Spring Training Miscellany: Cubs Split the Day – Hendricks Wild, Davis Struggles, So Many Dingers

The Cubs split their split-squad day, dropping their game against the Rockies 7-4, while beating the Reds (in Las Vegas) 11-7. By my count, though, that’s a 15-14 victory on the day.

  • The biggest thread through the games was probably the 10-minute span during which the Cubs homered four times, three in the Las Vegas game, once in the Scottsdale game. You can watch all four homers (Bryant, Young, Heyward, Happ) here, and you can admit that the Heyward one probably produced in you the most happiness. Did for me, anyway. It was a good swing and a good, elevated drive, which is so very what you want to see from him at this point in the process of working through his swing. That doesn’t mean that it will translate into results in the regular season – and his numbers, overall, this Spring have been dreadful – but it was the kind of swing/contact you’d hope to see *if* things were going to click for him.
  • [adinserter block=”1″]

  • In general, it’s nice to see Chesny Young drive one – it was opposite field, too – even if it looks like the ball was carrying especially well in Las Vegas, as it often does. Young’s bread is buttered by his contact and plate discipline (and positional versatility), but his big league future may be largely determined by whether he can hit for enough power to keep pitchers and defenses honest. I can tell you this: he made a lot of fans with how he looked this Spring, so he will remain on the radar going into this minor league season.
  • As for Bryant’s homer, well, awesome. Glad he got to do that in front of the hometown crowd. And as for Happ, yet another dinger means five on the Spring for him, tying him with Addison Russell for the team lead. You just can’t say enough about how well he’s struck the ball this Spring, and the results have reflected it – today, Happ upped his Spring OPS to 1.286.
  • That whole game against the Reds was an offensive bounty for the Cubs (including another homer later on from catching prospect Victor Caratini), who got at least one hit from every starter in the lineup except Kyle Hendricks. On the mound, Hendricks had an extremely un-Hendricks-like game, throwing three scoreless innings … with four walks. He hadn’t allowed a walk yet this Spring until today. Go figure.
  • Mike Montgomery followed Hendricks with his first “you’re a reliever now” appearance, and gave up two runs on two hits, a walk, and a dinger. Justin Grimm kept his Spring perfect with another scoreless outing.
  • [adinserter block=”2″]

  • Brett Anderson looked good and ready in his outing today, pitching to contact and getting a ton of ground balls. When you give up a lot of that kind of contact, you’ll give up hits (six in four innings), but they probably won’t do a ton of damage (no extra-base hits, no earned runs).
  • Wade Davis had a second total implosion outing of the Spring, allowing a couple hits and a couple walks before being pulled after recording just one out. He had almost no command, threw one away at first base, and generally looked ineffective and frustrated out there through 29 pitches. As long as he feels physically healthy, I am still not worried – some guys (frequently closers, it seems) just need the drama of the real moment to get their juices going. But I will be curious to hear what he thought of the outing.
  • Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop also each gave up an earned run in their inning of work in Scottsdale while also issuing a walk, and giving up at least one double. Rockies, man, right?
  • Javy Baez doubled in his return to the Cubs, and also had an error in the field. I didn’t see any no-look tags.
  • Luis was in attendance for the Vegas game, and he got some nice pictures and video (follow the man!):
  • [adinserter block=”3″]

  • There was a scary, sad situation near the Cubs’ hotel in Las Vegas, but they’d already left for the game:
  • Kris Bryant is a good dude:
  • [adinserter block=”4″]

    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

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Rays vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) go on the road at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.The Rays will look to Aaron Civale against the Blue Jays and Chris Bassitt.Rays vs. Blue Jays...

    Marlins vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) play on Friday at LoanDepot park against the Miami Marlins (0-1). The contest begins at 7:10 PM ET.The Marlins will look to Andrew Jacob Puk against the Pirates and Martin Perez.Marlins vs. Pirates Pitcher Matchup and...

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed a successful 2023 season, capturing their third straight NFC South title and pushing the Detroit Lions in a thrilling Divisional Round matchup. This strong showing translates to a relatively stable roster with few glaring weaknesses...

    NC State vs Marquette Predictions and Odds: March Madness Best Bets

    March Madness matchups bring us a great battle tonight as 11-seed NC State battles 2-seed Marquette. Check out the odds, stats, and more for NC State vs Marquette which tips off at 7:09 pm ET tonight. NC State vs Marquette...

    Best NBA Prop Bets Today – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Today's NBA schedule has 12 quality competitions in store. Among those games is the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Denver Nuggets.NBA prop bets for today's games are available, so if you're interested in placing a bet or building a parlay, you'll...

    Updated Elite 8 Odds: UConn Betting Favorite To Win March Madness

    There were some great performances last night including a 30-point win by the UConn Huskies sending them to the Elite Eight. Are they the betting favorite to win March Madness? What team is sitting on top of the odds to...

    UConn vs. Illinois Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) are 8.5-point favorites to advance to the Final Four when they play the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on...

    Alabama vs. Clemson Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) and No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will both be vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Final Four when they meet on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, tipping off at 8:49...

    How to Watch UConn Huskies vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Live Stream or on TV

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) will take on the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on TBS starting at 6:09 PM ET.UConn won its previous...

    Alabama vs. Clemson: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will take the court for an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup with the No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, airing on TBS beginning at 8:49 PM ET,...

    more cubs news