Cubs Win

The Cubs improved their Cactus League record to 3-1, with a 4-2 victory today over the Colorado Rockies at Hohokam Stadium. Edwin Jackson got the start for the Cubs and tossed two quality scoreless innings. Jackson allowed 2 hits in the first inning but retired the next four in a row to close his pitching stint. The Cubs played some long-ball again today as third baseman Christian Villanueva hit a solo-shot rocket to left, and Dave Sappelt went yard with nobody on in the 6th inning. Sappelt was 2-for-2 after taking over for David DeJesus in center field.

Starlin Castro hit a double in the 4th and scored after quality at-bats by Alfonso Soriano and Brett Jackson. Soriano worked a 1-2 count into an eventual base-on-balls, followed by Jackson who also made Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa work, before hitting a sac fly to the CF warning track on a 3-2 count, scoring Castro. Youngsters Javier Baez and Logan Watkins each chipped in with a hit.

Cubs pitching was solid all game with Chris Rusin throwing two scoreless innings. Zach Putnam had a one-two-three inning. The Rockies scored a run off of Drew Carpenter in the 4th, and one in the 8th off Nick Struck. Struck was able to close the Rockies out in the 9th 1-2-3, finishing the game by striking out minor league catcher Lars Davis.

With this spring season starting earlier than normal due to the World Baseball Classic, attendance has been down. Today’s attendance in Mesa was 4,021, low by Hohokam standards. However, when you see that a couple other Cactus League games today failed to draw 1,700 fans, the 4,000 mark looks better. Tomorrow the Cubs will host the Dodgers at Hohokam Stadium.

Photos by John Antonoff.