Spring Training Game Seven: Cubs (3-3) vs. Padres (1-5)
Game Time – 2:05pm CST
Coverage – TV: None – Radio: XM Radio Channel 185 (Padres feed)
Location – Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria
Carlos Silva (0-1, 27.00/3.50) vs. Jon Garland (0-0, 4.50/1.00)
The Cubs begin a stretch this afternoon of six games in four days. Half of the Cubs roster, without Lou Piniella, will leave for Las Vegas this afternoon for two split-squad games against the White Sox on Saturday and Sunday. Alan Trammell will serve as the Cubs manager for the two games in Vegas.
Lou Piniella will manage the other half of his team in games against the Brewers (Friday in Maryvale) and Reds (Saturday at HoHoKam).
Piniella said on Wednesday that Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy, Bryan LaHair and Micah Hoffpauir will start against the Padres with the regular lineup staying behind in Mesa to get their hitting in at HoHoKam.
Carlos Silva will make his second start of the spring this afternoon. The Cubs have made a few adjustments to Silva’s mechanics and he will try to keep the ball in the park. To say Carlos Silva was horrible in his first outing of the spring would be an understatement. Silva threw two innings of batting practice to the White Sox and Ozzie Guillen’s bunch responded with six runs on seven hits (two home runs by Carlos Quentin) and two strikeouts. The only positive for Silva last Saturday … no walks.
The Cubs altered Carlos Silva’s delivery. They made a few corrections and moved him to the right side of the rubber. The goal is to change the hitter’s eye level and for Silva to keep the ball down as much as possible. Piniella was obviously not happy with Silva’s location in his last start … too many pitches were right down the middle and knee high.
Jon Garland will make his second start of the spring as well. The former Cub farmhand and White Sox pitcher gave up a run on two hits in his two innings of work … without a walk or a strikeout.
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