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MESA, Arizona — The Cubs’ 5-1 loss to the White Sox on another very hot afternoon was painfully reminiscent of some Shōta Imanaga starts last year.
Imanaga threw 47 pitches in 2.2 innings. Three of those pitches left the yard, solo homers by Edgar Quero, Austin Hays and Braden M0ntgomery, two of whom will likely be starting players for the White Sox this year and the third, one of their top prospects.
But should we really be concerned about three homers in a Spring Training game in a hitters’ environment where the temperature reached into the 90s? Let’s look at each of the homers.
Here’s the Quero homer, with one out in the first [VIDEO].
Now look at where that pitch was:
That was … I dunno, chopped out of the ballpark? That has to be three inches above the strike zone. I don’t think that ball is a home run at Wrigley Field with the wind blowing in. On a hot day in Mesa? Sure.
Here’s the Montgomery long ball [VIDEO].
Here’s where that pitch was:
That’s a pretty good pitcher’s pitch, jamming Montgomery low in the zone, and he golfed it out of the yard.
Now here’s the Hays blast [VIDEO].
And the pitch location:
Again, that’s not a bad pitcher’s pitch, low and away. Hays just got it. Credit to the hitter on this one.
So … am I worried? Not really.
The Cubs’ only run scored on Alex Bregman’s first homer in a Cubs uniform, in the bottom of the first [VIDEO].
Bregman, like Quero, got a high fastball and did not miss it:
Lenyn Sosa also homered for the White Sox, off minor leaguer Zane Mills. The fifth Sox run came off Hunter Harvey in the fourth, and after that scoring was done for the afternoon. Caleb Thielbar, Luke Little and Corbin Martin threw scoreless innings, and Grant Kipp, who might be at Triple-A Iowa this year, put six Sox minor leaguers down in order in the eighth and ninth.
Bregman also doubled and walked in what’s likely his final game for the Cubs for a couple of weeks, as he heads to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Pete Crow-Armstrong, also headed for Team USA, singled twice in three at-bats.
It was another very hot day in Mesa (Bluesky link):
Attendance watch: A full house of 15,270 attended Sunday’s game. That makes the season total for six dates 71,309, or 11,885 per date.
After the game the Cubs announced they had claimed Ben Cowles on waivers from the Blue Jays. I don’t know exactly what’s going on with Cowles; the Cubs keep waiving him and re-claiming him. To make room on the 40-man roster for Cowles, Shelby Miller was placed on the 60-day injured list.
Monday, the Cubs head to the west Valley to play the Reds at Goodyear. Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs, and then he, too, heads to the WBC to play for Team Canada. Brady Singer will go for Cincinnati. Game time Monday is 2:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will again be via Marquee Sports Network, and also on Reds TV. No radio on Monday.