February 23rd, 2013
2/23 Cubs 11, Angels 2
Luis Valbuena led off the second inning with a home run, Junior Lake added a solo shot, and the Cubs scored five runs in the third to post a 11-2 victory Saturday over the Angels in the Cactus League opener in Tempe. Logan Watkins tripled to open the third and scored two outs later on Scott Hairston’s single. Brett Jackson hit his second triple of the game, driving in two, and Welington Castillo and Brent Lillibridge each hit RBI singles.
Lefty Travis Wood gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out two in two innings in his first start. Rule 5 pick Hector Rondon gave up one hit in one inning in his Cubs debut. Dontrelle Willis, who is in the Cubs’ Minor League mini camp and has not pitched in the big leagues since 2011, was on the travel squad, but did not pitch.
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Wood finding his way
Travis Wood doesn’t feel like the new guy in the Cubs clubhouse this spring, even though he still needs a little help finding his way around Cactus League ballparks.
Wood, who had to ask for some help finding the visitor’s clubhouse at Tempe Diablo Stadium, gave up one hit and walked one over two innings in the Cubs’ Cactus League opener against the Angels. The lone lefty competing for a spot in the rotation, Wood walked the first batter he faced, then gave up a RBI double before retiring the next six.
“I hate leadoff walks — I hate walks in general — but I hate leadoff walks,” Wood said. “It was nice to get back out there today and in a game situation. Now we’ll be on a schedule and nice to get the first one out of the way.”
With Matt Garza’s status questionable because of a sore left lat and Scott Baker not expected until mid April at the earliest, there is an spot to be won in the Cubs rotation.
“It’s going to be fun throughout the rest of camp and we’ll see what happens,” Wood said.
One year ago, Wood was spending time trying to match faces with names. This spring?
“One, I actually know some people and have built a relationship with some guys,” he said. “They’re all great guys. I feel more comfortable this year instead of being the new guy. I’m just another guy.”
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Extra bases
* Josh Vitters also had an MRI on Friday, and it revealed that he has a mild to moderate quad strain, and could be sidelined 10 to 14 days. Vitters was injured before he got into a game — he was hurt doing a base running drill. What happens now at third with both Ian Stewart and Vitters sidelined? Expect to see a lot of Luis Valbuena, Junior Lake, Christian Villanueva and even Brent Lillibridge.
“We really don’t have a whole lot of other third basemen,” Dale Sveum said. “They both just went down.”
Lake played at Double-A Tennessee last season. He’s still a little rough at third.
“In the intrasquad games, he’s done fine,” Sveum said. “He hasn’t been tested. There’s some mechanical things. He’s very tall and playing tall. He’s got to play the position smaller. What I mean by that, he wants to stand straight up after he fields a ground ball, so there’s some things we have to tweak. He’s such a good athlete. He’s going to be one of those third basemen who’s not going to look like Scott Rolen but the athleticism will allow him to do a lot of things at that position.”
The Cubs will not move top prospect Javier Baez to third base. If he does play third, it will be more because of need numbers-wise.
* If you’re looking ahead to Sunday’s HoHoKam opener, here’s the lineup:
DeJesus CF
Castro SS
Rizzo 1B
Soriano LF
Schierholtz RF
Navarro C
Bogusevic DH
Barney 2B
Villanueva 3B
The game will be broadcast on Cubs.com, with Len Kasper doing the play by play.
* Cubs pitcher Shawn Camp was showing pictures of a bobcat he saw on the golf course on Friday. Camp said he let the ‘cat play through.
* Blake Parker’s intrasquad outing didn’t go well — he gave up three hits, including a three-run homer to Edwin Maysonet — but it felt good to get back on a mound. Parker missed most of last season because of problems with his right elbow.
“I’m still getting back into baseball mode, just thinking out there on the mound and knowing what pitches to throw and reading hitters,” Parker said. “As far as physically, my arm felt good.”
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Baker throws bullpen session
Cubs pitcher Scott Baker threw a 45-pitch bullpen session on Saturday at Fitch Park, and says he feels good. Baker is coming back from Tommy John surgery last April.
“It’s another step in the right direction,” Baker said.
