Results tagged ‘ Chris Rusin ’
8/31 Double-A Tennessee news
Double-A Tennessee first baseman Justin Bour was named to the Southern League postseason All-Star team on Friday. Bour, 24, currently leads the Smokies in batting average (.290), hits (141), doubles (36), home runs (17) and RBIs (110), which leads the Southern League. His also won a Southern League “Player of the Week” award, July 30-Aug. 6, and a start on the North team in the Southern League All-Star Game.
* The Smokies also announced that C Anthony Recker and LHP Chris Rusin will join the team in advance of Friday’s game against Pensacola. In corresponding roster moves, RHP Dallas Beeler has been promoted to Triple-A Iowa and infielder Elliot Soto has been placed on the disabled list. Rusin will start Friday to tune up for his next Major League start on Tuesday against the Nationals. Recker, 29, joins Tennessee after spending only three games with the I-Cubs, where he hit .286 (2-for-7) after being traded from the Athletics organization for C Blake Lalli on Aug. 27.
– Carrie Muskat
8/31 Call-ups
Jeff Beliveau joined the Cubs on Friday, taking Brooks Raley’s spot on the roster. There will be more players added, starting Saturday. Expect Tony Campana, Adrian Cardenas and Dave Sappelt to join the Cubs at that time. Chris Rusin also will be added, and start on Tuesday. He first went to Double-A Tennessee so he could stay on his work schedule. The Cubs also want to get a little look at newly acquired pitcher Miguel Socolovich and catcher Anthony Recker. They’ll join the team soon.
– Carrie Muskat
8/30 Raley to make last start
Thursday will be Brooks Raley’s last start of the season. The Cubs lefty knows it. He entered the game against the Brewers with 151 innings pitched this season, beginning at Double-A Tennessee. He totaled 136 1/3 innings the previous two seasons.
“Unfortunately, we have to shut him down after today’s game,” Dale Sveum said of the 24-year-old pitcher.
Expect Chris Rusin, 25, to fill that spot in the Cubs rotation for the final month. He has 140 1/3 innings at Triple-A Iowa and five more with the Cubs this season.
The Cubs also have been monitoring Jeff Samardzija’s innings this year, and there’s a chance he won’t finish the season. This is the right-hander’s first year in the rotation.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Sveum said. “He’s pitching seven innings every game right now, which hopefully continues. He’s been so strong, we’re just going to have to evaluate that as the season goes the rest of the way and where we are as well with starting pitchers to fill spots, too.”
Samardzija has pitched a career-high 158 2/3 innings so far. He totaled 88 last year.
– Carrie Muskat
8/27 Minor League report
Chris Rusin struck out seven and gave up three runs over seven innings but took the loss in Iowa’s 4-3 loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday in the last home game of the season. James Adduci had two hits, and Blake Lalli was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. It was Rusin’s 11th quality start. The Iowa Cubs travel to Nashville Monday.
Jae-Hoon Ha hit a RBI triple in the eighth to help Tennessee beat Mobile, 4-3. Ha was 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and one RBIs. Eric Jokisch posted a quality start, giving up three runs over seven innings. Trey McNutt got the win, throwing two innings in relief.
Daytona was off Sunday, and plays host to Clearwater on Monday.
Jeffry Antigua threw seven shutout innings in Peoria’s 10-3 win over Wisconsin. Jacob Rogers hit his first home run, Jorge Soler had two hits and two RBIs, and Dustin Geiger had three hits and three RBIs. Antigua struck out seven and did not walk a batter. He’s 2-2 with a 1.53 ERA.
Jeimer Candelario and Darien Martin each had two hits in Boise’s 5-1 loss to Vancouver. Felix Pena took the loss, giving up four runs over 4 1/3 innings.
Duane Underwood gave up two hits over 2 1/3 scoreless innings in Mesa’s 5-2 win over the Athletics. Ben Carhart and Trevor Gretzky each had three hits. Juan Paniagua picked up the win in relief.
– Carrie Muskat
8/21 Rusin’s line: 5 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 4 Ks
The last time Dale Sveum saw Chris Rusin pitch was April 1 in Tempe, Ariz., in a Cactus League game. It left a good impression as the lefty held the Angels to two hits over 5 1/3 innings.
“Hopefully, he can keep the ball down like he did that day and show us what he can do at the big league level,” Sveum said before Rusin made his Major League debut Tuesday night against the Brewers.
Rusin gave up one hit, an infield single, and one run over five innings, striking out four. He tried to help himself when he tripled in his first big league at-bat, lining the ball to right center with one out in the third, but he was stranded. No Cubs pitcher has ever tripled on their first Major League at-bat. Pitcher Bob Muncrief did triple in his Cubs debut on June 8, 1948, but that hit came in his second at-bat, and it wasn’t his first ML at-bat. According to STATS Inc., the last Cubs player to triple in their first career at-bat was Dan Rohn, and he did so Sept. 2, 1983, in his second plate appearance after walking in his first.
