The Texas Rangers play at Surprise Stadium, a baseball stadium that seats over 10,000 people! Sloan Park, home of the Cubs, can seat 15,000. These numbers are just crazy to me but speak to baseball's enduring popularity that for one month out of the year there will be 10-15,000 people watching a baseball game that doesn't really matter.
In any event, the Cubs traveled to Surprise to play the Rangers. How did they fare?
Looking at this lineup, I was most intrigued how Happ and Bote would make out, considering their quiet-ish Spring so far and of course, how Hamels looked.
Cole was an absolute revelation last year and singlehandedly kept the pitching staff afloat after being traded from the Rangers. Sure his final record was 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA but he was crucial I tells ya.
Hamels picked up where he left off pitching 2 innings of shutout baseball scattering 2 hits. Sure is he 35 years old and just one of several aging pitchers on this staff? Yes but I think he is going to be very solid going forward.
Happ once again did next to nothing in this game going 0-3 but Bote had his breakout game, going 2-3 with 2 runs scored. And yes Contreras had a great game with a homer and other Cubs played well in the 9-5 win but I am intrigued by Bote who had a great season last year and seems to be a jack of all trades on the field (something very valuable in Maddon's defensive schemes).
In any event, another day, another win and the Cubs offense seems to be alive this preseason. Whether that translates into the regular season, we will see.
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