Spring Training Game Eight – Cubs (ss) 5 Dodgers 3 – 10 innings
WP – Esmailin Caridad (1-0) LP – Luis Vasquez (0-2) Save – None
Spring Training Game Nine – Cubs (ss) 0 Reds 10
WP – Johnny Cueto (1-1) LP – Todd Wellemeyer (1-1) Save – None
The Chicago Cubs won one and were hammered in the other Sunday afternoon in the Cactus League.
D.J. LeMahieu received a call-up from minor league camp and hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the 10th at HoHoKam. Following a leadoff walk by Luis Montanez, D.J. LeMahieu stepped in and launched a 1-0 pitch from Luis Vasquez over the wall in left for the win.
Ryan Dempster and Carlos Marmol put together solid outings against the Dodgers. Dempster worked four innings and allowed a run on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Marmol walked a batter but struck out the side in his inning of work.
Marlon Byrd had a huge day at the plate. Byrd finished his afternoon with a 3-for-3 performance that included two doubles and a RBI.
The results in Goodyear were not as positive as the ones in Mesa.
The Reds shutdown the Cubs and scored more runs (10) in a single game than they had all spring. The Cubs offense managed only two hits and three walks, five total baserunners. At one point Reds pitching retired 16 in a row and 19 of 20.
Todd Wellemeyer had a solid outing in his second action of the spring. Wellemeyer allowed a run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in two innings. Casey Coleman struggled in his second game and allowed three runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in two innings.
Trey McNutt finally made his spring debut … and it was a rough one. The Reds scored four runs on two hits and three walks against McNutt. Both outs McNutt recorded came via strikeouts … one looking and one swinging.
The Cubs defense continued to show improvement Sunday … neither one of Q’s squads committed an error Sunday. Spring Training Game Eight – Cubs (ss) 5 Dodgers 3 – 10 innings
Ryan Dempster became the first Cubs’ pitcher this spring to complete four innings of work. Dempster allowed a hit in the first but retired the Dodgers on 16 pitches, 10 for strikes.
The Cubs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first after Kosuke Fukudome reached on a throwing error by Justin Sellers, the Dodgers’ shortstop. With Kosuke on second, Reed Johnson flied out to right. Fukudome tagged and advanced to third after Xavier Paul’s throw hit him in the back.
Marlon Byrd launched a 1-1 pitch from Chad Billingsley to center. The ball one-hopped the wall. Fukudome scored … 1-0 Cubs.
Aramis Ramirez (lineout to right) and Bryan LaHair (pop out to left) ended the inning.
Ryan Dempster sat down the Dodgers in order in the top of the second on 12 pitches, eight for strikes.
After the Cubs went quietly in the second, the Dodgers tied the game in the top of the third.
Aaron Miles hit a leadoff triple into right center and scored on a ground out to second by Trayvon Robinson.
Dempster left with the game tied at one after retiring the Dodgers in order in the fourth. Dempster threw seven pitches, five for strikes.
The Cubs offense put Dempster in line for the exhibition win after taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Marlon Byrd led off the inning with a single to right on a 2-1 pitch. With Ramirez at the plate, Billingsley uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Byrd to advance to second. Ramirez eventually popped out to short.
Byrd advanced to third on a ground out to first by Bryan LaHair. Following a walk by Geovany Soto, Jeff Baker gave the Cubs the lead with a single to right off Billingsley … a rare hit for Baker off a right-hander.
Don Mattingly went to his pen for Ramon Troncoso, who retired Darwin Barney to end the inning.
Carlos Marmol was nasty in the fifth. Marmol gave up a two-out walk but struck out the side on 19 pitches, 13 for strikes. Two of Marmol’s three k’s were of the looking variety.
The Dodgers tied the game at two in the sixth against Thomas Diamond.
Gabe Kapler led off the inning with a double. Marcus Thames flied out to right, Kapler advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Dioner Navarro. Reed Johnson’s throw was in time but well up the third base line.
The Cubs took the lead again in the seventh.
Steve Clevenger hit for Thomas Diamond and reached on a two-out, ground rule double to left. Kosuke Fukudome singled to right on a 3-2 pitch. Clevenger scored … 3-2 Cubs. But the lead did not last for long.
Mike Quade made wholesale changes in the top of the eighth and brought in Jeff Stevens to preserve the lead. Stevens struggled again.
After an infield single by Jamie Hoffman, Marcus Thames hit a double off the wall in left center. Fernando Perez tried to make the spectacular catch against the wall but came up just short. Hoffman scored on the play.
Stevens walked A.J. Ellis but struck out Jerry Sands and retired Eugenio Sands to end the inning.
Marcos Mateo and Esmailin Caridad looked good in their inning of work. Both relievers tossed a scoreless inning (Mateo in the 9th, Caridad in the 10th).
The game remained tied at three until D.J. LeMahieu ended it with one swing of the bat in the 10th.
Spring Training Game Nine – Cubs (ss) 0 Reds 10
Pat Listach’s squad left their bats in Mesa. The Reds pitching staff picked up where they left off last season against Chicago and dominated the Cubs’ offense once again. The Cubs managed only one base hit (an infield single by Marquez Smith in the second) and one other baserunner (a walk by Brett Jackson in the second) until the eighth inning. Smith reached on a walk in the eight and broke up a string of 16 in a row retired by Reds pitching.
The Cubs other hit on the afternoon came in the 9th … Starlin Castro reached on a single to center.
While the Reds pitching staff were busy throwing strikes and retiring hitters, the Cubs staff struggled with command. The Cubs walked nine batters and surrendered 12 hits, three for extra bases.
The Reds jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Edgar Renteria reached on a lead off single and advanced to third on a single by Paul Janish. Todd Wellemeyer walked Fred Lewis to load the bases with no outs.
Juan Francisco hit a 2-2 pitch into right that plated Renteria with the game’s first run.
With runners on second and third, Yonder Alonso flied out to left. Janish did not test Soriano and held at third. With Chris Heisey at the plate, Koyie Hill threw out Fred Lewis at second to end the inning.
Wellemeyer pitched a scoreless second to complete his afternoon.
Casey Coleman labored in the third as the Reds turned a 1-0 lead into a 4-0 advantage.
Edgar Renteria and Paul Janish reached on bloop singles. Coleman struck out Fred Lewis but gave up a ground rule double to left to Juan Francisco. With runners on second and third, Coleman walked Alonso to load the bases.
Chris Heisey hit Coleman’s first pitch into center. Janish and Francisco scored … 4-0 Reds.
Coleman struck out Ramon Hernandez to end the inning. Coleman faced seven batters in the third and threw 22 pitches, 15 for strikes.
Casey Coleman sat down the Reds in order in the fourth … the only time a Cubs pitcher threw a perfect inning Sunday in Goodyear. Coleman threw 12 pitches in the fourth, seven for strikes.
Trey McNutt made his spring debut in the fifth. McNutt struggled with his command and lasted 2/3 of an inning. Both outs McNutt recorded were strikeouts … one looking and one swinging. McNutt gave up four runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts. He threw 31 pitches, 13 for strikes. McNutt left with the bases loaded and Scott Rice could not put out the fire. The southpaw allowed two inherited runners to score before recording the third out in the inning.
The Reds added two more runs against Scott Rice and Kyle Smit to complete the scoring. Smit struck out four but gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his two innings of work.
Carlos Silva is slated to make his second start of the spring Monday against Dan Haren and the Angels at HoHoKam Park.