2 min read General Cubs Information

Dempster Reaches Six

By Tim Sheridan
March 20, 2012

Dempster pitching today

Ryan Dempster pitched six solid innings for the Cubs today but the Texas Rangers ended up with a 6-2 victory at Hohokam Stadium. Dempster’s six innings were the longest outing of the spring for a Cubs pitcher. The Cubs also played a split-squad game in Phoenix against the A’s with that game ending in a 5-5 tie after 10 innings.

The two runs Dempster allowed came in the 2nd, after walking Mike Napoli, Dempster was touched for a home run by Ranger’s Catcher Dustin Brown. Carlos Marmol took over in the 7th inning and quickly got two outs, he then hit Chris Robinson with a pitch, and had a 1-1 count on Mike Olt before being pulled from the game for an apparent injury. Lendy Castillo came in and finished the 7th without damage but he allowed 2 runs in the 8th, it could have been worse, if not for a double play (with bases loaded) to end the inning. Alberto Cabrera also gave up 2 runs in the 9th, on a single by Luis Hernandez and a no-doubt home run by Leonys Martin.

Castro laces a double

The Cubs couldn’t get much offense going today but did plate 2 runs in the 4th. Following Jeff Baker’s lead-off walk, Blake DeWitt hit a triple scoring Baker, Reed Johnson followed with a sacrifice to score DeWitt. Starlin Castro had 2 hits, both extra bases (double and triple). Blake DeWitt and Anthony Rizzo also had 2 hits each.

Our pre-game ceremonial pitch was delayed for a few minutes today because Matt Szczur, who was to catch said pitch, was busy getting advice from Cubs Manager Dale Sveum. Wayne and Kathleen Messmer did a bang-up National Anthem duet. We are all still learning some of the new Cubs players’ names, or specifically how to pronounce them. Today it was Adrian Cardenas, I had been saying it the way the Cubs media relations department pronounces it. However, Len Kasper stopped into my booth and told me that he had just talked to Cardenas today, and that it’s pronounced Card-in-iss. I don’t feel too bad because Len said he’d been pronouncing it incorrectly himself. Len is a class act, it was a nice gesture for him to stop into my booth and pass along that information.

Tomorrow the Cubs have their only day off this spring before resuming Cactus League play on Thursday against the Rangers again, this time in Surprise.

Be sure to check out our 2012 Boys of Spring – Best Cubs Site Awards presentation, coming on Thursday. This is our chance to recognize many of the great Cubs blogs and websites out on the interwebs. It should help you prepare for opening day by giving you more options and information on some cool Cubs websites.

Photos by BOS’s John Antonoff

Castro applies tag at second

Castro into third with a triple

Marmol in 7th inning 

Ball drops between many Cubs
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