Spring Training Miscellany: Cubs Win, New Record, Chatwood Solid, Bats Rake, More

The Cubs beat the Diamondbacks today at Salt River Fields, where it sounded – in the videos, anyway – more like it was at Sloan Park. As usual, Cubs fans travel:

I reckon virtually all Cactus League record attendance figures come in games against the Cubs.

  • Kyle Hendricks, briefly, on his outing:
  • Clearly, we are at a point where you can’t put too much into any one positive Tyler Chatwood outing, and it’s hard to know how/if/when we will ever trust that he’s past the EXTREME command issues that torpedoed him completely last year. I just don’t know that it could have happened this Spring anyway. But, all that said, this is actually pretty great to see:
  • So long as you don’t blow it out of proportion, it’s good to know that he had a really wild last outing but did not carry it mentally/mechanically into the next one. He’s here and he’s gonna be here. The Cubs are better if he pitches well.
  • Mike Montgomery and Allen Webster followed Chatwood with clean appearances. Montgomery was delayed by shoulder stiffness at the outset of the spring, but seems to be long over it. Webster is gunning for a job in the bullpen.
  • Meanwhile, a number of the bullpen regulars got work in at the minor league games today, per our own minor league dude Bryan. Each of Steve Cishek, Carl Edwards Jr., and Brad Brach pitched in the minor league games, which is fairly standard for established guys who are not going to travel with the big league team to another park for a Cactus League game.
  • David Bote continues to rake this Spring, sending a homer the other way in this one. He also singled in the game, raising his OPS to 1.3lol52 and is your frontrunner for Cactus League MVP.
  • Anthony Rizzo smacking a double and Javy Baez smacking a single:
  • https://twitter.com/TLAM213/status/1107025636827099136

    https://twitter.com/TLAM213/status/1107035193125146624

  • Javy Baez, making friends, as he does:
  • Fun is fun, and Anthony Rizzo is as good at this particular joking face as any athlete:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    MLBits: Skenes-Ohtani Lived Up to the Billing, the Reds Aren’t Dead Yet, More

    Paul Skenes is a SoCal native who watched Shohei Ohtani play for the Los Angeles Angels for the last half-decade. On Wednesday, he squared off with him for the first time. That and more in today's MLB Notes. Skenes vs....

    Unfortunately, We Need to Talk About Yan Gomes and the Cubs’ Options at Catcher

    Hand up. I didn't think Yan Gomes would be this big of a problem 2024. In fact, I was pretty excited about the guidance and leadership he was likely to provide — in addition to the actual in-game value —...

    Can Ian Happ Keep Up His Cincy-Heroics? Cubs vs Reds Series Preview

    Cubs vs Reds — The Cubs did not have a great time facing the Reds last weekend, squeezing out just one win over three games despite Javier Assad and Justin Steele both throwing in that series (as well as Ben...

    Cubs Farm Report | June 6, 2024: No Shortage of Offense for Iowa, Triantos Powers the Smokies, More

    There was no shortage of offense for Iowa in a doubleheader split with Toledo, and the Smokies topped the Barons thanks to a solid day for James Triantos. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    Things Have Gone So Very Badly for Two of the Late-Signing Starting Pitchers

    I knew it'd been a rough start to the year for new Giants lefty Blake Snell and new Diamondbacks lefty Jordan Montgomery, but it kind of came to a head in Montgomery's last outing. It was bad, bad, bad: https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1798454426551959906...

    If You Eject Nico Hoerner Over Balls and Strikes, You Probably Screwed Up

    Nico Hoerner not only has a very good sense of the strike zone, he almost never beefs too much even when that strike zone gets expanded by a generous home plate umpire. Sure, he'll express some frustration about a bad...

    More Walk-Off Fun, Tauchman an All-Star, Morel, Wesneski, Neris, and Other Cubs Bullets

    I don't know how much special-ness you could ascribe to a two-game sweep of one of the worst teams in recent memory, but it certainly would've been a nightmare if the shoe had been on the other foot. So obviously...

    Wake Up and Watch the Cubs Come Back (Again) to Beat the White Sox Late (Again)

    Just like the night before, maybe the Chicago Cubs shouldn't have HAD to pull off a big comeback against the Chicago White Sox - quite literally one of the worst teams in baseball in the last 50 years - but...

    The Palatine Pounder Just Hit a Walk-off Home Run to Sweep the White Sox!

    Well, it wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty, but at least they didn't make us sweat it out for long. Heading into the ninth inning of a tie game against the White Sox at Wrigley Field, Mike Tauchman (a.k.a. The...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, White Sox 6 – June 5, 2024

    Well, okay. LOL. The Cubs didn't so much win that game as the White Sox lost it. How do I mean? Well, the first five Cubs runs scored without so much as a hit. And the sixth was a broken...

    Latest News

    MLBits: Skenes-Ohtani Lived Up to the Billing, the Reds Aren’t Dead Yet, More

    Paul Skenes is a SoCal native who watched Shohei Ohtani play for the Los Angeles Angels for the last half-decade. On Wednesday, he squared off with him for the first time. That and more in today's MLB Notes. Skenes vs....

    Padres vs. Diamondbacks Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, June 6, 2024

    The San Diego Padres (32-33) will look to Fernando Tatis Jr., red hot after a four-hit game, to lead them in a matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks (29-33) on Thursday at 9:40 PM ET on ARID. The Padres are -124...

    Can Ian Happ Keep Up His Cincy-Heroics? Cubs vs Reds Series Preview

    Cubs vs Reds — The Cubs did not have a great time facing the Reds last weekend, squeezing out just one win over three games despite Javier Assad and Justin Steele both throwing in that series (as well as Ben...

    Blackhawks Make a Big Change in the TV Booth

    In the wake of The Athletic releasing their rankings of NHL television crews (based on a fan survey), the Blackhawks are making a big change in the booth. Chris Vosters is out as the play-by-play voice. Veteran broadcaster Rick Ball...

    Cubs Farm Report | June 6, 2024: No Shortage of Offense for Iowa, Triantos Powers the Smokies, More

    There was no shortage of offense for Iowa in a doubleheader split with Toledo, and the Smokies topped the Barons thanks to a solid day for James Triantos. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    Bears to Host Practice with Bengals During Training Camp

    During his press conference this afternoon, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced that the team will host the Cincinnati Bengals for a live practice during training camp. The practice will take place on Thursday, August 15, ahead of their preseason...

    Thursday’s WNBA Picks and Predictions – June 6

    The New York Liberty versus the Atlanta Dream is a game to catch on a Thursday WNBA schedule that includes two exciting contests.Keep reading and you'll find WNBA picks and predictions for each and every contest on today's slate.WNBA picks...

    Padres vs. Diamondbacks Probable Starting Pitchers – June 6

    The San Diego Padres (32-33) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (29-33) play at PETCO Park on Thursday at 9:40 PM ET. In this matchup, the Padres have the chance to end a four-game skid.The probable starters are Randy Vasquez (1-3) for...

    Memphis Grizzlies Mock Draft: 9th Overall Pick Leads to Creative Guard

    The Memphis Grizzlies are poised to make some exciting moves in the 2024 NBA Draft. This Memphis Grizzlies Mock Draft focuses on them adding the best player available. With the 9th, 39th, and 57th picks, they have the opportunity to...

    DraftKings Promo Code: Bet $5, Get $150 for Mavericks & Celtics Game 1 and More

    At long last, Game 1 of the NBA Finals has arrived! Tonight in Boston, the Celtics and the Mavericks will finally get going in the NBA's championship series. That means for the first time in several days there is NBA...

    more cubs news