Spring training tie szn is back, baby. Cubs and Dodgers tied at two today. Game over. Go home without blood or satisfaction.
• I enjoyed watching Pete Crow-Armstrong get some more game action. In his first at bat, he fouled off some pitches before slapping a single the other way. Then, after Chase Strumpf hit a rocket to third that the third baseman couldn’t handle, PCA stole third base, and then scored on a throw that got away.
Pete Crow-Armstrong's first hit of the Spring beating the shift. Gotta love it. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/CWKHdwIk2v
— Dingers: A Chicago Cubs Podcast (@Dingercubs) March 20, 2022
He's got wheels too. pic.twitter.com/4fjCNW2r7V
— Cubs Zone ™️ (@CubsZone) March 20, 2022
• I really want Scott Effross to be a contributor to the Cubs’ bullpen this year because I enjoy watching him pitch so much. His calling card is the sinker-slider combo – they pair so well off each other from his sidearm angle. But today he busted out a NASTY righty-on-righty changeup, which would be a huge occasional out pitch if he could command it:
Effross K pic.twitter.com/rPlMPtKqoW
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) March 20, 2022
• Got to see biiiiiiig lefty Bryan Hudson in action (looked decent enough, but so hard to really evaluate from today’s camera angle). The 2015 third rounder was finally converted into a full-time relief role last year, and pitched well (not dominant, but well, thanks in large part to a whopping 65.0% groundball rate) at Double-A Tennessee. He figures to be at Iowa to open this year, and will be on the radar for the big league bullpen if a dire need develops, or if he shows he’s taken a step forward.
• Oh, also, Hudson was credited with a second inning of work in the box score, but that second inning was actually different human (and righty) Cayne Ueckert.
• Speaking of which, the broadcast today (no Marquee, only the Dodgers’ feed) has some big Spring Training vibes:
It's Spring Training for camera angles and jersey colors, too. pic.twitter.com/EyxYr4cToX
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 20, 2022
Frank Schwindel got so good hitting righty that he figured, what the heck, let's give lefty a try this spring.
(That's actually Jared Young, who pinch hit for Frank.) pic.twitter.com/bpLJ66caWW
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 20, 2022
• Great shot right here:
Hat backwards, sipping a coffee, heading back in from morning drills. This is Spring Training summed up right here. pic.twitter.com/Uw4EaeP0ak
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 20, 2022
• Elsewhere today, this is really sweet and also pretty wild:
Our own Darren Baker presented today’s lineup with the opposing manager, his father Dusty Baker.
Baseball is beautiful.@DarrenBaker_2 pic.twitter.com/IvT6BJ5Thn
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 20, 2022
Darren Baker delivered the lineup card with his dad.
Darren Baker delivered the game-winning RBI to beat his dad.Darren, we'll do any extra chores you have to do this week. pic.twitter.com/jMvCfAn9Mb
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 20, 2022