A Dandy for Randy – Cubs 3 Giants 2

March 20, 2011 By 24 Comments

Spring Training Game Twenty-Five – Cubs 3 Giants (ss) 2 – 10 innings
WP – Marcos Mateo (1-0) LP – Josh Banks (0-1) Save – None

wflag.jpgQ’s crew finally posted a win, the 10th of the spring, in front of a record crowd at HoHoKam Park. 13,465 packed into the Cubs spring home and were treated to free baseball. The game went into extra innings with the Cubs coming out on top after Welington Castillo singled home Bobby Scales with the game winning run.

Randy Wells was considered a lock before Sunday’s performance to begin the season as the fourth starter in Q’s rotation … and Wells actually improved his stock with his six innings against the Giants.

After a shaky start, Wells dominated a Giants split squad offense. The only run Wells allowed came in the first on a RBI single by Mike Fontenot. Emmanuel Burriss singled, stole second and scored on Fontenot’s single to center. Wells did not allow another hit, or baserunner.

Randy Wells retired the last 18 batters he faced while striking out seven. Wells finished getting his work in down in the pen after he efficient outing on the mound. Wells left after six complete with the Cubs up 2-1.

Sean Marshall allowed the Giants to tie the game in the eighth. Marshall gave up back-to-back hits to Travis Ishikawa and Eli Whiteside to start the inning. With pitch-hitter Brad Eldred at the plate, Marshall uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Ishikawa to scamper home with the tying run.

Carlos Marmol pitched a perfect ninth and Marcos Mateo worked around an error by Starlin Castro in the 10th to keep the game knotted at two.

The Cubs offense managed only seven hits and once again Scott Moore (1-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run scored and a RBI) was in the middle of the scoring. Moore doubled in Marlon Byrd (2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored) with two outs in the fourth and scored the go ahead run on a two-out single to center by Bobby Scales (2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI).

The Cubs defense committed yet another error Sunday afternoon. But a good play by Welington Castillo on a bunt attempt in the 10th kept the Giants from putting the go ahead run ninety feet away with less than two outs.

Q’s crew needed a win and they picked one up on the next to the last Sunday of the exhibition season … The Cubs put it on Randy Wells and Carlos Silva to come to camp this spring and earn a job. Wells has stepped up and gotten the job done, while the Cubs are hoping someone will take Silva off their hands.

While it might have been a Giants split squad team, Wells faced a lineup full of Major Leaguers that figure to be on San Francisco’s Opening Day roster … and in some cases in their Opening Day lineup.

After Mike Fontenot gave the Giants a 1-0 lead, Wells shut down the likes of Pablo Sandoval, Aaron Rowand, Pat Burrell, Travis Ishikawa and Nate Schierholtz.

Randy Wells faced two over the minimum, can’t ask for much better out of a Spring Training start.

The Cubs first two runs came in the fourth. Marlon Byrd reached on a one-out single. After Alfonso Soriano popped out to first, Scott Moore doubled to right. Byrd scored … game tied at one.

Bobby Scales singled to center and plated Moore with the go ahead run. The 2-1 advantage looked like it was going to hold up … until the eighth.

Travis Ishikawa singled to right to start the inning. Eli Whiteside doubled to left. With runners on second and third with no outs, Brad Eldred pinch-hit for Steve Edlefsen. Marshall uncorked a wild pitch, high and outside, that crossed up Welington Castillo. Ishikawa scored and the game was tied at two.

Marshall retired Brock Bond and Mike Fontenot to end the inning.

Max Ramirez made his first appearance of the spring at first base Sunday.

Only nine Spring Training games remain for Q’s crew …

Box Score from MLB.com

Andrew Cashner will face Jered Weaver and the Angels in Tempe Monday afternoon.


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  • matt

    those luis castillo fans no castillo to the north side

  • Ripsnorter1

    Ya’ll need to just admit it:

    1. Marshall has not had a good ST. I hope he can get his act together before Opening Day.

    2. My man Scales: 2 for 4, 1 SB, 1 R, 1 RBI. He’s better than DeWitt, boys, and a true leadoff man, too.

    3. Koyie Hill: 1 for 17 this ST.

    • GaryLeeT

      3. Koyie Hill: 1 for 17 this ST.

      You are being too generous. He is 1 for 27. One hit the entire spring off mostly minor leaguers and NRIs! You know the saying that even a blind squirrel can get lucky and find a nut? He’s now into legless blind squirrel territory. Oh, and FYI, if he had not dropped the ball in the first inning after a swing and a miss on a failed hit & run attempt, Wells would not have allowed a run today.
      Look, everybody pulled for him after his bad accident, and I am sure he is a great guy, but he’s clearly not Major League material. It’s time for management to be honest with him, and help him move on to a different line of work.

