6th

Rockies 6th:

2-3-4 hitters here. Silva hasn't thrown many pitches and has looked good against a potent Rockies lineup. May get another inning after the sixth, depending on who the Cubs want to work out of the 'pen. Hak-Ju Lee in at SS for The Riot. Cubs are really stacked at SS with Theriot, Lee, and wunderkind Castro. Lee may end up as trade bait later on down the line if Castro is everything scouts have said he is.

Len announces he's gone to erasable ink this year for his scorecards. I restrain my desire to yell at the television and to question WGN's hiring practices. This moron has one of the best jobs in sports - WGN, just letting you know that I'm available. Silva is done and Marmol is coming in with a runner on first and nobody out.

Marmol has walked 6 in 10 innings in spring. He needs to improve that.

Spillbourghs tries to steal second and Hill makes a perfect throw. Spillbourghs out at second, with Helton up. Helton doesn't look pleased.

Len informs us that if the catcher drops a foul on the third strike, it's not a strikeout. Thanks again, Kasper.

Marmol freezes Helton - 2 down.

Tulo up, nobody on, two down. This guy is a beast when he's healthy. Fastball gets away from Marmol and goes right where Tulo's head was. Not Marmol's best fastball - only 91 mph - but this may have been a bit of retribution for Francis drilling Ramirez earlier. Safe to say Tulo won't be digging in. Marmol then drops a slider right on the outside corner. That's just not fair after a FB up around the shoulders. Tulo nowhere near another slider and he strikes out.

Good outing by Marmol. When he throws strikes, he's just filthy. I think this is the year where he puts it all together. He has the nastiest stuff the baseball, in my opinion.

Cubs 6th:

Tulo out and Daley in for Francis.

Lee, Tracy, Byrd due up. Lee crushes one to center and Fowler gets turned around - leadoff double for Lee. Those are the toughest balls to field, the ones that are right at you. It's so hard to see how hard the ball is coming and how to judge it. Jackson in to run for Lee.

Tracy needs to pull the ball and get Jackson over to third here. Tracy decides he'd rather take two strikes first, both of which were inside and eminently pull-able pitches. Tracy strikes out on a pitch way out of the zone. Horrible, horrible at-bat. At the very least you have to move the runner over there. That's inexcusable for a major leaguer.

Byrd up, 1 out. He strikes out as well. This is the kind of situation where the Cubs failed so much last year - runner in scoring position and the Cubs can't move him over and get him in. If Tracy moves Jackson over to 3rd that makes Byrd's at-bat much easier - all he has to do is really make good contact to get the run in.

Soriano up, 2 down. Soriano comes through for us by blasting a 2-run HR over the left field wall. He's 3-3. Good sign. If you put a pitch middle-in to Soriano, he doesn't miss those very much. The HR was on a breaking pitch as well - great job by 'Fonzi. 2-0 Cubs.

Baker grounds out, inning over. Cubs lead, 2-0.

5th

Rockies 5th:

Ball gets past Lee and Rockies have a runner at 2nd. Silva gets a pop out. Francis grounds out and shatters his bat. Runner on third, two down.

Fowler up, takes a strike. Fowler bounces to second, Silva escapes again.

Cubs 5th:

Hendry was in the booth for the Rockies 5th, and Kasper made sure he was asking the hard-hitting questions: "You like this team going out of Spring Training, don't you?" What GM with a $100-million-plus payroll doesn't like their team coming out of ST? Jesus, Len.

Silva wants to make sure the Cubs make their flight, I guess - swings at the first pitch and grounds out to Helton.

The Riot now up. He looks like he's really closed his stance this spring - that may help him take the ball to RF more often. Good adjustment by him. Theriot walks - should be running with 1 out in a scoreless game, although I know nothing about Olivo's arm behind the plate.

Kosuke at bat. 1-2 to Fukudome. Francis hangs a breaking ball but KF taps it to Helton. Double play.

4th

Len Kasper is such a twit. I wish the Cubs would find a good announcer to pair with Brenly.

Also, does Harold Reynolds have to stay 50 feet away from Hazel Mae at all times?

Rockies 4th:

Spillbourghs flies out on the first pitch. Soto already out of the game.

Helton flies out to Sori. Two down.

Silva's been ahead of almost every batter today - good stuff there. Tulo pokes a single through to left.

Smith up. Quickly down 0-2. Len Kasper is now worried about what the L and W stand for on Tulo's eyeblack. Be still, my heart. Silva throws a good cutback sinker, but somehow doesn't get the call. Great pitch there, froze Smith. Silva hangs a slider and Smith singles again. He's 2-2. Tough break for Silva on that 1-2 pitch.

