Cubs 8, Giants 2

The Cubs won their 3rd straight Cactus League game against the Giants today. Neifi Perez led the Cubs with two RBIs. Cubs starter John Koronka held the Giants to 1 run on two hits in his two innings of work, and helped himself out with an RBI single in the 5-run first inning. The left-hander, who went 12-9 at AAA Iowa last season, is trying to make a name for himself in his first major-league training camp and make the most of his time in camp. "It's a good experience to be around guys like Wood and Prior and Maddux," Koronka said. "You have to be quiet, shut your mouth and listen." While Koronka is a long shot to make the big-league club this year, he will vie a rotation spot in years to come, along with many of the Cubs' other great young hurlers.

Ryan Dempster, a candidate for the closer job, pitched two brilliant innings, striking out 3 while yielding no walks or hits. Even though this was not a closing situation, Dempster showed his overwhelming stuff and capability. If he continues pitching like he did today, he should be an excellent choice to close.

On a more troubling note, the Cubs committed 4 errors today. However, all of the box scores I have seen do not list the players who committed the errors.

Former Cub Moises Alou didn't do much of anything for the Giants, finishing going hitless in two at-bats. In the first inning, Alou came to bat with the bases loaded and promptly lined into a double play. For some odd reason, fans at HoHoKam Park gave Alou quite an ovation when he came to bat. Personally, I'm glad he's gone. A clubhouse distraction with zero baserunning skills is not someone I would want on my team, and he's only going to get worse as he ages. Good riddance.

Next Up: Sunday, March 6 vs. Giants at Scottsdale, 2:05 pm CT, WGN Radio

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