Cubs Win, Cubs lose

The Cubs beat the Angels 4-2 in Tempe and lost to the Brewers 4-3 in Mesa at Hohokam today. Obviously I was at Hohokam, so I’ll just update you on some of the happenings there. A lively crowd of 7,431 turned out in Mesa on a mild and overcast day, with a game time temp of 74 degrees.

Edwin Jackson got the start, and struggled. He was scheduled to go 3 innings but only pitched two due to his high pitch count. Both runs Jackson allowed came in the 1st inning. Jackson had command issues from the get go, walking three. He also airmailed a potential double play ball into centerfield. Drew Carpenter gave up the other 2 runs to the the Brewers. The first batter Carpenter faced was Carlos Gomez who absolutely annihilated a ball that ended up going out of the park, and into the North parking lot for a solo HR. After Carpenter, the Brewers failed to score a run against Cubs pitchers Takahashi, Fujikawa, Zych, Rosscup, and McNutt.

Javier Baez had his first home run in a Cubs uniform, a 2 run shot. Baez also walked with bases loaded in the 6th inning, accounting for all 3 of the Cubs RBI’s. Baez just missed a diving catch on a hard shot by Logan Schafer in the 5th, the ball glanced off Baez’s glove for a single.

Nate Schierholtz hit a double to lead off the 2nd inning but was promptly picked off second base. Tim Saunders, one of the Cubs minor league call ups for the day, was also picked off base.  Scott Hairston has had a very difficult spring so far at the plate, he has struck out 9 of his 13 at bats. Hairston was able to draw a walk in the 6th inning today after striking out in his first two at-bats.

With the split squad the Cubs called up a number of minor leaguers for the game, this included pitchers Tony Zych and Zack Rosscup, as well as Daniel Vogelbach, Tim Saunders, John Andreoli, and Zeke DeVoss, who all got in the game. Vogelbach was at the plate with bases loaded in the 6th, after a couple questionable called strikes, he ended up striking out. Vogy did draw a base on balls in the 9th, Zeke DeVoss then came in to pinch run for him. Unfortunately the game ended with DeVoss on first and Tim Saunders looking at a called strike three.

Photos by John Antonoff