</p> <p><b>SURPRISE, Arizona</b> -- The headline on this post represents the time of day the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> scored thew winning run <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2014_03_18_chnmlb_texmlb_1" target="_blank">in their 7-6 win over the Cubs</a>, if you were up watching in the Chicago area.</p>
<p>That's when Rangers center fielder <span>Michael Choice</span> hit a little dribbler toward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> third baseman Jeimer Candelario. Candelario double-clutched just briefly, long enough for Choice to beat his throw, and with the bases loaded and two out, the winning run scored.</p>
<p>Before that, it was the <span>Mike Olt</span> and <span>Javier Baez</span> nighttime show again, as it had been last week in Peoria. Olt and Baez slammed back-to-back home runs in a five-run third inning that appeared to put the game away. All five runs off Rangers starter <span>Alexi Ogando</span> were unearned after Texas third baseman <span>Kevin Kouzmanoff</span> booted a routine ground ball which would have ended that inning, in which the Cubs generated more runs after the homers on an RBI double by <span>Darnell McDonald</span> and RBI triple off the bat of <span>Brett Jackson</span>, who was playing his last spring game before reporting to the minor-league camp.</p>
<p>Ogando, in fact, would leave the game after coming to the mound for the fourth inning. The trainer and Rangers players surrounded him, and although it appeared he was leaving due to an injury, <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/tex/rangers-alexi-ogando-leaves-start-because-of-pitch-count-not-injury?ymd=20140318&content_id=69600256&vkey=news_tex" target="_blank">that wasn't the case</a>:</p>
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<pre>Ogando threw 35 pitches in the third inning but still came out for the fourth. He threw a couple of warmup throws and then summoned trainer Kevin Harmon, bullpen coach Andy Hawkins and manager Ron Washington to the mound. After a major summit meeting that involved several infielders, Ogando left the game.
But the Rangers announced that Ogando had only left the game because he was nearing his pitch count. There was no mention of a blister or any other ailment.</pre>
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<p>That's.... weird. This isn't something they could have figured out during the previous inning?</p>
<p>Anyway, <span>Jason Hammel</span> made a start that we hope isn't emblematic of his regular-season performance. It was reminiscent of 2013 <span>Edwin Jackson</span>: a couple of good innings, then give up hits, and hits, and hits... Hammel wound up with five innings pitched, seven hits allowed and four earned runs. It wasn't that <i>bad.</i>.. but it wasn't that <i>good</i>, either.</p>
<p>So the game carried on into the late innings with the Cubs clinging to a 6-4 lead, and then <span>Jim Adduci</span> stepped up. If Adduci's name sounds familiar, it's because he spent parts of six (!) spring trainings with the Cubs (2007-12) without getting even so much as a September callup (he finally got one last year with the Rangers). Adduci's skill set can best be described as "a taller <span>Sam Fuld</span>," but Tuesday, he slammed a two-run homer off <span>Armando Rivero</span> to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth.</p>
<p>The Cubs could do little or nothing with Rangers relievers, most of whom (<span>Neftali Feliz</span>, <span>Jason Frasor</span>, <span>Neal Cotts</span> and <span>Joakim Soria</span>) will be in the Texas bullpen during the regular season. Meanwhile, the Rangers got the potential winning run to third base with one out in the ninth, but <span>Brian Schlitter</span> struck out <span>Alex Rios</span> and got Kouzmanoff to hit into a force play. During that ninth inning, <span>Josh Vitters</span>, who had gone into left field replacing McDonald, appeared to have a foul fly ball midway down the line caught, but he simply let it drop in front of him. For those of you who thought Vitters might have made this team as a spare-part outfielder... um, no. In the games I've seen him out there, he looks completely lost. And I'm sorry to say, I doubt he'll be anything more than a fringe major-league player, and maybe not even that.</p>
<p>Also in the ninth inning, this appeared:</p>
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<p>Word on the street is 9 innings only in this one. No extras</p>
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNChiCubs/statuses/446148214572716032">March 19, 2014</a>
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<p>Well... no. The teams decided to slog on into a tenth inning, this despite the fact that the Rangers were playing a day-night split-squad game. That led to this followup tweet:</p>
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<p>Ok, change of plans. We're playing. Rangers dont know who's pitching</p>
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNChiCubs/statuses/446151401589473280">March 19, 2014</a>
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<p>And they really didn't, or at least the stadium PA announcer didn't, because at first he said, "Now pitching for the Rangers, number 96, Slack." Just "Slack," no first name. Turns out "Slack" is <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=slack-000ryn" target="_blank">Ryne Slack</a>, a 21-year-old kid who hasn't pitched above A ball. Naturally, that meant he'd set the Cubs down 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th.</p>
<p>One thing about sticking around to the end of an extra-inning spring-training night game is the sounds. No more than 500 people (of an announced 6,806) were in the park when the game ended. I went and sat behind the Cubs' bullpen, where I could clearly hear Lester Strode give pitching instructions (something about follow-through) to a Cubs minor leaguer wearing No. 87 (and I have no idea who that was, but he threw a few warmup pitches before sitting down). You can hear the umpire call strikes all the way across the diamond, fielders calling their teammates off fly balls, even the footfalls of players running.</p>
