Results tagged ‘ Junior Lake ’
Winter League Highlights: Boscan making strides
(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Most baseball people don’t invest a ton of stock in a player’s winter stats. But if nothing else, a solid offseason should give the player a boost of confidence heading into Spring Training.
The Cubs took a flyer by signing free agent catcher J.C. Boscan from the Braves organization on Nov. 14. The 32-year-old’s 2012 Triple-A season wasn’t much to get excited about. He hit .189/.264/.284 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in 222 at-bats with 23 RBI. Of his 42 hits, 12 were doubles and three were home runs. Defensively, he threw out 40 percent of baserunners.
But Boscan’s stats in his native Venezuela have been significantly better. In 78 at-bats for the Leones del Caracas, he carries a .269/.321/.295 line. With a slew of catchers on the roster, Boscan only sees action once every few days. What’s interesting about his stats is that the right-handed hitter is significantly better vs. right-handed pitching than against southpaws (.302 AVG vs. .133). He also fares better at home, hitting .333 vs. .205 on the road.
Boscan was a Double-A Southern League Midseason All-Star in 2009.
Other notes around the Caribbean:
Junior Lake made a start in center field and recorded a single for the Estrellas de Oriente of the Dominican league.
Jay Jackson gave up seven earned runs in 4.2 innings for the Venados of Mexico. He struck out five.
Dave Sappelt had a hit and scored a run for the Bravos of Venezuela.
Winter League Highlights: Cabrera strong in first winter start
(Photo by Stephen Green)
Despite Alberto Cabrera‘s impressive finish to the 2012 season, the Cubs have said they plan to start him in Triple-A this season to see if they can stretch him out as a starter. The 24-year-old pitcher, who complements a mid-90s fastball with an effective slider, showed a promising arm in his first stint with the Cubs last year, posting a 5.40 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 21.2 innings.
Cabrera turned some heads Sunday in his first winter start in his native Dominican. The 6-foot-4 right-hander logged four hitless innings, racking up 10 strikeouts and six walks, as the Toros del Este beat the Leones del Escogido 8-6 to snap a six-game losing streak. In six appearances this winter, five in relief, Cabrera has posted a 3.14 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 13 walks in 14.1 innings.
Cubs lefty Jeffry Antigua struggled for the Toros in the same game, giving up two earned runs in one-third of an inning. His ERA now stands at 5.24 in 22.1 innings.
Other highlights around the Caribbean:
Cubs infielder Junior Lake continued to crush the ball this winter, powering the Estrellas past the Gigantes 5-3 with a fifth-inning grand slam. Lake is hitting .324/.394/.493 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in the Dominican with five home runs and 23 RBI.
Right-handed reliever Ty’Relle Harris pitched a scoreless inning with one srikeout and no walks for the Gigantes de Carolina in Puerto Rico. In two appearances (2.0 IP), Harris has a 0.00 ERA with three strikeouts and no walks.
Winter League Highlights: Lake represents Cubs in All-Star game
While the rest of the players in the Dominican and Venezuelan leagues were resting during the midseason All-Star break, the best players from both leagues squared off in a Tuesday night showdown. While the game wasn’t studded with Cubs prospects, Junior Lake represented both the Cubs and his Dominican side well.
Batting fifth and playing center field, Lake finished the night 1-for-3 with an RBI in an 8-2 Dominican win. In the top of the third with Dodgers star Hanley Ramirez on third base, the Cubs lone All-Star representative beat out a soft ground ball to short, scoring Ramirez to make the game 4-2.
Other highlights around the Caribbean:
Justin Bour went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk for the Gigantes in the Puerto Rican league. It was his first hit in nine winter at-bats.
Winter League Highlights: Campana capitalizes on opportunity
(Photo by Stephen Green)
Cubs outfielder Tony Campana might not pass the eye test of most major league scouts. At 5-foot-8 and no more than 170 pounds, Campana doesn’t possess a lot of raw power—and his two career professional home runs back that notion.
But in 89 games with the Cubs last season, he put his speed and defense on display, stealing 24 bases and taking away numerous hits in center field. In just 37 minor league games last year, the 26-year-old swiped 18 bases and posted a .280 average.
