Cubs Win in Extras, Rosario Dazzles out of 'Pen
Clearwater, FL - Dan Vogelbach scored on a wild pitch in the top of the 11th for the go-ahead run in Daytona's 6-5 win over Clearwater Monday night, taking the first game of a three-game series.
Daytona got a solid start out of Jake Arrieta, who was on a Major League Rehab assignment. Arrieta went 5.2 innings, allowing five runs, just three earned, on five hits with seven strikeouts. The right-hander allowed three home runs, a couple which were aided by the wind blowing out to right center.
DH Vogelbach worked a one-out walk in the top of the 11th, and advanced to third when C Chadd Krist laced a double down the left field line to put the two Cubs in scoring position. 1B Rock Shoulders was given first base on an intentional walk to load the bases. After a 3B Jeimer Candelario strikeout, Threshers reliever Colton Murray (L, 2-1) bounced a pitch in the dirt with SS Marco Hernandez at the plate. Both Murray and catcher Logan Moore went to retrieve the ball after it ricocheted up the third base line off Moore. Vogelbach came down to score without a play, as no one was covering home.
Arodys Vizcaino (S, 1) came in the bottom half and worked a 1-2-3 inning for the first save by any Cubs pitcher this season. Jose Rosario (W, 1-3) was fantastic out of the bullpen for the Cubs, going four shutout innings allowing just three hits while putting up four strikeouts. Rosario entered the game with a 6.75 ERA and left with it at 5.19.
Krist led the way for Daytona offensively, going 3-for-5 with a double and run scored. He has now recorded at least one hit in five-straight games. Candelario notched two separate RBI doubles in the early innings. Hernandez and RF Pin-Chieh Chen both picked up an RBI single to help boost Daytona in the victory.
The two teams see-sawed early on as Clearwater got the scoring started on a 3B Harold Martinez two-run home run in the bottom of the first. CF Pete Lavin, who went 2-for-4, had his own two-run home run in the third pushing the Threshers back ahead 4-3. SS Angelo Mora hit his first home run of the season, a solo home run, in the fourth to tie the game at 5-5.
Both teams' bullpens combined for 12.1 innings on the mound and struck out 13 batters and held the lineups to just eight hits.
LF Bijan Radmacher continued his hot streak, going 1-for-5 with a run scored. He leads Daytona with a .362 average on the season, and is now 8-for-10 when leading off innings this year. Rademacher also contributed an outfield assist at second base.
There were four outfield assists (Clearwater 3, Daytona 1) and five double plays turned in the game.
Daytona went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the win on Monday night.
The Cubs and Threshers will play game two on Tuesday night at Bright House Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. as the Cubs look for their first series win of the season.