Spring Training Game Seven – Cubs 9 Padres 4
WP – Randy Wells (1-0) LP – Matt LeBlanc (0-1) Save – None
Q’s crew won for the second time this spring behind solid pitching efforts from Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells. The Cubs completed a rough first week of games on a positive note.
Andrew Cashner struggled with his command but gave up only one run on three hits in two innings of work. Cashner walked a pair of batters and struck out one in his first start of the spring.
Randy Wells picked up where he left off against the Brewers. Wells tossed three excellent innings and allowed only one unearned run on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
The Cubs offense took advantage of the Padres’ command issues and poor defense. Marlon Byrd (2-for-2 with two doubles, a walk and three runs scored), Aramis Ramirez (1-for-1 with a walk, a RBI and a run scored), Kosuke Fukudome (2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base) and Alfonso Soriano (1-for-3 with two RBI) led Q’s offense early in the game. Bobby Scales drove in the Cubs last three runs with a bases loaded walk in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth.
The Cubs took a four-run lead late into the game for the third day in a row and the pen was able to preserve the win Saturday. Jay Jackson gave up two runs on three hits with a walk in two innings but Scott Maine and Robert Coello did not allow a run over the last two innings to close out the win.
Aramis Ramirez committed the Cubs’ 16th error of the spring in the third that led to the Padres second run of the game.
The Cubs showed improvement for the third day in a row. While it is a meaningless victory, a win is still a win … Andrew Cashner labored through the first inning. Will Venable led off the game with a ground-rule double to left, the ball hit on the track down the left field line and ended up in the stands. Kevin Frandsen followed with a sacrifice bunt back to Cashner.
With Venable at third, Cashner walked Ryan Ludwick on four pitches. Brad Hawpe singled to center on the first pitch of the at bat. Venable scored … 1-0.
Cashner really struggled with his command after the Hawpe single. Cashner walked Chase Headley on five pitches to load the bases. With one out and the bags full, Cashner fell behind Nick Hundley 2-0 before getting him to pop out to Starlin Castro in short center. Cashner then induced a grounder to short off the bat of Everth Cabrera to end the inning.
Cashner threw 24 pitches in the first, 10 for strikes, and allowed his only run of the afternoon.
The Cubs tied the game in the home half of the first. Marlon Byrd reached on a two-out hustle double down the right field line. Aramis Ramirez stepped in and delivered a single to left on a 0-1 pitch. Byrd scored … game tied at one.
Andrew Cashner gave up a single to Matt LeBlanc in the second …but that was it. Cashner retired three of the four batters he faced on 20 pitches, 13 for strikes.
Randy Wells replaced Cashner in the third and surrendered an unearned run. The Padres took a 2-1 lead after the Cubs committed their 16th error of the spring (in just seven games).
Chase Headley doubled to left with two outs. After a 2-2 pitch to Nick Hundley, Headley broke for third on a delayed steal. Koyie Hill threw to third but the ball went off of Aramis Ramirez’s glove. Headley scored … 2-1.
Wells ended up walking Hundley but retired Cabrera on a groundout to second to end the inning.
The Cubs took the lead in the bottom of third after three straight hits and a walk.
Kosuke Fukudome singled to center on a 2-1 pitch. With Castro at the plate, LeBlanc picked off Kosuke … 1-3-6. Castro ended up hitting a single into left. Marlon Byrd knocked his second double into left and the Cubs had runners on second and third with one out.
Aramis Ramirez walked to load the bases but Carlos Pena struck out swinging.
Alfonso Soriano stepped in and singled to left center on a 1-2 pitch. Castro and Byrd scored … 3-2 Cubs. Jeff Baker singled to right and plated Ramirez with the Cubs’ fourth run. After a pitching change, Koyie Hill flied out to center to end the inning.
Randy Wells gave up a leadoff single to Luis Durango to start the fourth. Wells settled in and did not allow another hit or baserunner in the fourth. Wells threw 11 pitches, nine for strikes.
The Cubs tacked on to the 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Kosuke Fukudome singled to right with two outs … the Cubs ninth hit of the game at the time. Starlin Castro struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch. Kosuke was running, stole second and advanced to third when the ball ended up in center.
Marlon Byrd walked. Aramis Ramirez worked the count to 3-2 before getting hit to load the bases. Simon Castro uncorked a wild pitch with Pena at the plate. Kosuke scored … 5-2 and both Byrd and Ramirez advanced ninety feet. Carlos Pena walked to load the bases.
Bud Black went to his pen again, this time for Anthony Bass. Alfonso Soriano hit a grounder to third that Headley bobbled. Byrd scored … 6-2. With the bases loaded, Jeff Baker grounded out to short to end the inning.
Randy Wells completed his day after allowing a two-out single by Headley in the fifth. Wells threw 13 pitches in the fifth, nine for strikes.
Jay Jackson replaced Wells in the sixth. For the first time this spring, Jackson struggled with his command. Jackson gave up a walk and a single but no runs. Jackson threw 23 pitches in the fifth, 12 for strikes.
The Cubs seventh run came in the sixth against Aaron Poreda. The former Southsider walked the bases loaded (Augie Ojeda, Reed Johnson and Josh Vitters) before retiring Bryan LaHair and Luis Montanez on pop outs. Bobby Scales walked to force in Ojeda … 7-2 Cubs.
Jay Jackson gave up two solo home runs in the seventh and all three outs were on fly balls. Jackson threw 12 pitches, seven for strikes, and surrendered his first runs of the spring.
Scott Maine completed the Cubs’ first perfect inning of the game in the eighth. Maine sat down the back of the Padres’ roster in order on 16 pitches, eight for strikes.
Bobby Scales made it 9-4 in the bottom of the eighth with his first dinger of the spring. Bryan LaHair led off the frame with a double and scored on the one-out shot to left by Scales.
Robert Coello retired three of the four Padres he faced in the ninth. Coello issued a walk but no hits in his inning of work. Coello threw 13 pitches, eight for strikes.
The Cubs play the first of four split squad games on Sunday. Ryan Dempster will lead the Cubs against the Dodgers at HoHoKam while Todd Wellemeyer will face the Reds in Goodyear. WGN Radio and TV will broadcast the game from HoHoKam.