The right-hander said he expects to throw at least two simulated games or live BP sessions before he gets into a Cactus League game but wasn’t sure of the exact timing. He’s leaving that to the medical and coaching staff.
“Everything felt good,” he said. “As long as everything keeps going well, it’s hard to be not pleased with that.”
Was he throwing full speed on Saturday?
“For me, it’s more mechanical than physical,” he said. “You hear a million times, ‘Stay within yourself’ and it’s never more true than now. It’s very easy when you feel good to get out there and get real sloppy. I’m throwing with as much intensity as my mechanics will allow.
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Stewart out 10-14 days
An MRI shows Ian Stewart has a mild to moderate quad strain, and he could be sidelined 10 to 14 days.
“I got the MRI [Friday] and that’s just kind of a vague timetable right now just to see how things progress,” Stewart said Saturday. “I feel like it’s progressing pretty good today. I woke up today and didn’t feel as much stiffness as I had.”
He injured his left quad while turning around first base after hitting a double in his first at-bat Thursday in an intrasquad game.
“Hopefully, it’s not that long [that he's sidelined] and it’s a precautionary length,” he said.
Cubs manager Dale Svem has said Luis Valbuena could be the option at third if Stewart isn’t healthy. Does this hurt Stewart’s chances?
“I would hope not,” Stewart said. “I feel like I was brought back to be a part of the team and to help this team and I feel like I can do that. This is unfortunate but I think if this was toward the end of camp or the middle, it may be a different story. It is disappointing because I put all that work in in the offseason and my wrist is good and had that first good at-bat of camp, even though it was the first intrasquad. My confidence is so high on my ability that this is a little road block that hopefully doesn’t last the amount of time they said and I can get out there sooner.”
Stewart signed a $2 million non-guaranteed contract, but he says he’s not thinking about the terms.
“If I didn’t think I could come back here and be a part of the team, there’s no sense in me coming back,” he said. “I have all the confidence in the world. I came back to be a part of the Major League team. I’m not even thinking about that right now.”
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Time for baseball
Travis Wood takes the mound Saturday to kick off the Cubs’ Cactus League season in Tempe against the Angels. The Cubs will play 39 spring games, including an exhibition game March 15 against a World Baseball Classic team. It’s the most Cubs Spring Training games since 1952, which was the first year they trained in Mesa.
Saturday’s game will be broadcast on WGN Radio. Len Kasper is subbing for Pat Hughes for now. Hughes will be in Arizona later this spring.
Wood is the lone lefty candidate among the starters. He was 6-13 with a 4.27 ERA in 26 starts last season with the Cubs. Wood did open at Triple-A, and was 3-3, 4.57 ERA. Other pitchers on the travel squad for Saturday’s game include Jaye Chapman, Rafael Dolis, Zach Putnam, Rule 5 pick Hector Rondon, Trey McNutt, and Hisanori Takahashi. Rondon has been limited to 13 games over the past three seasons because of right elbow injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010. This offseason, he pitched in 23 games in the Venezuela Winter League, going 2-1 with a 4.29 ERA. Rondon appeared in four games in 2012, giving up one earned run over seven innings between Double-A Akron and the Indians Rookie League team.
There are some new faces on the roster with 13 new players on the Cubs’ 40-man since the conclusion of the 2012 season.
The Cubs play at HoHoKam Stadium on Sunday against the defending World Champion Giants. Jeff Samardzija will start for Chicago against Matt Cain.
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Bunt tourney – 2nd round
Here are the second round matchups in the Cubs’ second annual bunt tournament:
Position players
Barney vs. DeJesus
Lopez vs. Castro
Watkins vs. Hairston
Rizzo vs. Stewart
McDonald vs. Brenly
B. Jackson vs Lillibridge
Bogusevic vs. Maysonett
Valbuena vs. Lane (bullpen catcher)
Pitchers
Camp vs. Coleman
Struck vs. Jackson
Baker vs. Buss (for Garza)
Takahashi vs. Rusin
Chapman vs. Parker
Samardzija vs. Cabrera
Wood vs. Carpenter
Russell vs. Halm (video guy)
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