Spring Training Game Twenty-Seven: Cubs (10-16) vs. A’s (11-14-1)
Game Time – 3:05pm CDT
Coverage – TV: None – Radio: Cubs.com Webcast
Location – HoHoKam Park, Mesa
Carlos Silva (0-2, 15.88/2.66) vs. Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 1.76/0.91)
Updated 11:50am CDT – Cubs Reduced Spring Roster Wednesday morning … Justin Berg and Scott Maine optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Todd Wellemeyer and Angel Guzman assigned to minor league camp. Cubs’ spring roster stands at 36 players.
The first pitch of the Cubs 2011 Season is just nine days away …
Q’s crew has hit the stretch run of the Cactus League schedule … only seven spring games remain (including today) but the team and the front office still has a lot of work to do.
The Cubs need to play better ball over the next six days. They have yet to play a complete game and a few of those down the stretch would be a good way to go into the regular season.
Today is a big day for Carlos Silva. The Cubs need Silva to put together a good outing and stop throwing batting practice to the other team.
Aramis Ramirez is expected back in the lineup today. Ramirez has been out since Saturday but took batting practice Tuesday. Today was Carlos Zambrano’s turn on the mound. Big Z and Koyie Hill will get their work in at Fitch Park in a minor league game. Carlos Silva has been beyond horrible this spring. Not only has Silva given up a ton of runs but he’s been hit hard and has not missed many bats. In 11 1/3 innings (four games, three starts), Silva has been touched for 29 hits, four home runs and 26 runs, 20 earned. Silva has walked two, hit a batter and has recorded only three strikeouts.
The Cubs need a good outing out of Carlos Silva today (and in five days) for more than one reason.
Gio Gonzalez has had a great spring. The lefty and former two-time Southsider has allowed only three runs on nine hits with five walks and 19 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings … and two of the three runs have come via two longballs. Today will be Gonzalez’s fifth start of the spring.
The Cubs will face Gonzalez for the second time in the last seven days. Gonzalez shutdown the Cubs for six innings last Thursday. Geovany Soto broke up Gonzalez’s shutout with a solo homer in the seventh.
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