The Cubs bounced back Saturday from a tough couple of days and improved to 4-1 on the young season with a 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks. Kyle Hendricks kept the ball down, pitched into the seventh inning and four different Cubs drove in runs.
The Cubs are 49-19 in the last 68 regular season games.
Jake Arrieta gets the ball Sunday afternoon in the series finale with the Diamondbacks.
Outside of a trip to Las Vegas and four days in Anaheim, a majority of the players and coaches have been in Arizona for the last two-plus months. The Cubs fly to Chicago following Sunday’s game and take on the Reds in the home opener on Monday night.
Record-wise it has been a good start to the season for Joe Maddon’s team. There have been a lot of positives with one big negative. But a 5-1 record after six games has a much better ring to it than 4-2.
Kyle Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber spoke to the beat writers for the first time since finding out he will miss the season with a fully torn ACL and LCL and a severely sprained left ankle.
Schwarber said Saturday that he will fly home to Chicago with his teammates. The Cubs indicated Friday that he was not able to travel. That’s not the case. Schwarber would like to join his teammates on the field for introductions Monday. He’s not sure if he will be able to. It’s very important to him to be part of the team through the rehab process. And his teammates would not have it any other way.
The Cubs are not sure at this point when the surgery will take place or where he will rehab according to Comcast SportsNet.
Schwarber admitted he knew something was wrong but he did not expect two tears. Schwarber called it a freak accident and said he and Fowler “did everything we possibly could to catch that ball.” When he found out his season was over, he said he was disappointed for about 30 minutes. Schwarber said he will face the challenge that lies ahead straight on.
Kyle Schwarber vowed to come back bigger, faster and stronger according to Comcast SportsNet.
Dexter Fowler
Dexter Fowler talked to the beat writers Saturday for the first time since the collision. Fowler’s hip is still sore but the pain is not bad enough to keep him out of the lineup.
Fowler called Schwarber his “little brother” and compared the collision to feeling like a car crash. Fowler said that neither one of them called for the ball. Fowler explained the only time you call for it is when you think you can catch it.
Saturday’s Post-Game Reports
Adam Warren and Hector Rondon were really good Saturday night. In relief of Kyle Hendricks, Warren retired all four of the batters he faced. Joe Maddon said afterwards if the Cubs had scored in the ninth inning he would have sent Warren back out.
Maddon also pointed out Saturday was “as good as Rondon has been all spring.” Rondon said he threw his seldom used changeup on the 1-2 pitch to Paul Goldschmidt for the first out in the ninth. Goldschmidt swung at and missed the 89 mph change of pace after seeing 96 mph heat the two previous pitches.
- CCO Recap – Hendricks, Cubs Double Up the D-Backs
- Comcast SportsNet – Why Cubs are better positioned to beat the Zack Greinkes this year
- ESPN Chicago – Cubs get a pitching win behind starter Kyle Hendricks
- ESPN Chicago – Cubs’ pitching staff … not just the offense … closing in on solid first week
- The Tribune – Newcomer Adam Warren provides a bridge in Cubs’ 4-2 win
- The Sun-Times – Kyle Hendricks out-pitches Zack Greinke as Cubs jump to 4-1 start
Cubs-Reds Series – Starting Pitchers
The Cubs begin a six-game stint at Wrigley on Monday with the home opener against the Reds. The Cubs and Reds play three night games (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday). The Cubs welcome Trevor Story, D.J. LeMahieu, Carlos Gonzalez and the Rockies to Wrigley next weekend for afternoon games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Jon Lester will get the ball in the home opener Monday. Bryan Price has tough lefty Brandon Finnegan scheduled for the first of the three games in four days series.
- Monday, April 11: Jon Lester vs. Brandon Finnegan
- Tuesday, April 12: Day Off
- Wednesday, April 13: John Lackey vs. Alfredo Simon
- Thursday, April 14: Jason Hammel vs. Raisel Iglesias
Without any weather delays, Joe Maddon will have Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester lined up for the Rockies series.
As the rotation currently sets up, the Cubs send John Lackey, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks to the hill in the three-game series in St. Louis that begins on April 18.
Starlin Castro
Starlin Castro went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in the Yankees 8-4 victory over the Tigers. Castro’s second hit, a single to right in the seventh inning, was career hit No. 1,000.
Castro entered play Saturday two hits shy of the milestone and reached the mark many Cubs’ fans were hoping to see last season. Castro has more hits than any other player born in the ‘90’s.
Castro collected his 1,000th hit at just 26 years, 16 days old. Derek Jeter was 26 years, 94 days old when he recorded his 1,000th hit.
Since 991 of his 1,000 hits came with the Cubs and most of us either saw or heard every one of them, I thought it was appropriate to post a video of his 1,000th hit.
Tyson Ross
The Padres placed RHP Tyson Ross on the 15-day DL on Saturday with right shoulder inflammation. Ross was not good on Opening Day versus the Dodgers. Ross gave up eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
According to Dennis Lin, Ross “felt something in his shoulder during his first bullpen session after his Opening Day start.” Ross is “optimistic he’ll be back in the minimum.
Padres’ skipper Andy Green described Ross’ trip to the disabled list as “precautionary.”
Multiple reports have connected the Cubs to Tyson Ross for the better part of the last 12 months. If the Padres make him available before the deadline (August 1), the Cubs are expected to be one of the teams in the mix.
News and Notes
• The Tribune’s Blair Kamin reported with the Wrigley Field remake, now it’s beautiful outside, too.
• According to David Schoenfield, even without Kyle Schwarber the Cubs are still the team to beat in the NL Central.
• David Haugh reported the Cubs season can still be stuff of legends even without Kyle Schwarber.
• Len Kasper posted a good stat … Prior to Saturday’s game, the Cubs were second in Major League Baseball offensively with a 1.52 K/BB ratio. Last year, the Cubs had a 2.68 K/BB ratio, just worse than the Major League average.
• For those on Twitter and not following Christopher Kamka (@ckamka), well you’re just not doing Twitter right. Here’s another gem from him: Anthony Rizzo recorded the first ‘Rizzo’ of the season on Thursday. A ‘Rizzo’ is a hit, walk and hit by pitch in the same game. Rizzo led baseball with five last year.
• Jesse Rogers talked to Mark Grace about Joe Maddon’s decision to pitch to Paul Goldschmidt on Friday night. Rogers reported Grace and the D-Backs coaches congratulated David Peralta for helping them win a game because “if his presence made them pitch to Paul Goldschmidt” then the D-Backs do not “care if he went 0-for-4.”
And the D-Backs finally provided an update on A.J. Pollock. According to Nick Piecoro, Pollock will not be allowed to being baseball activities for at least three months, and that timeframe is best case scenario. Pollock could miss the entire season.
This Day in Cubstory
2011 – Cubs signed free agent Ramon Ortiz
2008 – Cubs released J.D. Closser
1995 – Cubs signed free agent Mike Perez
1962 – Cubs played the Houston Colt .45’s in the first game in franchise history. The organization that would be renamed the Astros beat the Cubs 11-2.
1957 – Cubs released Ted Tappe
1956 – Cardinals purchased Pidge Browne from the Cubs
1921 – Chuck Connors, born
1917 – Cubs returned Scott Perry to Atlanta in the Southern Association
1868 – Tom Parrott, born