Cubs Out Fox the Brewers - Cubs 7 Brewers 4

Game Two – Cubs 7 Brewers 4
WP – Chad Gaudin (1-0) LP – Seth McClung (0-1, BS 1) Save – Angel Guzman (1)

In front of a small crowd of 6,711 on Thursday, Lou Piniella’s crew improved to 2-0 on the spring with a solid victory over the Brewers. Rick Sutcliffe was calling the shots at HoHoKam on Thursday. Piniella named him the team’s honorary manager before the game and the Red Baron pulled all of the right strings…with a little help from Jake Fox. Sean Marshall took the hill for the first time this spring. Marshall is battling for the Cubs’ fifth spot in the rotation and did not pitch much better than Jeff Samardzija. Marshall was hit pretty hard in the first inning and ended up surrendering a run on four hits in his two innings of work. Marshall’s only strikeout was Mike Cameron swinging to end the first.

Chad Gaudin picked up the win and, like Marshall, was hit pretty hard. Mike Cameron hit a long home run out of the park in left. The Cubs defense turned two double plays behind Gaudin that kept him from allowing more than the one earned run.

After a wild warm-up it took Carlos Marmol a little time to settle down once he took the mound in the 5th. Marmol allowed a run in his inning of work after he hit Rickie Weeks on the first pitch to start the inning.

Jake Fox and Joey Gathright were the offensive stars on Thursday. Fox gave his team the lead for good in the third after he hit a line drive homer over the wall in left off of Seth McClung. Gathright finished 3-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, a RBI and a stolen base (he was caught as well on a very close play).

Despite Milton Bradley leaving in the first inning with tightness in his left quad it was another beautiful day, and win, for the Cubs at HoHoKam on Thursday.

The Brewers jumped on Sean Marshall in the first inning. After retiring Rickie Weeks on a pop fly to Milton Bradley in right, Chris Duffy hit a triple off the wall in right center. J.J. Hardy followed with a double that drove in the first run of the game.

Ryan Braun stepped in and hit a high fly ball into left. Micah Hoffpauir lost the ball in the sun and Hardy tried to score. Hoffpauir threw a perfect relay to Darwin Barney and he fired a strike to Paul Bako to nail Hardy at the plate….Aramis Ramirez pumped his fist after the out call was made. Who said these are just exhibition games?

Marshall recovered and struck out Mike Cameron swinging with Braun on second to end the inning.

Marshall gave up his fourth hit in the second inning and looked a lot more confident with better control in his final frame.

Chad Gaudin struggled with his command in his first inning of work. He threw 19 pitches, 10 for strikes, in the third inning and missed his spots. Gaudin walked Rickie Weeks to start the inning but the Cubs’ defense turned a 4-6-3 double play on a ball hit by Chris Duffy that erased the free pass.

J.J. Hardy followed with his second double of the game but Gaudin struck out Ryan Braun to end the inning.

Gaudin was a little better in the fourth. He threw 17 pitches, 11 for strikes, but gave up a long home run to Mike Cameron to start the inning. Gaudin worked around an error by Jake Fox and induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Mike Lamb to end the inning.

Carlos Marmol made his spring debut in the 5th and hit Rickie Weeks with his first pitch. Marmol threw 12 pitches, 9 for strikes and faced the heart of the Brewers’ lineup. Chris Duffy followed Weeks with a bloop single down the left field line.

J.J. Hardy hit a deep fly to right center that was run down on a good play by Joey Gathright…he battled the sun the entire time. Ryan Braun drove in the Brewers’ third run with a sac fly to center. Marmol then retired Mike Cameron on a pop up behind the mound that was caught by Bobby Scales.

Mike Stanton made his debut as well on Thursday as he tries to make a comeback after missing all of the 2008 season. Stanton was shaky, missed his spots and threw a lot of pitches. Of the 26 pitches thrown by Stanton, 15 went for strikes.

Mike Rivera hit a home run to left off of Stanton that accounted for the Brewers’ fourth and final run.

Kevin Hart threw 15 pitches, eight for strikes, in the seventh and Chad Fox retired the Brewers’ in order in the eighth.

Angel Guzman picked up the save after his inning of work. Guzman was a little shaky to start but settled down. Guzman had a lot of good movement on his pitches and struck out Scott Thorman swinging on a ball in the dirt to end the game.

Darwin Barney put the Cubs on the board in the second after a 1-out single to center. Steve Clevenger pinch hit for Sean Marshall and worked a walk. Joey Gathright followed with a single past J.J. Hardy into left that drove in Barney to tie the game.

Aramis Ramirez led off the third with a walk in his second spring at bat. Bobby Scales pinch ran for Ramirez and advanced to second after a great at bat by Micah Hoffpauir resulted in a walk….Hoffpauir displayed a lot of patience, worked the count to 3-2, fouled off several pitches and just missed a home run to right.

Jake Fox stepped in and gave the Cubs a 4-1 lead. Fox lined a 1-2 pitch from Seth McClung over the wall in left.

The Cubs added to their lead in the fifth after a 1-out walk by Welington Castillo and a single by Joey Gathright. Aaron Miles followed with a single to left center that plated Castillo…Gathright advanced to third on the play.

Richie Robnett hit the first pitch he saw into left. Gathright showed off his speed. He tagged and scored on a shallow fly to left.

The Cubs’ seventh and final run came in the bottom of the seventh thanks to two Brewers’ errors. Welington Castillo reached on a throwing error by Mike Lamb. So Taguchi flied out to right center and Sam Fuld reached on a fielder error by Escobar at short. Richie Robnett walked to load the bases.

Bobby Scales drove in Castillo on a ground out to first that was initially bobbled by Scott Thorman. Micah Hoffpauir grounded out to first with runners on second and third to end the inning.

The Central Division rivals combined to score 11 runs on 22 hits with 3 errors…a typical Cubs-Brewers game, even in the Cactus League.

Ted Lilly is scheduled to start on Friday against the Rangers in Surprise, Arizona in his only tune-up before joining Team USA. Texas will send Scott Feldman to the mound.

A Look in the Dugout