Today's piece comes to us from bullsbearscubssoxhoxx on site Spring Training correspondent; Chase Comus. The Northsiders struggled again failing to log any runs, but as Chase noted, Big Z was steady while not having his best outing; 1 run and 1 K through four frames. More importantly, zero teammates and or Gatorade buckets taking a beating!! Z has been solid thus far and if he can keep his lid screwed on this year the Cubs will have a good chance at the playoffs.....anyway sounds like it was a great day to be watching the Cubs.......
-Carlos Zambrano has been nothing but impressive so far this spring for the Chicago Cubs, showing a glimmer of hope for the Northsiders. Prior to Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Zambrano had yet to allow a run this Spring Training season. However, his performance today lacked the spark needed to get the job done in a 4-0 loss.
On a warm, sunny day in Scottsdale, the Cubs struggled to get anything going offensively against a Rockies split squad... batter after batter returning to the dugout bat in hand. Defensively, it started heading south in the second inning when left fielder Tyler Colvin misjudged a fly ball, resulting in a misguided attempt to make a Sports Center highlight reel–esque diving grab allowing Todd Helton to reach base safely. However, shortly thereafter, Geovany Soto showed us all why he should still be the starting catcher for the Cubbies as he beautifully threw out Helton attempting to steal second. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else going Chicago’s way from here on out. A routine groundball hit weakly to third baseman Jeff Baker was thrown off target, allowing the eventual leading run on base when Thomas Field squeaked a grounder through the middle of the infield.
The Cub bats continued to struggle as Zambrano failed to bring the heat. Before heading to the lockers in the fourth inning, El Toro allowed one run and five hits, while striking out just one lonely batter. Starlin Castro and Geovany Soto were the only Cubbies able to connect with the ball, ultimately being stranded on base. It was a frustrating day for the team and fans alike, but one can only wonder what a difference absentee’s Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez could have made.
Despite the hardships Chicago has endured so far this Spring Training, one thing remains constant: fans still pile in to see their Cubbies. Even as a visiting team, the majority of the cheers went Chicago’s way and chants of "Fuku-dome" persisted throughout. As a diehard fan myself, it’s tough to watch my team lose, especially a shutout loss. Win or lose, the Cubbies still have the best fans in the MLB!
Chase Comus- Scottsdale, Arizona
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