Rusin also fielded his position well, handling a comebacker by Marco Estrada and throwing the pitcher out to end the third. But his foot got in the way in the fourth. The Brewers loaded the bases with one out as Rusin hit two batters and walked another. The first hit off Rusin was literally off the pitcher as Corey Hart lined an infield single off his left foot. A run scored.
The lefty was pulled after throwing 76 pitches, 40 for strikes.
– Carrie Muskat
8/21 Roster moves
The Cubs selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin from Triple-A Iowa and added left-handed pitcher Alex Hinshaw to the 25-man roster. In corresponding roster moves, left-handed pitcher Jeff Beliveau and infielder Adrian Cardenas were optioned to Iowa, while right-handed pitcher Matt Garza was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
– Carrie Muskat
8/21 Let the auditions begin
The Cubs rotation today only has two pitchers remaining from Opening Day in Jeff Samardzija and Chris Volstad. Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm have been traded, and Matt Garza is on the 60-day DL with an elbow injury.
“It’s completely different from Opening Day,” manager Dale Sveum said Tuesday, stating the obvious.
On Tuesday, lefty Chris Rusin made his Major League debut. It’s part of the Cubs’ audition of young talent to determine who comes back in 2013.
“The last time I saw Rusin pitch was pretty impressive against the Angels in Spring Training,” Sveum said. “Hopefully, he can keep the ball down like he did that day and show us what he can do at the big league level.”
The Cubs haven’t decided whether Rusin will finish the season with them or go back to Triple-A Iowa.
“There are a few different scenarios, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Sveum said. “There’s a chance he could stick.”
If Spring Training started tomorrow, who besides Garza and Jeff Samardzija would make the rotation? That’s still to be determined. Rusin, Brooks Raley, and Justin Germano are among the candidates for spots.
“They’re young guys who are still learning how to get Major League hitters out with the stuff they have,” Sveum said. “That’s what the evaluation point of all this is. That’s what we have, that’s the depth we have and we’re going to evaluate it going forward. They have the ability to do it. Now it’s the understanding how to do it on a daily basis against Major League hitters.”
What type of team does Garza expect to see next spring in Mesa, Ariz.?
“It doesn’t matter — as long as I get to come back,” Garza said. “It’ll be younger. You can tell that right now. There will be lot less experience. If you’re going to do the full rebuild, you’re going to have to have a year or two like that. Right now we’re going through some aches and pains — growing pains — but we’ll be fine.”
Can Garza and Samardzija lead the staff?
“Somebody’s got to do it. Why not us?” he said. “We’ll have hungry guys and I feel we’re still going to have [Alfonso] Soriano, and he’ll be a big force out there for the young guys to look at. The bullpen, we’ll have [Carlos] Marmol, and he’s a guy who’s had great success and who’s shown he can come back. We’ll have some guys in spots to lead the way, so I think we’ll be all right.”
– Carrie Muskat
8/21 Cubs lineup
Chris Rusin makes his Major League debut Tuesday night for the Cubs against the Brewers. The lefty will be the 16th rookie to play for the Cubs this year, and 10th player to make his ML debut this season on the team. Of the 16 rookies, he is the ninth rookie pitcher. The Cubs last had more than 10 players make their ML debut in the same season in 2010 when 11 did so, including 10 prior to Sept. 1. The nine rookie pitchers is the most in the NL and tied for fourth most in the Majors with the White Sox, trailing the Athletics (11), Tigers (10) and Blue Jays (10). Here’s the lineup:
DeJesus RF
Vitters 3B
Rizzo 1B
Soriano LF
Castro SS
Castillo C
Jackson CF
Barney 2B
Rusin P
– Carrie Muskat
8/20 Roster moves
The Cubs will make two roster moves on Tuesday to open spots on the 25-man roster for Chris Rusin, who make his first start, and also for Alex Hinshaw, claimed off waivers from the Padres. Expect Jeff Beliveau and Adrian Cardenas to be sent back to Triple-A Iowa to make room.
– Carrie Muskat
8/20 Rusin ready to go
Chris Rusin may have had the easiest travel of the other young Cubs starters. The left-hander, who will make his Major League debut on Tuesday against the Brewers, caught an 8 a.m. flight Monday from Des Moines to Milwaukee, and headed straight for Miller Park.
“It’s a dream come true — I’ve dreamed about this as a little kid and it finally happened,” said Rusin, who will be officially added to the roster on Tuesday.
The Cubs’ fourth-round pick in 2009, Rusin was 8-8 with a 4.59 ERA in 24 starts at Iowa, striking out 87 over 133 1/3 innings. He got off to a solid start, posting a 2.63 ERA in his first five games, but struggled in June. He’s rebounded, and in his last three starts, Rusin has given up four earned runs over 18 2/3 innings. His last outing was Aug. 15 against Tucson, and he threw six shutout innings, giving up four hits in the win.
“It’s no different than pitching in Triple-A,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. “You still have to make your pitches.”
Rusin, 25, will likely be backed up by several of his former Iowa teammates, who have been promoted already to the big league team.
“You see people going in and out, and people moving up and down,” he said. “It’s all about timing, I think. When you get your chance, make the most of it, and that’s what I’m going to try to do tomorrow.”
– Carrie Muskat
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