Cubs win 4-3 over Indians; Injury updates and Opening Day starting lineup

The Cubs won 4-3 over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday in Goodyear, Arizona.  Chris Rusin made the start for the Cubs and allowed two hits while walking three and striking out three over six innings pitched.

Chris Rusin allowed just two hits against the Indians on Sunday (photo from Chicago Tribune)

Michael Bowden replaced Rusin in the sixth inning and pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings.  Although Rusin was considered for a spot in the Cubs bullpen, the team decided that it would make more sense to keep Rusin at Triple-A Iowas as a sixth starter.

"You've got to stay positive,'' Rusin said.  "It's difficult not to make any team, but you just take it as a learning experience.  I'll go down and work on things I have to work on and be ready when they call.'' 

In other Cubs news, right handed starting pitcher Scott Baker will be shut down and out of commission for at least a month with a right elbow strain.  Baker is still recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in April 2012.

Scott Baker is still recovering from Tommy John surgery (photo from Chicago Tribune)

The earliest third baseman Ian Stewart could play will be five weeks.  He has been sidelined with a sore left quad since February 21st and will start the season on the disabled list.  Stewart will stay in Arizona until the Minor League teams begin their seasons.  If things progress on track, Stewart could be ready to rejoin the Cubs around the end of April or beginning of May.

Starting pitcher Matt Garza is scheduled to have a bullpen session during the first week of April.  Garza suffered a lat injury this spring after he missed the last two months of the 2012 season with an elbow injury and will start the season on the disabled list.

Relief pitcher Rafael Dolis was optioned to Triple-A Iowa today, reducing the spring roster to 34 players.  Dave Sappelt was scratched from today's lineup since he suffered a bruised neck after being hit during the game on Saturday.  He is expected to be back in a few days.

On a lighter note, shortstop Starlin Castro turned 23 years  old today.  Happy Birthday, Starlin!

Tomorrow the Cubs will play the San Francisco Giants at 3:05 pm CST.  Travis Wood will make the start for the Cubs against Ryan Vogelsong.

Cubs uniforms being prepped for the season (photo by @CarrieMuskat on Twitter)

Manager Dale Sveum has set the starting lineup for Opening Day, which will include: David DeJesus leading off and followed by Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo, Alfonso Soriano, Nate Schierholtz, Welington Castillo, Luis Valbuena and Darwin Barney.  Only 8 more days until the Cubs open their season in Pittsburgh. 

Cubs win 5-2 against Padres; Spring roster cuts; Opening Day lineup

The Cubs won 5-2 against the San Diego Padres in today's spring training game at the Peoria Sports Complex.  Edwin Jackson was excellent as he allowed just one run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts over six innings.

Dave Sappelt hit a three-run homer against the Padres on Monday (photo from cubs.com)

Dave Sappelt's three-run homer helped bring the Cubs their victory.  Utility player Brent Lillibridge (who played first base in today's game) had two hits, including a triple to lead off the seventh inning.

As expected, the Cubs reduced their spring roster from 53 to 46 players today.  Junior Lake and Josh Vitters were optioned to Triple-A Iowa, Christian Villanueva was optioned to Double-A Tennessee and Jorge Soler was optioned to Single-A Daytona.  Non-roster spring training invitees Barret Loux, Javier Baez and Rafael Lopez were assigned to minor league camp.

In other Cubs news, pitcher Scott Baker had soreness in his right elbow so he underwent an MRI today.  The Cubs will find out the results of the MRI on Tuesday.

Tomorrow, Chris Rusin will make his third start of the spring when the Cubs play the Texas Rangers at HoHoKam Stadium.  Manager Dale Sveum is planning on using his projected Opening day lineup in tomorrow's game, which will be: DeJesus (CF), Castro (SS), Rizzo (1B), Soriano (LF), Schierholtz (RF), Castillo (C), Valbuena (3B), Barney (2B).  The game can be heard on cubs.com at 3:05pm CST.

