Results tagged ‘ Michael Bowden ’
5/21 Cubs lineup & roster move
The Cubs open a three-game series against the Pirates on Tuesday at PNC Park. Here’s the lineup:
Borbon CF
Castro SS
Rizzo 1B
Soriano LF
Hairston RF
Castillo C
Ransom 3B
Barney 2B
Garza P
* Right-handed reliever Michael Bowden was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Matt Garza, who will be making his first start in the big leagues since last July. He missed the second half of last season because of elbow problems, and has been sidelined this year because of a strained left lat, suffered in Spring Training.
* Also, the Cubs claimed right-handed pitcher Eduardo Sanchez off waivers from the Cardinals. He will report to Iowa.
– Carrie Muskat
3/21 Fighting for last spot
The Cubs have nine games remaining starting Friday, and nine pitchers fighting for one opening in the bullpen.
Carlos Marmol, Kyuji Fujikawa, James Russell, Shawn Camp are set, plus the Cubs like what they’ve seen from right-hander Hector Rondon, a Rule 5 Draft pick. Michael Bowden, who is on the 40-man roster and does not have options left, has had a strong spring and appears to have secured a spot.
“He’s had a good spring, he has a track record, he pitched very well the last two or three months he was up last year,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said of Bowden, who compiled a 2.95 ERA in 30 relief appearances last season with the Cubs. “He’s basically the one guy in the bullpen who can go multiple innings and that’s a huge asset to have.”
Which leaves Jaye Chapman, Rafael Dolis, Jensen Lewis, Blake Parker, Hisanori Takahashi, Casey Coleman, Drew Carpenter, Zach Putnam and Cory Wade remaining. Dolis is the only one on the list who is on the 40-man roster and the right-hander does have an option remaining. Takahashi is the only lefty in the mix.
“Realistically, there’s one relief spot open,” Sveum said.
– Carrie Muskat
12/11 Winter League updates
Junior Lake was 2-for-4 on Saturday with two RBIs for Estrellas de Oriente in the Dominican Republic. Lake was batting .336 in 38 games with four home runs and 19 RBIs. He’s hitting .579 (11-for-19) against left-handed pitchers.
Updating Michael Bowden’s last outing for Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican: the right-hander gave up three runs on seven hits and one walk over 4 2/3 innings on Saturday. He’s now 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA in seven starts.
Dave Sappelt was batting .324 in 18 games with Bravos de Margarita in Venezuela.
Hector Rondon, whom the Cubs acquired in the Rule 5 Draft from the Indians, has a 4.26 ERA in 21 games in relief for Leones del Caracas in Venezuela. He’s given up nine earned runs on 13 hits and five walks, while striking out 11 over 19 innings. Teams were batting .197 against him.
Tony Campana was batting .205 with seven stolen bases in 14 games with Leones del Caracas.
– Carrie Muskat
12/3 Winter league roundup
Michael Bowden gave up one run on five hits and two walks over seven innings, striking out five, as Aguilas beat Licey in the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Bowden is 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA in six starts so far with 17 strikeouts over 27 2/3 innings.
Junior Lake went 1-for-4 on Sunday to raise his batting average to .333 overall for Estrellas de Oriente. On Saturday, Lake was 1-for-3, hitting his fourth home run and driving in three runs.
Alberto Cabrera gave up one run on two hits over 1 1/3 innings in relief for Toros del Este, his fourth appearance in the Dominican.
Tony Campana was 1-for-3, drew two walks, scored a run and stole two bases Sunday for Leones del Caracas in Venezuelan Winter League play. He’s batting .148 in 10 games with five steals.
Luis Valbuena was 2-for-4 with one RBI on Sunday and was batting .325 in 34 games with Cardenales de Lara in Venezuela. He’s played second and third.
Dave Sappelt was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and missed hitting for the cycle by a triple on Saturday, playing for Bravos de Margarita in Venezuela.
– Carrie Muskat
11/27 Winter league update
* Alberto Cabrera gave up one run on three hits over four innings in relief on Monday for Toros del Este in Dominican Winter League play. It was the first earned run off the right-hander in 7 2/3 innings over three games.
Junior Lake started at third base and went 2-for-5 Monday for Estrellas de Oriente in the Dominican. He’s batting .333 in 30 games with two home runs, seven doubles and 11 RBIs.
Michael Bowden gave up one earned run on three hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings in his fifth start for Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican. He is 2-2 with a 3.92 ERA in five starts, striking out 12 over 20 2/3 innings.
* Austin Bibens-Dirkx gave up one run on six hits over 6 1/3 innings and struck out six on Saturday in his fifth start for Aguilas del Zulia in Venezuela. The right-hander is 1-0 with one save and a 1.63 ERA in seven games (five starts), striking out 31 over 27 2/3 innings.
Jae-Hoon Ha was batting .224 in 26 games for Tigres de Aragua in Venezuela. He went 1-for-3 on Sunday, hitting his first home run, a solo shot.