Campana has continued his base stealing exploits this winter for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan league. He’s played in only 11 games, but he has managed to steal six bags. And he hasn’t been caught yet.
Although he’s hitting only .214 so far, he made the most of his start Tuesday, going 2-for-5, driving in a run in the fifth inning and scoring a run in the eighth in a 10-7 win over the Bravos de Margarita.
Other highlights around the Caribbean:
Dave Sappelt finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs in a losing effort for his Margarita team in Venezuela.
In the Dominican league, Junior Lake went 1-for-4 with two runs scored in an Estrellas de Oriente win.
Winter League Highlights: Sappelt just misses a cycle
After battling rain delays all last week, Dave Sappelt‘s Bravos de Margarita team in the Venezuelan league finally got back onto the field over the weekend. Apparently the layoff didn’t hurt the Cubs outfielder, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored, falling just a triple short of the cycle, as the Bravos beat the Tiburones 11-9 on Saturday. On Sunday, Sappelt went 2-for-4, raising his winter batting average to .274, in a 6-3 loss to the Cardenales de Lara.
In his first year in Chicago, Sappelt made a good case for a spot on the 2013 roster, hitting .275 with a .351 on-base percentage in 78 major league plate appearances.
Other highlights around the Caribbean:
Cubs reliever Michael Bowden continued to prove he might have a future as a starter in the Aguilas Cibaenas 14-1 win over Licey on Sunday in the Dominican. Bowden scattered five hits and surrendered only one earned run in seven innings. He walked two and struck out five. Bowden is now 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA in six Dominican league starts.
Junior Lake hit a three-run home run and scored twice for the first-place Estrellas in a 5-1 victory over Licey on Saturday. Arismendy Alcantara slugged a solo shot for the losing side in the same game. Lake is hitting .333 with four homers, 17 RBI and nine stolen bases on the winter.
Winter League Highlights: Lake is swinging the lumber
(Photo by Rodger Wood)
For years, Cubs infielder Junior Lake has been seen as a raw, toolsy talent with a ton of potential. But it looks like the 22-year-old might be starting to put it all together. This year at Double-A Tennessee, he hit .279/.341/.432 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with 10 home runs, 26 doubles, 50 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 405 at-bats. On Wednesday, Vine Line discussed how Luis Valbuena is tearing up the Venezuelan league; the same can be said for Lake, who is having his way with Dominican league pitching.
Lake’s .330 batting average is fourth best in the Dominican; his .398 OBP is good for fifth; and his eight stolen bases are tied for third. Plus, he’s doing this all while alternating between DH, third base and left field.
His 1-for-4 outing yesterday lowered his batting average a bit, but he drove in a run and scored another in a 4-3 loss. Fellow Cub Nelson Cruz was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI.
Other highlights around the Caribbean:
In the Mexican league, Esmailin Caridad pitched a scoreless eighth inning, surrendering no hits and striking out two in a Yaquis de Obregon win.
In the Venezuelan league, Luis Valbuena continued his run of success, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double, a walk and a run scored in a Cardenales win.
Also in Venezuela, Dave Sappelt recorded a pair of hits and scored a run for the Bravos de Margarita in a loss.
Winter League Highlights: Valbuena continues offensive onslaught
(Photo by Stephen Green)
Between Ian Stewart’s injury and Josh Vitters’ lack of success in his top-level debut, Luis Valbuena spent a good portion of the 2012 season as the Cubs regular third baseman. Thanks to his steady glove, the 26-year-old tallied 90 games at the hot corner and became a favorite of manager Dale Sveum.
But if the versatile infielder’s offensive production in Venezuela this winter can translate to the major league level, the Cubs may be better off at third base than they thought. In the very competitive Venezuelan league, Valbuena’s .462 on-base percentage is tops, and his .330 batting average and 11 doubles in 103 at-bats both rank third. He has also drawn 24 walks, good for second best.
On Tuesday, he continued his solid campaign, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double in the seventh. He also scored two runs and walked twice in a 15-6 Cardenales win.
Other highlights around the Caribbean:
Junior Lake went 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored for Estrellas de Oriente of the Domincan League in an 8-7 loss.