Dale Sveum will use his projected Opening Day lineup in Tuesday's game against the Rangers (photo from Jesse Rogers, ESPN.com)

And speaking of Opening Day, it's just 14 days away!  Go Cubs Go!

Cubs win 8-1 over Dodgers; Dale Sveum announces starting rotation

The Cubs get a "W" in their exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers this afternoon.  Chris Rusin had a great outing as he allowed just one hit and no runs while striking out one and walking one batter over five innings pitched.  The final score was 8-1.

Left handed pitcher Chris Rusin allowed just one hit over five innings against the Dodgers on Thursday (photo from cubs.com)

The Cubs bats returned today as Brent Lillibridge and Darnell McDonald had hits in their first two at-bats.  Welington Castillo also had a two-run triple and Brian Bogusevic had a two-run double.  Josh Vitters also made his first appearance in a spring training game since he was out for a quad injury.

Cubs manager Dale Sveum announced that the starting rotation at the start of the season will be (in the following order):

Jeff Samardzija, Edwin Jackson, Travis Wood, Scott Feldman and Carlos Villanueva.  Once Matt Garza and Scott Baker are healthy, they are both expected to join the starting rotation.  This means that the "Shark" will pitch when the Cubs open their season on the road in Pittsburgh on April 1st.  Edwin Jackson will get the call for the Home Opener at Wrigley Field on April 8th.  

Edwin Jackson will be the starting pitcher for the Cubs Home Opener on April 8th (AP photo)

Just 19 more days until Opening Day and 26 until the Home Opener!  Can't wait to sing "Go Cubs Go!"

Cubs lose 10-5 to Rockies after game called early and are in No. 2 draft position

The Cubs were losing 10-5 to the Rockies after six innings when the game was delayed due to the constant rain that had been coming down at Coors Field.  48 minutes later, the game was called. 

The Cubs still need to win four games out of the eight remaining this season in order to avoid a 100-loss season.  On the flip side, the Cubs are currently in the No. 2 draft position.

Dave Sappelt was in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career and also hit his first career home run. 

Dave Sappelt hit his first major league homer against the Rockies on Tuesday night (photo from cubs.com)

Ironically, Sappelt also was the only one to post photo evidence of the Cubs rookie hazing costume tradition when he tweeted a photo of himself dressed in costume.

Dave Sappelt tweeted this photo of himself in his rookie roadtrip costume

Chris Rusin started for the Cubs and was tagged with the loss.  Rusin allowed six runs on seven hits and walked one batter over 3.2 innings pitched. 

One personal highlight (or should I say reward) for watching the game was that Len Kasper and Bob Brenly actually mentioned my name on the WGN-TV broadcast because of a tweet I had posted that said, "I think @lenandbob are getting wacky!"  Here's a link to a video clip of the broadcast.

Tomorrow the Cubs and Rockies will play the second game in the three-game series at 7:40pm CT.  Jason Berken will start for the Cubs and try to earn his first win since coming to the Cubs.

Cubs efforts wasted as they lose a tough one to Reds in 11 innings

The Cubs lost a tough one tonight to the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field Wednesday night in a game that went into extra innings.  The final score was 6-5 Reds in 11 innings.

Chris Rusin started for the Cubs and allowed five runs on ten hits while walking two and striking out two over five innings pitched.  Rusin ends up with a no-decision and Alberto Cabrera is tagged with the loss.

Starlin Castro was 4-for-5 with a run and RBI while Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer, which was his 30th of the season.

Anthony Rizzo and Alfonso Soriano celebrate Sori's two-run homer against the Reds (photo from cubs.com)

Things seemed to be hopeful for the Cubs until David DeJesus misplayed Brandon Phillips' fly ball in the 11th, which led to the unearned game-winning run for the Reds.

Another incident that didn't help was when Luis Valbuena was picked off second base in the sixth inning when he wasn't paying attention.  Ouch.