11/12 Getting back on track
After being hit with a 50-game suspension for violating MLB’s drug program, Marlon Byrd is now playing for los Tomateros de Culiacan in the Mexican Winter League. Byrd was batting .333 in 26 games with nine home runs, four doubles and 21 RBIs. He’s played right field in all but one game and was batting third. Byrd began the 2012 season with the Cubs but was dealt to the Red Sox after going 3-for-43 in 13 games. He batted .270 in 34 games with Boston, but was designated for assignment and then released in June. On June 25, Byrd was hit with the suspension.
Michael Bowden, whom the Cubs got from the Red Sox for Byrd, recently joined Aguilas in the Dominican Republic, and had a tough outing in his second start Nov. 7 when he gave up five earned runs and five hits over 1 1/3 innings. He gave up four hits over four innings in his first start Nov. 2.
– Carrie Muskat
9/17 Late night at Wrigley
Did you stay awake for the Cubs game? The start was delayed 3 hours 37 minutes because of rain, and first pitch was at 10:42 p.m. CT. It’s the latest a game has started at Wrigley Field since July 26, 2005, when the Cubs faced the Giants, and play began at 9:48 p.m. CT. In that game, Greg Maddux picked up his 3,000th strikeout, and play ended at 1:16 a.m. CT. This was the last trip to Chicago for the Pirates, who do not have an off day for the rest of the season. The fans who waited out the weather in the upper deck were moved to the lower level so some of the ushers could go home.
Fans who stayed were offered a 25 percent discount on food and non-alcoholic beverages. Cubs reliever Michael Bowden stood in the rain to sign autographs and pose for photos for fans who braved the weather.
Next up for the Cubs are the Reds, who had checked into their hotel long before first pitch. They’ll be rested for Tuesday’s night game.
“That’s a nice ballclub,” Dale Sveum said of the Reds. “That’s the same kind of ballclub we saw in Washington. You make mistakes and they have a chance to beat you up. It’s a really good ballclub and that’s why the Reds and Washington have the best records in baseball.”
The Cubs had a tough time against the Nationals, who swept a four-game series Sept. 3-6 in Washington, and outscored Chicago 31-10. The Reds’ magic number to clinch the National League Central at five.
“Nobody wants anybody to clinch on your turf, that’s for sure,” Sveum said. “It’s inevitable that they’ll clinch, you just don’t want them to do it on your place.”
– Carrie Muskat
9/1 Extra bases
* Anthony Rizzo is 6-for-14 (.429) in his last three games. He has three straight multi-hit games for the first time in his career.
* David DeJesus has homered in four of his last 15 games. He connected off the Giants’ Tim Lincecum on Saturday.
“He threw me the same pitch the at-bat before, but I got a little under it,” DeJesus said. “I stayed inside it and was able to put a good swing on it. Hitting, I wasn’t sure because the wind was blowing straight in. When I got close to first base, I kind of knew.”
* Michael Bowden threw a season-high 2 2/3 innings of relief.
“I feel every time I’ve gone out there, I’ve gained a little more confidence, and became a little more comfortable,” Bowden said. “That’s the point I’m trying to get to. I know I’ve been there at Triple-A and I need to transfer that up here. I’ts just a matter of getting some repetition. I am confident and I feel comfortable.”
* Travis Wood (4-11, 4.71 ERA) faces Matt Cain (13-5, 2.82 ERA) on Sunday in the series finale. It’s also the last game of the homestand. The Cubs start a 10-game road trip Monday against the Nationals.
– Carrie Muskat
8/13 Roster move
Right-handed pitcher Michael Bowden was added to the Cubs roster on Monday and Brooks Raley optioned to Triple-A Iowa. However, Raley could still start on Saturday The Cubs will be allowed to add a 26th player for the doubleheader against the Reds. To make room on the 40-man roster, third baseman Ian Stewart was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. Stewart is sidelined after undergoing surgery on his wrist. Bowden was 3-2 with two saves and a 2.76 ERA in 23 games at Iowa, giving up 10 earned runs over 32 2/3 innings. He walked 17 and struck out 35. He was used strictly in relief. Acquired from the Red Sox for Marlon Byrd, Bowden appeared in 10 games with the Cubs from April 24-May 27, and compiled a 7.45 ERA, giving up eight earned runs over 9 2/3 innings.
– Carrie Muskat
6/1 Cubs claim Asencio
The Cubs bullpen got a new arm Friday when they added right-handed pitcher Jairo Asencio. He was claimed off waivers from the Indians and Michael Bowden was designated for assignment. Bowden, an Illinois native, had a 7.45 ERA in 10 games with the Cubs, giving up eight earned runs on 14 hits and five walks over 9 2/3 innings. He had appeared in two games with the Red Sox and given up one earned run on two hits in three innings. The Red Sox designated him for assignment on April 15, and the Cubs acquired him April 21 to complete the Marlon Byrd trade. In eight games in May, bowden had a 9.95 ERA, giving up seven runs on 11 hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings.
Asencio has a 5.96 ERA in 18 games with the Indians, giving up 17 earned runs on 27 hits (including four homers) and eight walks over 25 2/3 innings. He came up in the Braves system and was traded to the Indians on March 29 for cash considerations, then designated for assignment on May 28.
– Carrie Muskat
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