      • paulcatanese

        GaryLee you are way off on Hill,don’t you realize he is saving those 5-6 hits for the regular season? He cant afford to use them all up now.Maybe I’m being callous about Hill’s accident,but being honest, I don’t know what that was about. A number of players have had things go wrong and have to climb back,some some dont , and my heart goes out to all of them,but the point is,if you dont make it back,how long is the obligation?

    • Patrick_Schaefer

      Scales does have a .378 career obp in the minors, but he is 33 years old, he can play multiple positions but doesn’t excel at any one position. He’s not a power hitter but does have some pop in his bat.
      He’s a switch hitter another plus, he doesn’t have blazing speed but can run.
      I like your thinking Rip, but at 33 years old you have to wonder.

  • matt
  • Ripken Boy

    Max Ramirez needs to be the back-up catcher and Koyie Hill needs to be gone.

    • Patrick_Schaefer

      I would prefer Wellington Castillo, over Max Ramirez.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Richard-Hood/100000706523521 Richard Hood

        I still do not get why you want to set Wellington up to be a super 2 just so he could be a back up. Please explain to me how that is even logical in the long term. If the back up is not Koyie Hill it should be Ramirez just to keep Castillo in the minors to save a year on arbitration and FA.
        Castillo will not be a back up catcher in the majors his ceiling is too high. So why waste the arbitration time with him being a back up to Soto. If you think Castillo is going to be better than Soto then move Soto and put him in as the starter. If you think he isn’t then move Castillo while his value is high. Either way him becoming avaliable to be a Super 2 earlier just does not make sence for a back up.

        • paulcatanese

          Richard,you make some very valid points.However I think it depends on what end of the bat one is holding. If you were to ask Castillo where he would like to be the super 2 and not in the minors. I would. But as you say that only depends on where Hill is, and we all know where he is going to be,as stupid as that is.The thing that has to be going thru Castillo’s mind would be the injury factor with Soto, and that would give Castillo a lot of playing time. All a moot point because of Hill’s lock with the Cubs.You are right in your’e assesment of the situation,but wrong in Castillo’s acceptance of it. Tough choice for him.

      • nick_ss

        Patrick I would too, but at least with Ramirez as our backup, Castillo can be in AAA getting regular at bats incase Soto or Ramirez go down.
        Anyone but Hill!!

  • paulcatanese

    Nice re-cap Neil,thank you

    • http://chicagocubsonline.com/ Neil

      Paul, thank you and I hope all is well.

      • paulcatanese

        Thank you for asking,yes all is well. What I was going to say was Wells and the way he has been pitching this spring could be pushing for number three in the rotation. Pretty consistant.

        • Tony_Hall

          Now Paul, please don’t say that you think Garza is only 4th in this rotation. We paid for an ACE, and an ACE he will be.

          • paulcatanese

            Tony,it depends how you spell ACE.

          • paulcatanese

            As an addition Tony ,with Garza 4 or 5 in the rotation the Cubs would not have to change to geography of the diamond to fit his needs,every 5 days.. Thats a real challenge if you think about it,change it when he pitches and what about when he’s out of town,opposing teams would not make those changes therefore Garza would not be able to be used on the road so…..4-5 in the rotaion sees about right. Not only that if he pitches with the mound to his liking and only goes 1-2 innings think about the delay while they put the mound back to regulation.Those are rain delays without the rain. Maybe they could find special shoes for him that would offset his landing spot, or let Soriono teach him how to “hop” off the mound. Its a blessing in disguise for the Cubs,they would be able to increase concession profits with the extra time it takes to prepare the mound.

          • paulcatanese

            “I get no respect”? That was supposed to be funny.

          • Suzy S.

            Tony, JH has paid Carlos Z a ton to be an ace…and he has consistantly let us down….Garza IS NOT an ace and probably never will be…NO MATTER what JH paid for him….it was a bad trade….even is Garza ends up producing like Lilly did…(I personally don’t think he can do it.)

            I look at Garza…and think at best…Jason Marquis.

          • Tony_Hall

            Suzy – Great to hear from you, hope this means you will be checking in more often.

            I know that, and you know this, most of the people who watch know this, there is just a few who don’t.

  • Bryan

    Great job by Wells throughout all of spring training. That’s the way to make positive impressions. For some time we kept hearing many here that were eager to send Wells back to the farm, or use him as trade bait. Lot’s of silence now.

    The Cubs (and Quade in particular) can make a positive statement if they do right in keeping Barney up with the team, and releasing Koyie Hill and Silva. Most likely wishful thinking from this management brain-trust.

    • paulcatanese

      It would be nice IF Quade would make ANY kind of positive statement.

    • Tony_Hall

      Bryan – I am one that wanted to send Wells to the minors last year, deservingly so. I also have said, that I wouldn’t have a problem with him starting the year at Iowa. But he has now EARNED his spot, even if it is just ST stats.

      • paulcatanese

        Yeah he has, and on several different mounds.