However, the Cubs never gave up as they were down 5-1 at one point in the game.  Especially for a team that could easily lose 100 games, the team gets an A+ for effort.  The team needs five wins to avoid a 100-loss season, which would be the first time they'd lose over 100 games since 1966, when they lost 103 games.

The crazy strong winds in Chicago tonight also made for some unanticipated plays.  After staying up late to watch the Cubs another time this week, there's not much to be happy about, given the losses.  However, Cubs fans on Twitter make it worthwhile and entertaining.  You can find me as @kcburchell on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/kcburchell

Tomorrow the Cubs and Reds will play the final game of the three-game series at 1:20 CT.  Jason Berken will make the start for the Cubs and try to earn his first win.

Starlin Castro with 4 RBIs as Cubs win 7-4 over Pirates; Albert Almora at Wrigley Field; 2013 schedule released

The Cubs won 7-4 over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first of a three-game series at Wrigley Field Friday afternoon.

Rookie Chris Rusin was the starting pitcher and earned his first career MLB win.  Rusin was impressive as he allowed two runs on four hits and struck out six batters and didn't walk any over five innings pitched.

Anthony Rizzo and Brett Jackson both returned to the lineup for Friday's game.  Rizzo had a two-run double and Jackson had an amazing sliding catch later in the game.  Jackson had to miss five games due to the bruised knee he got as a result of crashing into the centerfield fence while making an amazing catch in Pittsburgh.  Rizzo missed one game after colliding with the Astros' first baseman on Tuesday night in Houston.

Starlin Castro had an exceptional game as he was 2-for-4, including a homer and 4 RBIs.  Carlos Marmol earned his 20th save of the season.

Steve Clevenger and Carlos Marmol celebrate the Cubs' 7-4 win over the Pirates on Friday (photo from cubs.com)

Second baseman Darwin Barney's consecutive errorless game streak is now at 129 games.  Barney also increased his hitting streak to a career-high nine games.

In other Cubs news, 1st round pick Albert Almora took batting practice today as Cubs President Theo Epstein watched.  Top prospect Jorge Soler is expected to take batting practice before Saturday's game.

Albert Almora talks to Cubs President Theo Epstein during batting practice before Friday's game against the Pirates (photo from @Cubs on Twitter)

The Cubs' 2013 schedule was released this week and can be found here.  The Cubs will open their 2013 season on the road in Pittsburgh on Monday, April 1st, where they will play three games against the Pirates and then head to Atlanta to take on the Braves for three games before heading home to Wrigley Field for the home opener on Monday, April 8th against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tomorrow, the Cubs and Pirates will play game two at 12:05pm CT.  Right-hander Jason Berken will make his first start since joining the Cubs when he was acquired off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles last Friday. 

Berken had a record of 5-6 with a 3.50 ERA at Triple-A Norfolk.  Tomorrow's spot would have been Jeff Samardzija's turn in the rotation, but he has since been shut down for the rest of the season since he reached his maximum innings since becoming a starter this season.

Cubs win third game in a row and sweep the Pirates

The Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third day in a row Sunday afternoon, which also completed the series sweep.  This was the Cubs first series win since August 1-4, 2011 in Pittsburgh, coincidentally.

Chris Rusin started for the Cubs and allowed one run on five hits while striking out four batters and walking three over five innings pitched.

Third baseman Josh Vitters homered in the fourth inning to break his 0-for-27 streak.  Catcher Anthony Recker then hit his first major league homer in the same inning to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead. 

James Russell balked in the seventh inning which allowed the Pirates to tie the game at 2-2 since a runner was on third.  

However, the game wasn't tied for long as Alfonso Soriano's two-run homer in the eighth inning gave the Cubs a 4-2 lead, which was eventually the final score.  Carlos Marmol threw 11 balls and 12 strikes in the ninth and loaded the bases with one out, but was able to survive and earned his 18th save of the season.  Russell earned his seventh win of the season. 

Alfonso Soriano's 2-run homer put the Cubs ahead against the Pirates on Sunday (photo from cubs.com)

Next the Cubs will travel to Houston to play a three-game against the Astros starting at 7:05pm CT. Chris Volstad will start for the Cubs and try to earn his third win of the season. 

