Spring Training Game Wrap 2/25/2023: Cubs 10 Giants 8

 I am old enough to remember when Juan Marichal always started the first game of spring training and always pitched 3 innings.  So did pretty much every other ace pitcher for every team.  I would invite anyone who still thinks spring training is currently not too long to look over the list of Giants pitchers who appeared in this game.  The only one with even a longshot chance of making the opening day roster is Sam Long.  

I am not going to even try to give a complete summary of this meaningless game, but there were some things worth noting:

The pitch clock speeds up the game.  It was 9 innings but with totals of 25 hits, 13 BB and 6 Errors and still got in at a tad over 3 hours.  At times the players appeared to be struggling to adjust to the pitch clock and several violations were called.  Perhaps players with extensive minor league experience over the past two years were better prepared than some of the veterans since they've had a pitch clock in the minors for the past two seasons.  I felt like the announcers were also getting used to it as there is much less time for chatter and storytelling between pitches and batters.

Lamonte Wade Jr 1B smacked a solo HR to L-CF and made a nice scoop on a throw to help Casey Schmitt make a sparkling play at 3B.  More on that later but Wade Jr is off to a great start in his quest to win the strong-side 1B platoon role this spring.

Casey Schmitt 3B hammered a HR way up the LF berm.  He also made the above mentioned sparkling defensive play with a diving stop on a ball hit down the line.  He got up and threw a seed on one-hop to Wade Jr and got the call.  Have to say I am not sure that play would have survived a replay, but it was still an impressive defensive display.  Schmitt also started a GIDP but muffed a slow roller that Kap thought he could have taken a better angle on.  All-in-all, Schmitt did nothing to dispel the notion that he is the Giants 3B of the future.

Blake Sabol C went 2 for 3 with a 2B and HR to straightaway CF.  He also looked mobile behind the plate and was praised by Kap for his pitch framing.  He threw a couple of dying quails trying to throw out runners so still too early to pencil him into the Opening Day roster, but the bat looks real.

Grant McCray RF scored as a pinch runner on Sabol's double and then legged out a triple later in the game.

Steven Piscotty LF drew a walk and singled in 3 PA's.  Tough to see him making the team barring an injury.  

Speaking of injury, Austin Slater was a late scratch with a sore elbow and Bryce Johnson started the game in CF.

Shane Matheny 2B had a nice game going 2 for 2 with a HR in silly time in the 9'th inning.

The Giants play their first spring training game in Scottsdale tomorrow with Sean Manaea taking the mound against the Reds and Luke Weaver if the horrible weather in California does not make its way over to the Valley of the Sun by then.