Game Five – Cubs 2 Padres 4
WP – Jake Peavy (1-0) LP – Ryan Dempster (0-1) Save – Edwin Moreno (1)
After spending the winter trying to pry Jake Peavy away from San Diego, Lou Piniella’s crew faced Peavy in his final tune-up before the WBC. Peavy was sharp in his three innings of work. He allowed a leadoff single to Ryan Theriot, erased Theriot on a double play and retired the next eight batters he faces…Peavy faced the minimum on 33 pitches.
Ryan Dempster was the victim of bad defense, two errors in the first inning led to three unearned runs. Ryan Theriot made a throwing error on a would-be double play ball (adding a fielding error later in the game) that Jake Fox could not scoop and Aaron Miles misplayed a swinging bunt off the bat of David Eckstein. Dempster retired the side in order in the second and dealt with the moving strike zone of minor league umpire David Rackley.
A majority of the regulars did not make the trip to Peoria. Reed Johnson hit third and Mike Fontenot made his spring debut at third base. As with most road trips during the Cactus League schedule, the veterans stayed behind and a majority of the lineup Piniella ran out will start the season in Iowa. Ryan Dempster mixed in his pitches and other than walking Scott Hariston to start the game threw first pitch strikes to the 10 batters he faced. Dempster tossed a total of 42 pitches, 30 in the first inning.
Mike Stanton pitched a scoreless inning and Marcos Mateo retired all three of the batters he faced in his second outing of the exhibition season.
Mike Fontenot hit a pair of doubles. Richie Robnett and Doug Deeds drove in the two Cubs’ runs in the fifth.
With the loss the Cubs are 4-1 on the spring with 34 games left to play before they count.
Carlos Zambrano is scheduled to make his first start of the spring on Monday against the Diamondbacks at HoHoKam Park. Carlos Marmol will make his last appearance before leaving for the WBC. Dan Haren is slated to make the start for Arizona and will face a lineup that includes Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano.