Angels Beats Cubs In Final Spring Training Game
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — David Fletcher and Gregorio Petit hit two-run singles in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday in the major leagues' final spring training game.
Playing after St. Louis and Pittsburgh started in the big league opener, Matt Shoemaker allowed two runs and three hits in five innings and struck out four in a 72-pitch outing. He was 2-2 with a 6.84 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance during the exhibition season.
The Angels finished spring training 19-8 with six ties. They host the Cubs on Monday in their opener.
"I'm excited about where our team is and where we could end up," manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's a long journey from here to October, but I really like where our team is."
If Albert Pujols can duplicate his 40-homer season of last year, he would be at an even 600 homers.
"That would be awesome, but I don't think about it," Pujols said. "My focus is to try to stay healthy first of all and have a good year to help this ballclub win. Hopefully, at the end of the day, we'll raise the championship trophy."
Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell homered for the Cubs, who were 11-19 with two ties this spring. The Cubs added pitcher John Lackey, switch-hitting second baseman Ben Zobrist and three-time Gold Glove right fielder Jason Heyward during the offseason.
"Playing for a team like St. Louis, you expect to go to the playoffs every year. In Chicago, the difference is that everybody's hungry," said Heyward, who signed a $184 million, eight-year contract after spending last season with the Cardinals.
Kyle Hendricks allowed two runs — one earned — and five hits over five innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. The right-hander was 0-2 with a 2.73 ERA in six spring training starts and one relief outing. He struck out 30 batters in 29 2/3 innings.
Bryant, the unanimous pick for NL Rookie of the Year last season after setting Cubs rookie records with 26 homers and 99 RBIs, snapped a 2-all tie in the sixth with a one-out drive to left-center after a leadoff bunt single by pinch-hitter Matt Szczur. Bryant batted finished spring training batting .310 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 20 games.
MEMORIES
Joe Maddon, who spent 30 years in the Angels' organization, 12 as a big league coach and six as Mike Scioscia's bench coach, made his first visit to Angel Stadium as Cubs manager after several trips with the Tampa Bay Rays.
"I was looking at Jimmie Reese's picture in the (visiting) clubhouse just now," Maddon said of the late conditioning coach of the Angels, who died in 1994 at age 92. "Jimmie was everybody's best friend, and he treated me so well. There were some moments where he put his hands on your shoulders, looked you right in the eye and he would tell you: 'You're the master.' He loved the way I coached, and he would tell me that all the time. He said: 'One day, you're going to be a big league manager.' I just didn't know when it would happen."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: INF Javier Baez (bruised left thumb), INF Christian Villanueva (broken ankle) and RHP Dallas Beeler (shoulder inflammation) all were put on the disabled list, retroactive to March 25.
Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson (shoulder tendinitis) also was put on the DL.
UP NEXT
NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta starts Monday against Garrett Richards.
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