Brewers outslug Cubs in Cactus League action |
PHOENIX - After getting swept in their first of two split-squad games this spring, the Chicago Cubs were eager to return to the Diamond on Tuesday for the first of two meetings with the Milwaukee Brewers. As nice as it was for the Cubs to return to the diamond, there wasn't all good news as Seiya Suzuki was diagnosed with a left oblique strain putting him in doubt to open the season on the active roster.
One of the hardest parts about pitching in spring training is the warm Arizona air as the ball flies out of the ballpark. The Cubs found that out firsthand today as the Brewers clubbed three homers on the afternoon and topped the Cubs 6-3. Making his spring debut was lefty Drew Smyly as he looks to anchor down a spot in the back of the rotation. Smyly worked around a leadoff Christian Yelich double in the first inning, but ran into some trouble in the second as he allowed a leadoff homer to Brian Anderson to begin the second to put the Brewers in front for good 1-0. After retiring the next hitter he faced, the Brewers responded with three consecutive hits to double their lead, with Victor Caratini coming away with an RBI double. Smyly would finish that inning as his first start was filled with mixed reviews. Opposing Smyly was former Cub Robert Stock, who is looking to lock down a spot in the Brewers pen. Despite battling through some command issues and a pair of walks, Stock kept the Cubs off the board, and that has been an all too familiar theme in the early stages of the spring. As much as you want your veteran guys to get their work in, having your prospects see time on the field is equally important. That is where Ben Brown comes into play as he took over for Smyly in the third. Brown showed a lot of poise on the mound in his two innings of work, throwing strikes and pounding the zone, but he did serve up a long homer to Rowdy Tellez in the third to put the Brewers in front 3-0. It took the Cubs five innings for them to come away with their first hit as Top five prospect Kevin Alcantara connected for a single off another former Cub, Tyson Miller. Nothing came from that single as the Brewers pitching continued to shut down the Cubs offense. Next on the mound for the Cubs was Mark Leiter Jr, as he is looking to impress and potentially get back into the bullpen picture this season and went on to toss a perfect fifth inning to keep things close. It didn't matter who the Brewers trotted out to the mound as the results were the same, and the Cubs were still held scoreless with just one hit through six innings. It was in the seventh when the Cubs offense finally broke through, and that all started with a lead off Matt Mervis double off of Tobias Myers. With one down and Mervis still standing on second, Nelson Velazquez unloaded on a Myers heater, drove it over the right-center field fence for the Cubs only homer of the afternoon, and brought them within 3-2. Nelson Velazquez - Chicago Cubs (1)* pic.twitter.com/KcOPigF7tx
Alcantara picked up his second hit of the game later in the inning, which was followed by a catchers interference before Myers got out of his jam with the lead still intact. The Cubs continued to showcase their farm system in the later innings, with Ben Leeper coming on to work the seventh and doing what he does best by picking up a pair of strikeouts and working around a one-out Sal Frelick single to keep things close. Cubs relief prospect Ben Leeper picked up a pair of strikeouts in his scoreless inning of work against the Brewers Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/Y1ucw6HLtr
Danis Correa was called on to pitch the eighth, and his outing wasn't the kind of outing he had hoped for. Correa walked the first hitter he faced, then ran into trouble as a one-out error put a pair of runners on base. The next pitch saw the Brewers deliver the punishing blow as Abraham Toro connected for the game-winning three-run shot and busted open the game 6-2. Correa would settle in nicely to retire the final two hitters he faced, but the damage was done, and the Cubs had a lot of work to do in the ninth. Down, but not out, the Cubs offense started to show a bit more life in the ninth inning, with Velazquez and Sergio Alcantara starting things off with a pair of singles. What had the potential of being a big inning quickly evaporated as Darius Hill grounded into a double play which had the Cubs down to their final out. An RBI double off the bat of Brennen Davis made things 6-3 and kept the Cubs alive, only to see James Triantos strikeout to end the game. Brennen Davis RBI-double to left field! pic.twitter.com/ynZzfWFqVT
The Cubs will be back on the diamond on Wednesday at Sloan Park as they will square off with the Seattle Mariners. Kevin Alcantara and Velazquez led the Cubs as they had two hits. Velazquez added two RBIs to his line, while Mervis, Davis, and Sergio Alcantara had the remaining hits. After struggling with their command Monday, the Cubs pitching staff was much better as they combined to walk two and strikeout six. Smyly and Leeper had two, with Brown and Leiter Jr coming away with the rest.
