MESA, Arizona — The Cubs wore their white pinstripe home jerseys for the exhibition game against Team Italy, and that was more than just a pleasant view. Before the game started I saw a few Cubs minor leaguers enter Sloan Park wearing the blue alternates and wondered why.
“Why” was because several of them played for Team Italy, and that had them match Italy’s blue jerseys. And a couple of the Cubs prospects hit Cubs pitching pretty hard. Owen Ayers, a catching prospect who did well in the Arizona
Fall League, smashed a two-run homer and also singled, and Parker Chavers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
All of this led to Team Italy’s 9-4 win over the Cubs in front of a very small crowd at Sloan Park, just 8,068.
While Cubs major leaguers were in the game, though, things went quite well. Cade Horton threw three strong innings, allowing a walk and single and striking out three. Here are the three K’s [VIDEO].
Dansby Swanson gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead with this solo homer in the second [VIDEO].
That ball was up and out right in the middle of the zone and was hit a long way:
The Cubs scored three more times in the fourth. Matt Shaw led off with a double and Pedro Ramirez walked. Both runners moved up on a fly ball by Jefferson Rojas and both scored on an infield hit by Nico Hoerner, after the ball was thrown away by Italy shortstop Thomas Saggese, who you’ll remember as a member of the Cardinals.
Jacob Webb and Ethan Roberts threw scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth and so the game went to the sixth with the Cubs up 4-0 and Italy having only one hit.
Jack Neely should have had a scoreless inning, too, only Ben Cowles, just returned from his waiver sojourn to Toronto, threw a ball away for a throwing error to lead off the sixth. Neely retired the next two hitters, but then Ayers homered, and another single and homer made it a four-run inning, all the runs unearned due to the Cowles error.
Another homer in the seventh, by Saggese off Jeff Brigham, gave Italy the lead and they put the game away with a four-spot off Cubs minor leaguers Ben Heller and Tyler Santana.
So, basically, the Cubs major leaguers did what they needed to do and the loss was all off guys who won’t be on this team, some of the runs produced by their own Cubs minor-league teammates.
As noted, only 8,068 paid to see this one. This is one of the smallest crowds in the history of Sloan Park. It makes the total for seven dates this spring 79,377, or 11,340 per date.
The Cubs head to the west side of Phoenix to play the Brewers Wednesday afternoon. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Brandon Sproat, one of the two top Mets prospects the Brewers got in the Freddy Peralta deal, will start for Milwaukee. Game time Wednesday is 2:10 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on Marquee Sports Network and also Brewers TV. There will also be a radio broadcast on the Brewers flagship station, WTMJ 620.
