Spring Training Game Ten – Cubs 14 Angels 13
WP – Jeff Samardzija (1-0, BS 1) LP – Ryan Brasier (0-1, BS 1) Save – None
The players on Q’s crew battling for a roster spot showed a lot of character Monday afternoon.
After horrible outings by Carlos Silva and James Russell, plus two more errors, the Cubs found themselves in a 12-2 hole going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Thanks to a seven-run sixth, highlighted by a Scott Moore grand slam, and a three-run double by Max Ramirez in the eighth, the Cubs took a 13-12 lead into the ninth.
Brandon Wood tied the game at 13 with a solo homer in the ninth off Jeff Samardzija … the Angels 19th hit on the afternoon.
Fernando Perez worked a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth. Perez stole second with Josh Vitters at the plate and advanced to third on a fly out to center by Vitters.
Bryan LaHair stepped in and ripped a single into right center. Perez trotted home with the Cubs third exhibition win the last four games … and the second straight walk-off win of the spring for the Chicago Cubs.
The game started on a negative note. The Cubs did not manage their first hit until the fourth inning … while the Angels were busy taking batting practice against Carlos Silva, then James Russell.
Silva dodged early trouble in the first two innings before falling apart in the third. The Cubs defense actually helped Silva early on. Alfonso Soriano and Blake DeWitt completed a perfect relay to throw out Howie Kendrick at the plate to end the first … and Welington Castillo threw out Alberto Callaspo trying to steal second in the second. Silva could not escape the third.
Carlos Silva allowed eight runs on 10 hits (nine singles and a double) without a walk or a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. Chris Carpenter allowed an inherited run to score but closed out the third.
James Russell was not much better than Silva. Russell allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits with a pair of strikeouts in three innings. Mark Trumbo (4-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI) hit a bomb off Russell in the fourth that went over the scoreboard beyond the left field wall and ended up in the parking lot.
Kerry Wood and Scott Maine had solid outings and kept the Angels off the board. Wood retired all three Angels he faced. Wood struck out two, both looking, in the seventh … and Maine allowed a hit but struck out one in the eighth.
Marlon Byrd notched another two-hit afternoon (2-for-3) and Carlos Pena (1-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI) drove in his first RBI of the spring.
The Cubs catching corps of Welington Castillo (1-for-2 with a RBI) and Max Ramirez (2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and three RBI) had a good day at the plate. The two backstops went a combined 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and four RBI).
Monday was a wild game. The Cubs and Angels combined to score 27 runs on 37 hits with three errors … just another day in the Cactus League. The Cubs defense bailed out Carlos Silva from trouble in the first and second innings … but Silva could not complete his third inning of work.
Bobby Wilson singled to center to start the third. Silva hit Chris Pettit to put runners on first and second with not outs. Erick Aybar drove in the first run of the game with a single to right. Wilson scored and Pettit advanced to third.
Peter Bourjos plated Pettit with a single to center. Aybar held at second but scored on a single to center by Howie Kendrick. Bourjos advanced to third on the play.
Mark Trumbo delivered the Angels’ fifth straight hit, a single to left. Bourjos scored … 4-0 Angels and they were nowhere near being done.
Alberto Callaspo singled to right. Tyler Colvin bobbled the ball which allowed Kendrick to score … and both Trumbo and Callaspo to move up ninety feet.
Reggie Willits made the first out of the inning, a hard lineout to Carlos Pena.
Brandon Wood then ended Silva’s afternoon with a double to left … the Angels’ tenth hit of the game. Trumbo and Callaspo scored … 7-0 Angels.
Chris Carpenter retired Bobby Wilson on a lineout to right. Chris Pettit closed the book on Silva with a single to center. Wood scored … 8-0 Angels. The inning finally came to an end when Aybar flied out to center to end the inning.
While the Angels’ offense was busy hitting the ball all over HoHoKam Park, Dan Haren held the Cubs hitless through the first three innings.
James Russell picked up where Carlos Silva left off. Russell served up a long home run to Mark Trumbo with two outs in the fourth. Trumbo launched the ball over the scoreboard in left and out of the park … the ball ended up in the parking lot (note: even with the wind blowing out, that is a bomb).
Russell got out of the fourth with the Cubs down 9-0.
The Cubs offense finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Fernando Rodney replaced Haren and the Cubs took advantage.
Marlon Byrd reached on a one-out single to left. Aramis Ramirez hit a double down the left field line. Byrd tried to score all the way from first and was thrown out at the plate (scoring on the play, 7-6-2). Byrd crashed into Wilson but the Angels’ catcher held onto the ball and recorded the out.
Carlos Pena blooped a single into center. Ramirez scored … 9-1 Angels.
Alfonso Soriano singled to center. Pena advanced to third and scored on a single to center by Welington Castillo.
James Russell struggled in the fifth and gave up another run. Bobby Wilson singled and scored on a double to left by Chris Pettit.
Mike Quade made wholesale changes in the sixth, including a change behind the plate. Quade left Russell in but swapped out Castillo for Max Ramirez.
Mark Trumbo hit another bomb, but this one stayed in the park. Trumbo hit a ball 25 feet up the batter’s eye in center. With two outs, Matt Camp attempted a diving catch on a ball hit by Reggie Willits. Camp, who caught one earlier in the inning, missed. The ball ended up rolling to the wall. Trumbo scored … 11-2 Angels.
Brandon Wood hit a grounder to Augie Ojeda at short that should have ended the inning. Ojeda made a low throw, Wood reached on the error and Willits scored the Angels’ 12th run.
Max Ramirez started the two out rally that led to the seven-run sixth inning. Ramirez reached on a single to left. Ojeda and Steve Clevenger walked to load the bases for Scott Moore.
Mike Scioscia went to his pen for Ryan Braun.
Moore launched Braun’s first offering over the wall in right … Moore’s grand slam cut the Angels lead to 12-6.
Luis Montanez kept the inning going with a single. Fernando Perez also singled and Montanez scored on a double to right by Josh Vitters. Bryan LaHair walked to load the bases.
Matt Camp ripped a 3-2 pitch from Braun up the middle and into center. Perez and Vitters scored … 12-9 Angels after six.
The Cubs took the lead in the eighth. Luis Montanez led off with a double to left. Fernando Perez tried to bunt his way on. Montanez was thrown out at third.
Josh Vitters singled to left and Bryan LaHair walked to load the bases.
Matt Camp delivered again … a single into center that plated Fernando Perez.
Eric Junge replaced Braun and quickly fell behind Max Ramirez, 3-1. Ramirez ended up ripping a double into left center. All three runners scored and the Cubs took a 13-12 lead.
Carlos Zambrano will face Jorge De La Rosa Tuesday in Scottsdale. The Cubs will make their first trip to the brand new Salt River Fields at Talking Stick . The newest Spring Training complex in Arizona just opened and is shared by the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks.