Pitching was the name of the game in Arizona again today. The White Sox had plenty. The Cubs had very little as the Sox routed the northsiders 13 to 2.
Former Cub farmhand Jon Garland, who has won eighteen games for the White Sox twice in recent years, went three scoreless innings today. Rich Hill, projected to sit in the number four slot of the Cubs rotation, gave up a solo home run to slugger Paul Konerko. Otherwise, it was a good outing, facing only seven hitters in two innings and striking out three. On a scale of one to five, Hill rated a solid four today.
With the exception of Scott Eyre and Clay Rapada, the rest of the Cub pitching rated a zero. Triple A pitcher Juan Mateo gave up four runs on two hits and two walks, serving up home runs to Jermaine Dye and Rob Mackowiak. Wil Ohman, after giving up a single and hitting a batter, served up a three-run homer to non-roster Gustavo Molina.
Overall, Cub pitching allowed eighteen Sox baserunners with thirteen hits, three walks and two hit batsmen. Not a good day in Mesa.
At the plate, the Cubs fared a little better, but not much. Derrick Lee knocked a solo homer in the fourth. Alfonzo Soriano gathered three hits in three at-bats including two doubles. As a team, the Cubs haven’t put it together for nine innings yet. Not a time to worry just yet. If they still are playing this bad going into the last week of March, then we can pull out the panic buttons. For now, it is just clean fun.
Tomorrow, the Cubs travel to Peoria, Arizona to face the Mariners. Mark Prior, Ted Lilly and Kerry Wood are scheduled to throw. If there was pressure today on the Cubs to get their first win of the spring, it is magnified even more tomorrow.
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