Why didn’t they start the fourth inning with a runner at second base, AMIRITE?
The Cubs and Cubs had a small action inside the squad for three innings today, with Yu Darvish facing Kyle Hendricks. By the sound of things, pitchers are ahead of hitters (hey, it’s like Spring Training!), Although the game that ended in a 0-0 draw was at least partially an artifact of being a fake game since a game loaded with bases The situation was closed before concluding.
Since we can’t see the game, let me at least guide you through what was out there for public consumption, in the order of the game, so you can feel like you’re following the action.
The lineups, by the way (Willson Contreras was the other catcher):
Blues of the way:
1B: Rizzo
2B: Kipnis
SS: barefoot
3B: Bryant
LF: Souza
CF: Almora
RF: Heyward
C: Caratini
SP: Darvish– Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 4, 2020
It’s time to read WAY TOO MUCH on the fact that Caratini is still catching Darvish, Happ was playing center instead of left, and Hoerner was playing second base with Javy Baez in the short.
Things started with Kyle Hendricks striking out Kris Bryant on the four-seater flyer that he started using a lot more last year:
⛽ pic.twitter.com/OEMhlzgocL
– Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 4, 2020
Hendricks doesn’t have the premium speed, but when you’re able to rank as well as he does, and when your pitches deviate as well from each other, they get the four seamer to be at 87/88 mph at the top of the zone, especially indoors, it can still work.
Jason Heyward and Victor Caratini both singled for Hendricks in the first, although it was a goalless draw (he struck out Bryant and Steven Souza Jr., and Anthony Rizzo punished him weakly).
Simulation game’s first hit, courtesy of Jason Heyward. pic.twitter.com/T3ZYSXubSd
– Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) July 4, 2020
Yu Darvish was also a scorer in his half of the first with two strikeouts, although Javy Báez got the best of him in this (sound!):
Javy doubles Darvish. pic.twitter.com/9Zkkm7JxLK
– Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 4, 2020
In the second, the Cubs loaded the bases against Hendricks, but the inning had to be interrupted. There was much dismay:
Bryant retires from Hendricks to load the bases with one out in the second inning. The inning ended due to the pitch count, and Team Blue booed off the first base bench as Rizzo can’t hit with loaded bases.
– Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 4, 2020
Although Darvish walked with Nico Hoerner in his second inning, he still ended up getting four outs in the infield:
Darvish is so efficient in the second (he gets a double strike-em-out, throw-em-out play) that he throws one more hitter (Ian Miller) and knocks him down.
– Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) July 4, 2020
That was it for Darvish, who was only scheduled for two innings today. Hendricks ended up pitching a goalless third inning, and that was a 2.5 inning draw.
Hendricks offers one of his final game releases intrasquad: pic.twitter.com/7inGefQHbr
– Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) July 4, 2020
.