Jeff Samardzija pitches complete game for last start as Cubs win 4-3 over Pirates

The Cubs won the second game of the three-game series 4-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park Saturday night.  Following last night's win, this was the team's first back-to-back victory on the road since July 23-24, which coincidentally was also at PNC Park.

Jeff Samardzija made his last start of the season since the team wants to be cautious and save his arm from wear and tear since this is his first full season as a starter (vs. a reliever).

The Shark ended his season in style as he pitched his first career complete game and allowed three runs on four hits while striking out nine batters and walking just one.  This was Samardzija's ninth win of the season.

“That was a special night for him and the team to win two in a row after what just happened in Washington,” manager Dale Sveum said.  "It was big for him to be that so-called No. 1 guy to step up and give us back-to-back wins for the first time on the road in I don’t know how long.”  

Jeff Samardzija ended his first season as a starting pitcher on a strong note by earning his ninth win and first complete game (photo from cubs.com)

Speaking of Washington, catcher Steve Clevenger was fined and suspended for one game (which took place tonight) for his involvement during the brawl during Thursday's game against the Nationals.

One twist to tonight's lineup was that Samardzija batted eighth, ahead of outfielder Tony Campana.  Sveum said he wanted to try this because he liked the idea of having two leadoff men in Campana and David DeJesus.  Sveum said, “It took 138 games but I finally did something right, huh?  It worked.”

Alfonso Soriano hit his 27th homer of the season tonight while David DeJesus had an RBI single in the eighth to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead. 

Second baseman Darwin Barney extended his errorless games streak to 124 straight games tonight, which tops Ryne Sandberg's overall National League record which was set between June 21, 1989 to May 17, 1990. 


Tomorrow the Cubs and Pirates will play the final game of the three-game series at 12:35pm CT.  Chris Rusin will start for the Cubs and try for his first win.

Cubs bounce back and win 12-2 over Pirates; Brett Jackson's extraordinary catch

The Cubs bounced back from being swept by the Washington Nationals by winning 12-2 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park Friday night.

Travis Wood started for the Cubs and ended his losing streak by allowing just one hit and striking out five batters and walking three over six scoreless innings.  The Pirates committed seven errors tonight.

Starlin Castro got his 500th and 501st career hits and became the 28th MLB player in history to make the accomplishment before turning 23 years old.  Castro was 3-for-5 in tonight's game.

Anthony Rizzo and Alfonso Soriano both scored against the Pirates Friday night (US Presswire photo)

However, there was a scary moment in the sixth inning when outfielder Brett Jackson crashed into the fence with his face after making an amazing catch on Andrew McCutchen's fly ball to end the inning. 

“That’s the type of player I am,” Jackson said.  “I’ve always been that way.  I’ll go through a wall for the team and that was a big moment for Travis (Wood) and for us.  We’d lost six in a row, and seven runs didn’t seem like it was enough at the time.  I don’t really have a second gear.  I’m going to go for those balls.  I’m sure people will tell me to take care of my body, but making that play was a little more important at the time.”  Gotta love BJax's ambition!

Cubs outfielder Brett Jackson's extraordinary catch in the sixth inning against the Pirates Friday night (photo from Chicago Tribune)

Thankfully Jackson was able to walk off the field and his x-rays were negative.  He does have a bruised and swollen knee, though.  Manager Dale Sveum tonight's big win was important for the team's “mental state,” and Jackson’s catch was one of the components.  “That was one heck of an effort, and at a very crucial time in the game,” he said.

Tomorrow the Cubs and Pirates will play the second game of the three-game series at 6:05pm CT.  Jeff Samardzija will start for the Cubs before being shut down for the rest of the season since he's already pitched double the amount of innings since he was converted from a relief pitcher to a starter this season.

Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija will make his last start of the season Saturday before he will be shut down to protect his arm (US Presswire photo)

"It's going to be tough watching," the "Shark" said.  "It's not something I'm accustomed to.  I'm used to playing, and I'm used to playing all the time.  You have to respect what they're planning on doing, what their plans are for the organization and for the team.  This is the right move for the right reasons."

This means that the rotation will consist of Chris Volstad (the only starter left from opening week), Travis Wood, Justin Germano, Chris Rusin and Jason Berken, who was claimed on waivers from the Baltimore Orioles Friday.  It should be an interesting rest of the season and as much as it stings to say it, I think it will be a challenge for the Cubs to not lose 100 games.

Brett Jackson with 3rd HR but Cubs fall 4-3 to Rockies on a sweltering Saturday at Wrigley Field

The Cubs lost 4-3 to the Colorado Rockies today in the second game of the three-game series.  Brooks Raley started for the Cubs and allowed two runs on five hits and walked three batters and struck out four over five innings pitched.

Brooks Raley started for the Cubs against the Rockies on Saturday (photo from Chicago Tribune)

Pitcher Chris Rusin was optioned to Triple-A Iowa as the corresponding move when Raley was recalled before Saturday's game.  Rusin gave up just one hit over five innings against the Brewers last week, which happened to be an infield single that had deflected off his foot.  Rusin is expected to be called back up when rosters expand in a week.

Brett Jackson hit his third home run since being called up from Triple-A Iowa, which scored two runs in the fourth inning.  Today's loss was the team's 19th in their last 24 games.

Tomorrow the Cubs and Rockies will play the final game in the series at 1:20CT.  Chris Volstad will make the start for the Cubs and hopefully will finally get a win.

Chris Rusin impressive in MLB debut but Cubs lose 5-2 to Brewers; Matt Garza update; Latest roster moves

The Cubs lost 5-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park tonight.  Left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin made his MLB debut and allowed just one run on one hit and walked two batters and struck out four over five innings pitched.  He threw three perfect innings but was replaced when the Cubs were trailing 1-0.

Rookie Chris Rusin allowed just one hit in his MLB debut and also tripled in his first MLB at-bat (photo from cubs.com)

Rusin was the 9th rookie pitcher this season for the Cubs, which leads the National League.  Rusin was impressive as he had a stand-up triple in his first MLB at-bat, which no Cubs pitcher has ever done.  Pitcher Bob Muncrief tripled during his first Cubs game, but not in his first MLB at-bat.

Rookie pitcher Alberto Cabrera pitched in relief of Rusin in the sixth inning.  He didn't fare too well as he loaded the bases on three walks and the Cubs were in a 4-0 deficit.

In other Cubs news, Matt Garza was transferred to the 60-day disabled list, which means that he is done for the season due to elbow stress reaction.

Garza said, "If this is it, it's disappointing because I wanted to finish it off.  I'd like to be the guy to step out there every five days and be known for that.  A little hiccup, but come back stronger. … I've learned a lot from what I have to deal with right now.  I'm not fine, I'm never going to be fine with it," he said.  "But you have to accept it."

Starting pitcher Matt Garza has been shut down for the rest of the season (photo from Chicago Tribune)

Obviously, the Cubs added Chris Rusin to the roster, but they also added pitcher Alex Hinshaw, who was claimed off waivers from the Padres over the weekend.  In corresponding moves, relief pitcher Jeff Beliveau and infielder Adrian Cardenas were optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

The Cubs are also planning to move the Class A Peoria Chiefs to Kane County, which is in the suburb of Geneva, in order to be closer to Chicago starting in 2013.  Kane County is currently a part of the Kansas City Royals, but that affiliation expires at the end of the 2012 season.

Tomorrow the Cubs and Brewers will play the final game in the series at 1:10pm CT.  Travis Wood will start for the Cubs and try to earn his fifth win of the season.

Josh Vitters hits 1st career homer, but Cubs lose 9-5 to Brewers

The Cubs lose 9-5 to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miler Park Monday night.  Justin Germano made the start for the Cubs and allowed seven runs over eight hits while walking one and striking out three batters over 4.2 innings pitched.  Germano was tagged with the loss and now has a 2-3 record.

David DeJesus and Anthony Rizzo both doubled in the first inning to put the Cubs on the board and the Cubs were looking good with a 3-1 lead.

Things continued to look sharp for the Cubs as third baseman Josh Vitters hit his first career homer in the fifth inning.  But it all went downhill after that, when the Brewers scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth. 

Corey Hart started it off with a two-run single to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead.  Then Jeff Beliveau came in to pitch in relief and gave up a three-run homer to Jonathan Lucroy, which was his second HR of the game.  Beliveau then went on to serve up a solo homer to Carlos Gomez to give the Brewers an 8-3 lead. 

The Cubs have now lost 16 of their last 20 games since July 31st, when Ryan Dempster was traded just before the trade deadline.  The team is currently on pace to lose 99 games this season.  Ouch! 

Josh Vitters hit his first career homer on Monday night against the Brewers (US Presswire photo)

Tomorrow the Cubs and Brewers will play the second game of the three-game series at 7:10pm CT.  Left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin will make his first career start and will also be the team's 11th starter this season.  Rusin has given up four earned runs over 18 2/3 innings pitched over his last three starts at Triple-A Iowa and has a 4.59 ERA in 24 starts this season.

Rusin is getting the opportunity to start because the Cubs have used all five starters over four days, due to the doubleheader on Saturday in Cincinnati.  So, Rusin is stepping in to help ensure the rotation gets the rest inbetween starts that is needed.  When manager Dale Sveum was asked to commment on Rusin, he said,  “He’ll just get that one for now and as we move forward we’ll see what’s going on."

Cubs beat the Angels 8-1; Sveum on the 25-man roster

The Cubs beat the Los Angeles Angels today, 8-1, to improve their Cactus League record to 15-16-2.

Prospect Chris Rusin threw 51/3 scoreless innings.  Shawn Camp pitched 1-2/3 scoreless innings, which helped his case for a spot in the bullpen.

The Cubs have until Wednesday to set their 25-man roster.  Currently there are eight relief pitchers in camp and only seven spots.  Manager Dale Sveum said, "I wouldn't say we're any closer, no [to a decision].  There are still performances to be done." 

Cubs manager Dale Sveum is still finalizing the 25-man roster (photo from Chicago Tribune)

The Cubs will play their last Cactus League games Monday and Tuesday and then head to Chicago for the home opener against the Washington Nationals.

Matt Garza pitched four innings in a Minor League game at Fitch Park in Mesa today, where he gave up two hits and struck out six, throwing 51 pitches.  After that, he threw some more in the bullpen.  Garza's next start will be on Saturday against the Nationals at Wrigley Field.


Tomorrow the Cubs will play the Arizona Diamondbacks at 3:10pm CST in Scottsdale, where right-handed pitcher Jay Jackson will start.  Only 4 days until Opening Day!

Cubs to play two intrasquad games at HoHoKam; Bunting Tournament Round 2 Results

The Cubs will play two intrasquad games this Friday and Saturday at HoHoKam Stadium.  Travis Wood will pitch opposite Randy Wells on Friday and Andy Sonnanstine and Casey Coleman will pitch in relief that day.

Jay Jackson (a non-roster invitee) will pitch against another non-roster player, Chris Rusin on Saturday.  Trey McNutt and Alberto Cabrera will pitch in relief.  The intrasquad games will start at 1pm and will last five or six innings and are free and open to the public.

Round 2 results of the Cubs Bunting Tournament are:  Steve Clevenger, Wellington Castillo, Chris Rusin, and Casey Coleman advanced, while Bryan LaHair, Brett Jackson, Dae-Eun Rhee, and Scott Maine were eliminated.

Only 4 more days until the first Cubs spring training game!  Meanwhile, here's a photo of a shirt I saw when I was shopping near Wrigley Field earlier this year:

Can't wait to see what impact Theo Epstein will continue to have on the 2012 Cubs!