Fortunately SIGNING ALL THE PLAYERS doesn’t help you win in Spring Training. Well, actually, it does. But, fortunately, it doesn’t matter.
Which is to say the Cubs take on the mighty, wealthy (and mighty wealthy) Dodgers today at Camelback Ranch, which is also the Spring home of the White Sox. Carlos Villanueva makes his debut for the Cubs, and he gets the start.
Luis Valbuena gets a chance to show what he can do at second base, with Darwin Barney taking on the DH role today. Valbuena is already a mortal lock for the roster, but I’d imagine the Cubs want some chances to see some additional work at positions other than third base.
You can catch the game via audio on Cubs.com, and you can chat about it here.
Today’s lineup:
1. Luis Valbuena, 2B
2. Darwin Barney, DH
3. Nate Schierholtz, RF
4. Scott Hairston, CF
5. Brad Nelson, 1B
6. Darnell McDonald, LF
7. Welington Castillo, C
8. Junior Lake, 3B
9. Alberto Gonzalez, SS
Soler up……….
Balk?
Youth.
Whitenack not ready for prime-time. 2 BBs, WP, HBP, bases loaded, nobody out and nobody has swung the bat.
ST baseball just showed how laughable it can be……3 runs scored without a hit by LA…..I am sooooo happy these are meaningless games…
2 balks 2 pitchers.
Back to the drawing board.
Is Bowden a knuckle-baller? He has that funny hitch in his delivery…….anyone?
Throws junk. Change is his out pitch.
seems that motion would be easy to steal off of…. I wonder what the stats say.
SSS: 14 attempts, 1 CS.
Is it on WGN radio today or on Cubs.com?
Nevermind
This should be interesting- ex-Cub great Kevin Gregg against Sappelt, BJax, and Bogusevic.
Johermyn Chavez passes the eyeball test.
Dontrelle up in the pen.
wow……Clevenger 2 for 2…..and this single off a lefty. Looks like he wants a spot.
This is the risp situation that have plagued the Cubs…….and Watkins shows it’s still there….
Is anyone watching the Dodgers telecast? Scully said the Cubs sent Soriano to the Nationals. Of course I think it was a Harry Carry moment considering the internet has nothing on it?
Dontrelle 20 minutes warming up.
Is he ready?
Guess not.
7 pitches and leaves with the trainer.
Let’s call it a career Dontrelle.
Dontrelle can’t seem to corral the strike zone……..
ooops…………Dontrelle goes down for the count and is out……bum luck injury?
4 pitches, 4 balls. Jensen Lewis is in there now.
Sorry, 5 pitches, 5 balls… left with arm injury
Love these “acid-test” situations ST play replicates for our team. It’s a great chance for someone to show it’s one they can pass.
It kind of sucks we gave Willis an invite to camp but not Prior. Unless he wants a ML contract I’d think MP has a lot more to offer than Dontrelle… that dude is toast.
Think he would accept a minor league contract. Pitched all last season at Pawtuckett.
Willis got a minor league deal without a non-roster invite to big league camp. Prior might be holding out for one of those. Then again, the time for those is passing rapidly.
COW142 —- I read your comment. I too heard Scully say Soriano had been traded, but didn’t catch to what team. Of course Vince was a bit off in reporting the game today—-at least when he was reporting the balls-strike count…maybe it was just a very unlike Scully announcing moment. I went over and checked mlbtraderumors and saw nothing on a Soriano trade.
Today’s pitchers make up for shortage of yesterdays walks.Nine walks add 2 balks and that equals 7 opponent runs.
Sloppy.
Rafeal Soriano is now with the Nationals.