Spring Training Game Thirty-Four: Cubs (17-15) vs. Royals (12-16-3)
Game Time – 3:05pm C.T.
Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet, MLB.TV – Radio: XM Channel 177
Location – Surprise Stadium, Surprise
Rich Harden (0-0, 5.79/1.71) vs. Kyle Davies (1-0, 3.00/1.24)
Countdown to Opening Day…7 days. Lou Piniella’s crew will begin the last week of Spring Training with their final trip to Surprise. Rich Harden will make his first start in a big league game since March 15 today. Harden was lights out in the first two innings against the Diamondbacks before leaving in the third after allowing three runs and recording only two outs.
Harden threw in a minor league game at Fitch Park last Wednesday. After a very effective outing and reportedly feeling great afterwards, Harden will make his penultimate start of the spring today…Harden is scheduled to face the Yankees in New York on Saturday in the Cubs final exhibition game. Rich Harden says his shoulder feels better than it ever has. He is crediting his off-season conditioning program as the reason. In the past the A’s had him shut it down for the winter but this off-season, Harden chose a different route and spent a majority of November, December and January at Fitch Park.
Today will be Harden’s third start of the spring. He has allowed three runs on five hits in his first two starts (4 2/3 innings). Harden has walked three and struck out four.
The Cubs will face Kyle Davies, who has already been named the Royals’ third starter. Davies has allowed eight runs, seven earned, on 16 hits in six games, four starts, this spring. Of the 16 hits Davies has allowed, four of them have been home runs. He has also walked 10 and struck out 14 in 21 innings.
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball….