MESA, Arizona — Cubs pitchers struck out 14 Rangers hitters Saturday afternoon on another gorgeous day at Sloan Park.
For whatever that’s worth. A few Cubs regulars and a bunch of minor leaguers couldn’t put together much offense, though, and so the Cubs lost their second straight Spring Training game, 3-2 to Texas.
Matthew Boyd put together what I thought was a decent outing, though he didn’t finish the second inning after throwing 36 pitches (25 strikes). He was the victim of a fly ball that Pete Crow-Armstrong lost in the sun and then dropped, generously called a double for Tyler Wade, who then scored on a single by Sam Haggerty to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the second. Boyd did strike out four, so that’s a good start to his spring season.
Here’s Boyd’s fourth K [VIDEO].
The Cubs tied the game up in the bottom of the second. Pedro Ramirez walked, stole second and scored on a single by Jefferson Rojas.
Rojas also made an offline throw in the fourth that pulled Jonathon Long off first base, and Long left with an injury [VIDEO].
It was reported after the game that Long left with a left elbow strain. As you can see in the clip that when he goes down he’s holding his arm after colliding with Mark Canha. It’s a tough blow if Long misses time in Spring Training. It’s unlikely he would have made the Opening Day roster anyway, but this obviously sets him back.
That play helped lead to a two-run inning off Hoby Milner. Otherwise the Cubs bullpen did a pretty good job, including Luke Little, who didn’t walk anyone (progress!), though he did hit a batter, and Jack Neely, who issued a walk but struck out three.
The Cubs scored another run in the fourth. Triantos led off with a single and went to third on a single by Ramirez. Rojas grounded out, scoring Triantos to make it 3-2.
That was it for scoring, and after the fifth it was all minor leaguers finishing things up.
Of note, there were five ABS challenges in this game, three of which resulted in a call being overturned. The last of these was a strike-three call which would have ended the game. Hayden Cantrelle challenged and got it overturned — by seven-tenths of an inch [VIDEO].
That is exactly the sort of situation ABS challenges are designed for — close game, bottom of the ninth, the hitter thinks he’s got a chance at another pitch instead of the game being over.
Which is what Cantrelle got — and then he struck out swinging on the next pitch to actually end the game.
But at least that call was changed to the correct one.
Attendance watch: 12,073 paid to see this Saturday afternoon contest, bringing the season total for two dates to 26,492, or 13,246 per date. The next Sloan Park game will be Tuesday vs. the Padres.
The Cubs travel to Scottsdale to face the Giants Sunday afternoon. Colin Rea will go for the Cubs and Robbie Ray will go for the Giants. There will be a TV broadcast Sunday via Giants TV and there’s also a radio broadcast with the Giants announcers on their flagship station KNBR 104.5.