Spring Training Bullets: Cubs 3, Brewers 5 – February 28, 2011

Things are certainly off to a glowing start, no? It’s just Spring Training, folks. No worries. And I can continue to say that for another two weeks or so.

  • Pitchers were the focus today, with Randy Wells – inexplicably fighting for a rotation spot – going two scoreless innings. He gave up a couple hits and struck one out. Pretty uneventful, which is what you’d want to see.
  • Andrew Cashner, also going for a rotation spot, had a bit of a tougher go, giving up two earned in two innings on three hits and a walk, made a throwing error, and allowed a stolen base. He didn’t strike anyone out, and, by most accounts, wasn’t particularly impressive.
  • Kerry Wood threw a couple of innings, and he, too, was unimpressive. At least he struck a couple of scrubs out.
  • Interestingly, Jay Jackson threw just one inning, which could simply be a matter of the Cubs allotting the remaining innings such that only one was left (though it was the fifth inning); or it could mean the Cubs are considering Jackson, if at all, as a reliever. Recall, Jackson was one of the most impressive starters in the Cubs’ system in 2009 before struggling a bit as a starter in 2010, and briefly being converted to a reliever at AAA. Most presume his future remains as a starter, but maybe the Cubs have other plans.
  • Neither Darwin Barney nor Augie Ojeda did anything of note in their continued quest to best each other for the backup shortstop gig.
  • Reed Johnson and Fernando Perez, however, are having the opposite kind of battle so far – each has had two hits in three at bats this Spring, and Perez has added a walk. The two are duking it out to be the Cubs’ fifth outfielder and my best friend.
  • Welington Castillo had a couple hits in an effort to demonstrate the Cubs’ stupidity for paying Koyie Hill almost $1 million to be the team’s backup catcher/designated .200 hitter this year.
  • 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.

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