First and 3rd, 2 down. Olivo up. Good curve from Silva, 0-2. Olivo way ahead of that one. Good changeup from Silva, pop-up to Baker. Good pitch.

Cubs 4th:

Rami gets plunked and is replaced by Tracy as a precaution. Byrd promptly grounds into a double play.

Sori smacks one into left-center for a single. One on, two down.

Baker up. Baker gets a good pitch to hit on 2-0 but fouls it off. Baker walks. Koyie Hill, who replaced Geo, is now up.

Hill is a solid backup. He hit really well at first when Soto went down, but tailed off as the year progressed. I'm not sure he calls as good a game as Henry Blanco did, but he's a good backup and gives you good at-bats. Hill down 0-2 after a really questionable strike call - seemed really low. Hill grounds out.

3rd

Rockies 3rd:

Silva does have great movement on that sinker. If he can keep it down he can be very effective. Herrera bounces out to Baker. 1 out.

Francis Ks, 2 down.

Fowler hits Silva, but Silva throws him out at first. Silva showing some good fielding skills on the mound, especially for a big guy.

Cubs 3rd:

Theriot bounces out. Hands down my favorite player on the Cubs.

Kosuke shows bunt - good idea. Gives defenses something else to think about. He's fast enough to beat some of those out. Kosuke blasts one to the warning track - good pop on that one, but caught.

Derrek takes a horrible swing for strike 1. Good rip but Derrek grounds out for the second time.

2nd

Rockies 2nd:

Silva still featuring sinker/changeup. Finally flips a slider into the dirt. Leaves another one middle-in, Smith drills it to right but Kosuke's throw is perfect and Smith is dead-to-rights at second. Kosuke is really underrated as a defensive outfielder - very accurate arm and makes all the plays he should. One out.

Silva leaves a changeup up in the zone but gets a grounder to Theriot. 2 down.

Silva really needs to find a pitch to fool lefthanders. He throws a good comeback sinker, like Maddux used to do, but he needs to bury a slider in to the lefthanders. Stewart pops up to end the inning.

Cubs 2nd:

Rami gets caught looking on an inside fastball/cutter. Not a good at-bat.

Byrd is built like a Mack truck. Dude is deezed. Bounces a single through the right side for the first Cubs hit.

Soriano takes a good hack and fouls it off. Then way ahead of a changeup. Is he ever going to learn how to hit off-speed and breaking pitches? I hope Jaramillo can get him back to where he needs to be - I think if he can give us 25/85 we'll be in great shape. Sori rips one to left for a single.

Baker up against his former team. 2-1 to Baker - should get a good pitch to hit here. Way inside, 3-1. Borderline pitch for 3-2. OK to take that one, couldn't have done much with it anyway. Geo on deck. Baker takes strike 3 but Byrd and Soriano pull off a double steal. Much closer at third than it should have been.

Geo up, ducks on the pond, 2 down. Geo looks like he's standing too far away from the plate - I don't know if he can cover the outside corner. 3-1 to Geo, Silva on deck. Geo may not get anything to hit here. IBB to Geo.

Bases loaded, Silva up, 2 outs. Silva up hacking and fouls one off. I think I would have made him throw me a strike first - Francis has been behind almost every hitter this inning. Silva takes a good hack at a waist-high fastball. Topper to 3rd goes foul. Fouls another one off - CS battling here. Impressive for a career AL pitcher. Poor hack on the outside corner, Silva Ks. Francis escapes.

1st inning

Rockies 1st:

Silva has good movement on his sinker, but leaves the ball in the middle of the plate to Fowler. Fowler flies out. He needs to get that ball down and on the corners.

Spillbourghs Texas-Leagues one to right for a single.

Silva's getting ahead of the hitters - that's a good sign. Needs to mix in some breaking pitchers - everything has been a sinker or a changeup to the first 3 batters.

Good changeup; Helton out in front and pops up to center.

Silva makes a great play on a screamer up the middle. Silva doesn't throw a breaking ball in the first inning.

Cubs 1st:

Theriot gets a good pitch to hit and grounds out to 2nd. Francis has been tattooed all spring - ERA over 7.

Kosuke jumps on the first pitch, makes good contact, but Fowler runs it down in the gap.

Derrek swings at a terrible 2-0 pitch off the outside corner and grounds out to Francis. He needs to be patient and get a pitch he can do something with or at least take that pitch to right field. 1-2-3 for Francis.

Last Spring Training Game, 2010 - Cubs v. Rockies

Four days until Opening Day! Silva starting for the Cubs, Francis for the Rockies. Rockies are starting most of their opening day lineup, as are the Cubs with the possible exception of Baker over Fontenot at second.