Cactus League report: ‘A rough night’ for Dylan Cease — while a Cubs pitcher opens some eyes in bid for a bullpen spot
It was a “mental game” for the likes of the Chicago White Sox’s Oscar Colás and Romy Gonzalez, who watched Thursday’s game along with coaches from the dugout.
Catcher Carlos Pérez had two hits and one RBI for the Sox in a 5-4 loss to Team Colombia in an exhibition game at Camelback Ranch.
“(Colás is) off from the physical stuff but not from the mental side of it or the development side of it,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “The guys who are there and not in the game, the young guys coming up, it’s a mental game for them. We have to take full advantage of that.”
Jameson Taillon didn’t let a long three-run first inning derail his outing Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds. The veteran right-hander got the work in he wanted, going 3⅔ innings in the Cubs’ 8-6 comeback win, their eighth straight Cactus League victory.
“Sometimes days like that can be valuable,” said Taillon, who gave up four hits and four runs. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out three.
“I feel like if this were the regular season, I could turn that into like a six or seven inning outing, but the conversation on the bench was awesome,” he said.
Trey Mancini, Patrick Wisdom and Christopher Morel homered in the sixth, part of a six-run inning to erase the Reds’ lead.
Chicago Tribune baseball writers LaMond Pope and Meghan Montemurro will be providing Cubs and White Sox updates throughout spring training.
Manny Rodríguez trying to build case for bullpen spot
Flashing 98- and 99-mph fastballs early in spring is one way to get noticed.
Throwing clean innings will help a pitcher’s cause too. Rodríguez’s strong start through three Cactus League appearances has garnered attention for the way he has been having success.
“Watching him in the past he was more of a thrower,” Cubs manager David Ross said Thursday. “The last couple outings he’s really looked like a pitcher. He’s moved the ball in and out threw a couple backdoor sliders. … He’s just continued to evolve in his skills and obviously he’s healthy and looks really good on the mound.”
Rodríguez, 26, has tossed three scoreless innings with only one hit and one walk. His path to a spot in the opening-day bullpen will be challenged by his lack of a 40-man roster spot after the organization designated him for assignment in the offseason. But he has an opportunity to stay on the radar if he continues to pitch well.
“He’s going to have to continue to pitch and his secondary stuff is very valuable,” Ross said. “He throws hard and it makes hitters respect that and he can get away with some mistakes. But you also have to execute, and I think he’s building toward execution with his pitches. He’s looked really good so far in camp.”
Dylan Cease focused on getting slider in the zone after ‘a rough night’
Cease summed up Wednesday as “definitely not a good night.”
The White Sox starter allowed 11 runs on seven hits — including a grand slam — with four walks in two-thirds of an inning in a 14-5 loss against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium.
“Just a rough night,” Cease said. “Obviously in spring it’s a mix of locating stuff and building up. Sometimes it’s not the worst thing to get punched in the face a little, get you going. But obviously not ideal.
“I didn’t get my slider in the zone at all and pretty much they were able to spit on it and then they got to the heater.”
Grifol said Thursday of the slider: “That’s his bread and butter, and he was pulling it just a little bit. Once you get behind the count, you’ve got to come in and you’ve got to commit to (the) heart of the plate and those guys did a nice job of not missing the pitches that they could hit.
“He’s going to toe the rubber 32 times, 33 times (in the regular season), you’re going to have your days like this. You’ve just got to flush it and he’s one of the best in the game, if not the best coming off that year last year.”
Cease was already ready to get back at it.
“I need to just keep getting reps, honestly,” he said. “Just sharpen up a little bit. Especially if I get the slider in the zone, things will start working a little better.”
Danis Correa pulls out of WBC, focuses on Cubs camp
Cubs big-league camp is where the right-hander wants to be right now.
Correa, a non-roster invitee, was supposed to pitch for Team Colombia in the World Baseball Classic but decided to withdraw to focus on getting eyes on him with the Cubs. Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy described it as a mutual discussion between Correa and the team.
“I think he felt there was a lot of opportunity to get to showcase what he can do around us,” Hottovy told the Tribune. “There were some things he wanted to work on and some things that we had also kind of prioritized. … For a kid in his position, it’s like, I can go and have fun and compete for my country but also wanting to make sure I’m hitting all the things I need to do to be ready for the season.”
Correa, 23, reached Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa for the first time in his career last season. He struck out 24 batters in 16⅔ innings at Iowa but the reliever struggled with his command, an issue at times with each level he has reached, walking 10. Correa retired one of the three hitters he faced Thursday while surrendering one hit, one run and one walk. He also struck out one.
“He’s been great to have in camp,” Hottovy said. “He’s been really open to a lot of things that we’ve wanted to work on with him and obviously the stuff is there.”
Aaron Bummer felt ‘really good’ after bullpen session
The Sox reliever was encouraged after a 15-pitch bullpen session Thursday at Camelback Ranch.
“I was happy with the command, the movement profiles,” Bummer, 29, said. “I was able to throw all my pitches and I felt good throwing it all. As long as we feel good moving forward, we’re right where we need to be.”
Bummer, who missed time last season with a left lat strain, said earlier in camp the approach this spring in Glendale was “let’s be smart.”
“How I bounce back and as long as I feel good (Friday) we keep going on (the) schedule we’re going on,” he said Thursday. “There’s still some hurdles to climb. Intensity is obviously one of them. Volume and live batting practices and then getting into games.
“Pedro (Grifol) talks a lot about the next seven to 10 days. That’s what’s important right now. … As long as we get through the next seven days, we’re moving on to the next step. I’m really happy with how (Thursday) went. I’m really happy with the progress that we made. We’re still right on schedule.”
News from World Baseball Classic
Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. went 1-for-5 with an RBI for Team Cuba in a 6-3 loss to Team Italy in 10 innings in a Pool A game in Taichung, Taiwan. Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada was 0-for-5 for Cuba.
Cubs infielder/outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni had two doubles and an RBI in Italy’s victory. Non-roster invitee Ben DeLuzio finished 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
Right-hander Vinny Nittoli, also a Cubs non-roster invitee, struck out three and surrendered two hits and one run in 1⅓ innings for Italy.
Up next
- White Sox at Cubs, 2:05 p.m., Marquee
What we’re reading this morning
- Cubs top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong’s defense continues to impress: ‘He’s going to be one of the top-10 center fielders to ever play’
- White Sox SS Tim Anderson on playing for Team USA in the WBC: ‘It’s cool to be able to cherish those moments’
Quotable
“The biggest thing is just getting in the zone right now. I’ve been doing a good job in my pens and practice doing it, but now I’ve just got to translate it to the game.” — Cease, who has issued six walks in his two spring outings (2⅔ innings)
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