<p>The last of the 10th was thrown by the recently-cut <span>Marcus Hatley</span>, who proceeded to walk the leadoff hitter and then give up a single. The Rangers sacrificed those runners to second and third, about the only time a sac bunt is worth it. Then, the Cubs decided to strategize. They intentionally walked a Rangers minor leaguer named <span>Hanser Alberto</span>, whose highest level is two-thirds of a season at Double-A.</p>
<p>Me, I'd have pitched to Alberto and, presuming he could be retired, then intentionally walk <span>Jurickson Profar</span>, a much more dangerous hitter. Anyway, Profar hit with the bases loaded and the infield pulled in, and grounded right to first baseman <span>Chris Coghlan</span>, who threw out the runner at the plate. The relay back to first was way too late to get the swift Profar. which brought up Choice, who won the game for Texas as I described about 1,000 words ago.</p>
<p>It was entertaining, I'll give the teams that. There was also a really beautiful sunset over the ballpark just before game time:</p>
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<p><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/4159291/20140318_184111.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="20140318_184111_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/4159291/20140318_184111_medium.jpg"></a></p>
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<p>Tonight, the Cubs again play under the lights, this time at Talking Stick against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Colorado Rockies</a>. Carlos Villanueva gets the start against <span>Franklin Morales</span>, and once again, you can watch live on MLB Network (via ROOT Sports Denver), beginning slightly earlier, 8:40 p.m. CT. Perhaps it won't be Zero Dark Thirty in Chicago when tonight's contest ends.</p>
https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/3/19/5525352/cubs-rangers-recap-mike-olt-javier-baez-mlb-scoresAl Yellon2014-03-18T22:30:01-05:002014-03-18T22:30:01-05:00Overflow Thread: Cubs vs. Rangers, Tuesday 3/18
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<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/3/18/5517074/overflow-thread-cubs-vs-rangers-tuesday-3-18-9-05-ctAl Yellon2014-03-18T21:00:02-05:002014-03-18T21:00:02-05:00First Pitch Thread: Cubs vs. Rangers, Tuesday 3/18
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2014/3/18/5517062/first-pitch-thread-cubs-vs-rangers-tuesday-3-18-9-05-ctAl Yellon2014-03-18T19:00:02-05:002014-03-18T19:00:02-05:00Cubs vs. Rangers at Surprise Preview, Tuesday 3/18
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<figcaption>What is Junior thinking in this photo? | Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Cubs play one of two straight night games, both televised.</p> <p><b>SCOTTSDALE, Arizona</b> -- <span>Starlin Castro</span> still has played in just one spring game, injuring himself on an attempted steal. <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140317&content_id=69505534&notebook_id=69505538&vkey=notebook_chc&c_id=chc" target="_blank">He says he'll be ready for Opening Day</a>:</p>
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<pre>"I'm getting there," Castro said Monday. "I'm running hard, like 80 percent. [I'm making] good progress, ground balls, hitting light in the cage, too. I think [Tuesday] I can run the bases. Maybe this week, I'll get some at-bats in the Minor League [camp]."</pre>
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<p>The article says Castro thinks "8 to 10" games would be enough to get him ready for the season. The Cubs have 13 games remaining this spring, so if that's true, we should expect to see him in Cactus League games by Friday or Saturday.</p>
<p>Cubs lineup:</p>
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<pre>Coghlan 1B, Murphy SS, Kalish CF, Olt DH, Baez 2B, Lopez C, McDonald LF, Jackson RF, Candelario 3B</pre>
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<p><span>Javier Baez</span> gets another start at second base. This is a good thing. I suppose that after the three straight split-squad games, that's why most of the regulars are getting the night off. Last time <span>Mike Olt</span> and Baez played together in a Cactus League night game, they sent balls almost into orbit. And in case you were wondering when Olt will play third base:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>If no setback , Olt will play third tomorrow. Per Renteria</p>
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNChiCubs/statuses/446051860017733633">March 18, 2014</a>
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<p>No <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> lineup was available at the time I wrote this post, except I do know that <span>Prince Fielder</span> is expected to play for Texas. I'll tweet the lineups when I get to Surprise, probably around 7:30 CT or a bit after.</p>
<p><span>Jason Hammel</span> starts for the Cubs. Others scheduled: <span>Alberto Cabrera</span>, <span>Armando Rivero</span> and <span>Brian Schlitter</span>.</p>
<p><span>Alexi Ogando</span> gets the start for Texas. Other Rangers pitchers: <span>Neftali Feliz</span>, <span>Jason Frasor</span>, <span>Neal Cotts</span> and <span>Joakim Soria</span>.</p>
<p>Neal Cotts, wow. Five years after he washed out as a Cub due to injuries, he was one of the Rangers' best relievers in 2013.</p>
<p>Today's game is on cubs.com with Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie. It will be televised live on MLB Network via FSN Southwest (available on MLBN in the Chicago area), and you can also watch online if you have a MLB.TV subscription.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_03_18_chnmlb_texmlb_1&mode=gameday">MLB.com Gameday</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp?date=2/27/2014#date=3/18/2014">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's game, that will be 9 p.m. CT and 10:30 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/2014/3/18/5517036/cubs-rangers-surprise-preview-tuesdayAl Yellon