The Chicago Cubs took on the Los Angeles Dodgers on their home field, but the game was not pretty as they lost 11-7. Pitching was by far the downfall in yesterday's game.
Brooks Raley started for the Cubs and he was no great. Raley is competing for a spot in the bullpen and may have made the decision easier for the Cubs staff with his performance. In the game, Raley gave up 4 earned runs, 5 hits and 1 walk in 1 inning of work.
Once again the Cubs got off to a great start in the 1st inning. Anthony Rizzo hit an rbi-single driving home Luis Valbuena, Nate Schierholtz had an rbi-single as well plating Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney had a 2-run single driving home both Alfonso Soriano and Schierholtz. After the 1st inning, the Cubs were up 4-1. Then the major let-down from the pitching began...
Later in the game, Barney added another rbi-single driving Schierholtz home, Junior Lake scored on a throwing error by SS Dee Gordon and Darnell McDonald drove home Johermyn Chavez with a sacrifice fly.
Castro had to leave the game in the 4th inning after coming up limping while running to 1st base, I'll have more on Castro later in the article.
To just show you how bad the pitching was; here are the lines from them:
Trey McNutt: 1 inning ... 2 hits, 1 run
Jaye Chapman: 0.1 innings ... 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks
Alberto Cabrera: 2.2 innings ... 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 strikeouts
Hisanori Takahashi: 1 inning ... 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk
However, Michael Bowden, Shawn Camp and James Russell were perfect in their 1 inning of work.
More on Starlin Castro's Injury:
Starling Castro is said to be day-t0-day with a tight hamstring. Dale Sveum says Castro does not have a pulled hamstring.
Castro said this after the game about his injury; "I was scared when I first felt my hammy tug, but let's see how I feel tomorrow [but] I think I'll be fine."
Castro will be re-evaluated this morning to make sure his hamstring is all good.
Update on Matt Garza's Injury:
Dale Sveum said; "Garza's workout yesterday went great, if lat is fine this morning, he could start throwing." Garza could be ready by opening day.
Bruce Levine says Garza passed upper body strengths evaluation. Garza could throw from 90 feet today.
Javier Baez on his Hard Hit ball:
Baez on nearly killing a guy; "If you hit a ball like that all the time you're going to feel great."
Sveum said; "that was the kind of balls Sheffield used to hit." He was talking about Baez's hard hit ball in the game.
The Cubs will stay in Mesa today and take on the Oakland Athletics at 2 p.m. Central. Scott Feldman will make his first start and it'll be his first game pitching in Cubbie blue.
