Spring Training Game Thirty-Two: Cubs (15-15-1) vs. Diamondbacks (17-14-2)
- Game Time – 8:40pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: MLB Network, MLB.TV (Diamondbacks) – Radio: Cubs.com
- Location – Chase Field, Phoenix
Edwin Jackson (2-1, 5.28, 1.50) vs. Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 6.00, 2.00)
The Cubs play their first game of the year in a big league stadium tonight. Joe Maddon, the coaching staff and the 25 players that will begin the year on the active roster leave Saturday morning for Chicago … so today is the final game of the exhibition season for a majority of the team that will be introduced Sunday night at Wrigley Field.
Edwin Jackson takes the ball tonight in his final appearance of the spring. Travis Wood is scheduled to start Saturday afternoon’s spring finale. Kyle Hendricks is also expected to pitch Saturday and could be on the field with Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Addison Russell. The Cubs will field a lineup full of minor leaguers to close out the exhibition season.
The Cubs completed the Cactus League portion of the spring slate with a 15-15-1 record. The Cubs dropped their only spring contest against the Diamondbacks. The Cubs return to Chase Field in the third week in May (May 22-24) and the D-Backs make the annual trip to Wrigley during the first weekend in September (Sept. 4-6).
Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie have the call for the final time this spring on Cubs.com. And the game can been seen on MLB Network with the Diamondbacks broadcast team.
Tonight all starts with Edwin Jackson …
Edwin Jackson found Surprise Stadium and put together his best outing of the spring his last time out. Jackson surrendered just one hit over 4 2/3 innings and more importantly he pitched around his mistake in the field and errors behind him. Over the course of his Cubs’ career, Jackson has not been able to avoid an inning snow-balling on him when the opposition was given extra opportunities.
Edwin Jackson is a start removed from his career-low with the Cubs. And outside of the very bad day at HoHoKam Park, Jackson has been serviceable at times this spring.
Over five appearances, four starts, Jackson has allowed 15 runs, nine earned, on 19 hits with four walks and nine strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings.
Jeremy Hellickson has given up a lot of hits and runs this spring, his first in Arizona. Hellickson is coming off a poor outing against the Royals. Kansas City scored three runs on eight hits with a walk in 4 1/3 innings. Hellickson struck out three batters.
In four starts in the Cactus League this spring, Jeremy Hellickson has allowed eight runs on 20 hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts in 12 innings.
Daniel Hudson, Enrique Burgos, Vidal Nuno and Andrew Chafin are also scheduled to pitch for the D-Backs tonight.
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …