The Cubs and Cubs had the bats cooking in the internal squad from the night before (albeit with the help of some artificially created game situations with runners on base).
Jon Lester made his second set-up, pitching three innings, allowing approximately seven hits and two walks, but somehow giving up just two runs (solo home runs by Albert Almora and Steven Souza). As always, with an established veteran like Lester, especially in an intra-squad game, the results (and even hard contact) don’t really mean much. We have no idea precisely what he was trying to achieve. Concerns or confidence about Lester exists entirely outside the world of intra-squad departures.
Colin Rea, who is among the 40 players and in the mix to be the Cubs’ sixth nominal starter, was also hit. He collected several strikeouts, but he also took a lot of hits, including Javy Baez’s rocket home run. Jharel Cotton is the other in-depth start option at the major league camp, although Adbert Alzolay, currently in South Bend, would also be in that group if a longer-term need arose.
Jason Adam, one of the impressive swing speed relievers, let’s see what we can do, signed by the Cubs in low-risk deals this offseason, was at Wrigley Field for the game, making him one of the few unrated appearances for the night (1.2 tickets, 2 Ks, 1 (?) BB). The 28-year-old right-hander is currently with the South Bend group, both because his spring performances were perhaps a little less impressive than the Sadler / Tepera / Winkler trio, but also because he’s not on the 40-man roster. He was always less likely to make the Opening Day roster for that reason, but since he has minor league options available, he could very well be a top-and-bottom guy this year like Dillon Maples, Trevor Megill, and James Norwood, among others. Interesting that they brought it in for the day to take a look.
Various additional bits …
Trying to score tonight’s in-school game was stressful, but with the help of Summer Camp historian @ TonyAndracki23, I think we got * most * of this right! Stripes 9, blue tops 6. pic.twitter.com/Y9XkCtNjx5
– Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 18, 2020
Come by the @albertalmora restaurant. Stick around for his smile as he rounds up the second 😁 pic.twitter.com/LG9yFVnvjq
– Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) July 18, 2020
Nico is a fantastic base runner, but scoring from the first double to the left is always a difficult move … especially when it’s Kyle Schwarber’s arm out there on the left. https://t.co/tvPV9dvK6l
– Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 18, 2020
A simple touch to beat the turn in the second and now a triple against the wall in the center-right in the fourth. A nice intrasquad for Kipnis the day he officially made the opening day squad pic.twitter.com/fMS8DRvAM1
– Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 18, 2020
The fourth house was …
Triple (Kipnis)
RBI single (Pérez)
Double (Bryant)
–Tepera enters–
Walk (Happ)
RBI single (Báez)
K (Schwarber)
Double of 2 races (Contreras)
Lineout (Heyward)
2-run single (Kipnis)
–Rule of Mercy–– Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 18, 2020
