Spring Training Game Eight: Cubs (ss) (4-3) vs. Brewers (3-5)
Game Time - 2:05pm CST
Coverage - TV: None - Radio: MLB.com (Brewers feed)
Location - Maryvale Baseball Park, Maryvale
Jeff Samardzija (0-0, 0.00/1.50) vs. Doug Davis (0-0, -.--/-.--)
It is split-squad day for the Chicago Cubs. Half of the roster will face the White Sox on Friday night but the other half will play the Brewers for the second time in less than a week.
The Brewers beat the Cubs on Tuesday 5-3 after Joe Inglett hit a two-run homer off of Blake Parker in the top of the ninth. Randy Wells and James Russell had solid outings and Derrek Lee hit his second longball of the spring in the loss.
Jeff Samardzija will make his first start of the spring this afternoon. The Brewers figure to run out their A-team lineup in their home park ... so today should be a good test for 'The Shark'. Samardzija did not allow a run in his two innings of work against the A's on Monday (one hit, a walk and hit a batter).
The Cubs will see an old familiar face this afternoon in Doug Davis. The veteran southpaw has dominated the Cubs in his career. Davis is the definition of a crafty lefty.
Today will be Davis' first outing of the spring. He was scheduled to face the Reds last Sunday but rain in the area washed out all but one of the games in the Cactus League.
Lou Piniella will be without the services of Micah Hoffpauir, Kevin Millar, Ryan Theriot, Geovany Soto, Marlon Byrd, Kosuke Fukudome and Xavier Nady for the next two days ... these players are among the Cubs that will play the White Sox in Las Vegas
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Well, it looks like we'll be debating
Castro awhile:
http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/03/cubs-ramirez-on-castro-if-youre-ready-youre-ready.html
Its a pretty strong endorsement when Ramirez vouches for the kid...makes you wonder.
Today's lineup:
Castro - SS
Adduci - RF
Lee - 1B
Ramirez - 3B
Colvin - CF
Soriano - LF
Scales - 2B
Hill - C
Samardzija - P
Lee scratched because of the foul ball off his foot on Wednesday. Expected back on Saturday.
LaHair is at first today
Castro's error led to first run.
Edmonds and Zaun with back-to-back homers off of Samardzija, Edmonds a 2-run shot to center
4-0 Brewers
Colvin tripled off david in the second and scored on Soriano's sac fly to cf
4-1 Brewers
Does anyone know the line-up for tonights game in vegas?? sad i wont be seeing castro.
What is it about Edmonds? I think he just likes sticking it to his former teams...who plays for the Cards, THEN the Cubs, THEN the Brewers?? sheesh
kidding, btw...but now it's easier to hate the guy again...especially when he's robbing homers like it sounds like he just did
Jody Gerut just hit the Brewers' third home run ... two-run shot off of Marcos Mateo, 7-1 Brewers in the fifth
this inning is taking forever...was that the 5th walk by mateo?
That was the fifth walk in the inning by Mateo
Jeremy Papelbon is in the game.
10-1 Brewers after 5 innings
Brandon Guyer is in the game ... good thing minor league camp started, Lou borrowed a few players for the day.
Rafael Dolis kept the Brewers off the board.
Aramis and Colvin with RBI in the seventh, 10-3 Brewers
"Bad Day in Red Rock" (Spencer Davis)...for most of the pitching staff.
Encouraging about Dolis...in allour discussion about Castro...no one has mentioned the 39 errors he had last year.
Hey, those 39 errors was when he was only 18 years old. :)
Bryan...is that the "Bambino" defense,,,he's too young...so it doesn't count?...So the question remains...when is a man a man? :)
Gary, no doubt about the "Dunston logic"...I wonder how many errors tha really equals on a weighted basis?
That's because Dunston logic is being applied. You know, the "he get's to so many more balls that they would have been hits anyway" logic.
Listening to Les Graffstein (sic) this morning, and he was saying he thinks Castro is ready and that the Cubs are going to send him down for one reason: to keep him from Super Arby status, like they did Kerry Wood.
Shark looking just like I thought he'd look. He ain't ready for ML competition. Too bad for us, and for him.
what an ugly game for our pitching staff. Samardzija, Dolis, and Mateo, likely punched their tickets to Iowa with that performance.
Nice to see Watkins, Papelbon, and Guyer getting some action, and props to Watkins and Papelbon for making good impressions.
Russell and Colvin continued to improve their stock, but man, there was absolutely nothing to like about this game. I still shake my head at Dolis and Mateo. With strong performances, they could've ended up on the 25-man, especially since we need a righty reliever, and they both have power arms.
As it stands now, it looks like Z, Dempster, Wells, Gorzelanny, and Silva will be in the rotation (and I say Silva, not because he's good, but because of his deal...once he fails, which he's likely to do, Samardzija will be brought up from AAA with Silva being released, or Lilly will just slide into his role), and the pen becomes:
Berg, Russell, Marshall, Grabow (unfortunately...he's horrible, and it shows this spring Hendry was an idiot yet again for this signing), Caridad, and Marmol. The question then becomes...do you take Diamond, Atkins, Cashner, Coleman, Parisi, Stevens, or Gray (who is injured)?
As it stands with just those moves, you'd have to put Russell on the 40-man, and then either Diamond, Cashner, and Coleman on the 40 man, which you'd need to create a roster spot. I believe Cashner and Coleman are VERY unlikely, as I think they'd prefer them in a starting role at AAA at least for now...and you'd have to assume they feel the same way about Diamond, so that leaves Atkins, Parisi, Stevens, or Gray to fill the last spot.
If Gray is as good as Hendry hyped (not likely, as Hendry is a TERRIBLE talent evaluator the last few years at least), then my money is on him, otherwise, I'd have to go with Parisi, just because he can start as well, and Hendry always wants to look cute, like he found a diamond in the rough in the Rule 5.
Aaron, I'm thinking Grabow's elbow chips will act up...and Gaub takes his place.
I don't think our RHP (pen) is on the team right now.
check this out:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/361401-chicago-cubs-should-trade-starlin-castro-now