Jeffry Antigua pitched two scoreless innings in relief for Toros del Este of the Dominican League, surrendering no hits and striking out one in a 3-0 win.
Winter League Highlights: Bowden secures second victory
(Photo by Stephen Green)
Cubs reliever Michael Bowden told Vine Line in August that he was excited about playing baseball this winter in the Dominican Republic.
“I love the opportunity of getting to go to new places and seeing what it’s like and learning a new culture, so I think it’s a great experience and I’m looking forward to it,” Bowden said. “And I get to play some ball.”
While Bowden will likely be coming out of the bullpen for either the Cubs or Triple-A Iowa in 2013, his Dominican squad—Aguilas Cibaenas—has made the 26-year-old a regular in their rotation. In five starts, the Winfield, Ill., native has posted a 2-2 record with a 3.92 ERA in 20.2 innings. And five of his nine earned runs allowed this winter came in one outing.
Bowden was clicking on Monday, as he went 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. The effort was good enough to earn the righty a win in a 6-4 decision.
Other highlights around Caribbean:
Alberto Cabrera came on in relief for Toros del Este of the Dominican league. He pitched four innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and a walk. He struck out three.
Infielder Junior Lake finished the day 2-for-5 with a walk in a 7-5 loss for Estrellas de Oriente of the Dominican league.
The leagues in Puerto Rico and Venezuela were off Monday.
Winter League Highlights: Negrin shines in win
Yoanner Negrin is an arm many people outside the Cubs organization view as an unknown commodity. The Cuban pitcher signed with the Cubs in August of 2011 and spent much of 2012 in the Mexican League—often compared talent-wise to Triple-A ball. He made an August appearance at Double-A Tennessee before a prompt promotion to Triple-A Iowa to wrap up the season. He finished 2012 with a combined 8-7 record, a 3.05 ERA in 124.0 innings, and 91 strikeouts.
Negrin was solid for his Venezuelan Winter League club, Leones del Caracas, Sunday. He went five strong, surrendering one earned run on eight hits with three strikeouts and a walk in a 4-2 win. On the winter, he’s 2-1 with a 3.30 ERA in nine starts (43.2 innings), and has struck out 31 batters and walked 13.
Other winter league highlights include Jae-Hoon Ha‘s solo home run in a Tigres de Aragua 12-4 loss. Cubs infielder Luis Valbuena went 0-for-1 with four walks for the Cardenales’ in a 10-9 win.
Junior Lake was 1-for-3 with a walk in a 4-1 Toros del Estre win over Estrellas Sunday afternoon in the Dominican. Nelson Cruz also drove in a run in his only at-bat for the Toros.
Winter League Highlights: Perez reaches base 5 times
Alberto Cabrera pitched a pair of scoreless innings for Toros del Este Tuesday. (Photo by Stephen Green)
Estrellas de Oriente went more than the distance Tuesday in a 6-5, sixteen-inning win over Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican League. The almost seven-hour game finally ended when Juan Diaz singled to left in the top of the 16th, scoring Jonathan Galvez. A pair of Cubs prospects played a role in the win.
Nelson Perez‘s on-base percentage jumped when he reached base in five of his eight at-bats. The Double-A outfielder went 1-for-4 and drew four walks. He’s hitting .244 with a .385 OBP on the season. Dominican teammate Junior Lake went 1-for-7 with an RBI single in the seventh.
Another pair of Cubs arms played for Toros del Este Tuesday. Major league reliever Alberto Cabrera made his second appearances of the Dominican season, going two innings, surrendering no runs on two hits, and striking out four in a Toros loss. Jeffry Antigua pitched a scoreless ninth and struck out two.
Cubs outfielder Dave Sappelt hit his first homer of the Venezuelan season, a two-run shot to center. He finished the day 1-for-5 in a 12-2 Bravos de Margarita win.
In other Venezuelan action, Luis Valbuena had a pair of hits, including a double, in a 6-5 loss for Cardenales de Lara.
In Mexico, Esmailin Caridad pitched a scoreless eighth in a 3-0 win for Yaquis de Obregon.
