Team Italy vs. Chicago Cubs (4-5-3) March 7, 2017 … Sloan Park … Exhibition Game LHP Luis Lugo vs. RHP John Lackey (0-0, 0.00) 2017 CACTUS LEAGUE SEASON: The Chicago Cubs take a break from Cactus League play and host the World Baseball Classic’s Team Italy in an exhibition Cubs 2017 Spring Record game at Sloan Park … today’s stats will not count towards Cactus League Overall: 4-5-3 ......................... Home: 2-2-2 ...................... Road: 2-3-1 numbers. This marks the Cubs’ 39th-consecutive spring in Mesa, Ariz., the longest Upcoming Probable Starters active streak in the Cactus League. San Francisco is second, as this marks the club’s 37th consecutive Wednesday: spring in Scottsdale, Ariz. OFF DAY TEMPE TREATED US WELL: The Cubs yesterday defeated the Angels, 13-10, at Thursday vs. Mariners: Tempe Diablo Stadium … Jason Heyward doubled, homered, drove in three runs TBD vs. LHP Mike Montgomery (0-1, 0.00) and scored twice while Munenori Kawasaki drove in four runs and went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored … Ben Zobrist was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk Cubs Game-By-Game Schedule/Results and three RBI. Jake Arrieta made his Cactus League debut and allowed three runs (two DATE OPPONENT RESULT ATT. earned) in 2.0 innings … righty Ryan Williams spun 2.0 scoreless innings, Sat, 2/25 Oakland W, 4-3 14,929 allowing two hits while striking out one. San Francisco – Scottsdale L, 6-8 11,515 GIMME Ap “B!”: The Cubs and Angels will play a “B” Game this Thursday at 10 Sun, 2/26 Cleveland T, 1-1 15,388 a.m. Arizona time … the game will take place at field one by Chicago’s Under Mon, 2/27 Chicago (A.L.) T, 4-4 14,621 Armour Performance Center. Tue, 2/28 Los Angeles (A.L.) L, 5-7 12,688 HEY, WE KNOW HIM!: Cubs non-roster outfielder John Andreoli will be on Wed, 3/1 Kansas City – Surprise W, 7-3 7,593 Team Italy’s roster this afternoon. Thu, 3/2 Cincinnati – Goodyear L, 2-6 6,722 SIMPLY OFFENSIVE: Cubs hitters have plated 31 runs in the team’s last three Arizona – Scottsdale L, 1-3 13,309 games after scoring 34 runs in their first nine games of the Cactus League season … Chicago’s team batting average has risen 22 points in the last three Fri, 3/3 Cincinnati L, 4-8 15,037 games, from .224 to .246, while the team OPS has increased from .644 to .728 Sat, 3/4 Los Angeles (N.L.) W, 9-3 15,438 (an 84-point increase). Sun, 3/5 Texas – Surprise T, 9-9 11,048 CAMP BREAKDOWN: The Cubs have 66 players in camp, including 26 non- Mon, 3/6 Los Angeles (A.L.) – Tempe W,13-10 7,384 roster invitees … the breakdown by position: 40 pitchers (16 non-roster), six Tue, 3/7 WBC Team Italy* catchers (two non-roster), 12 infielders (five non-roster) and eight outfielders Wed, 3/8 OFF DAY (three non-roster). Thu, 3/9 Seattle* Chicago has its top selections in the 2011 (Javier Baez), 2012 (Albert Almora Jr.), 2013 (Kris Bryant), 2014 (Kyle Schwarber) and 2015 (Ian Fri, 3/10 Seattle – Peoria (1:10 p.m.)* Happ) drafts in camp. Sat, 3/11 Colorado+ This year’s camp has players from seven countries or commonwealths Sun, 3/12 Oakland – Mesa+ represented: the United States, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Mon, 3/13 San Diego – Peoria (1:10 p.m.)* Tue, 3/14 Milwaukee* JOE MADDON AT THE HELM: Joe Maddon begins his third season as manager of the Cubs after last season leading Chicago to its first World Series title in 108 Wed, 3/15 Arizona (7:05 p.m.)^* years … in his first season with the Cubs, he was named the 2015 N.L. Manager Thu, 3/16 Los Angeles (N.L.) – Glendale* of the Year by the BBWAA. Fri, 3/17 Chicago (A.L.) – Glendale (12:05 p.m.)* The 2017 campaign marks Maddon’s 43rd season in professional Sat, 3/18 WBC Asia Team* baseball, his 24th at the major league level and 12th as a major league manager. Milwaukee – Maryvale+ Maddon previously managed the Rays for nine years from 2006-14, Sun, 3/19 Kansas City (7:05 p.m.)^+ leading Tampa Bay to four post-season appearances (2008, 2010, 2011, Mon, 3/20 Colorado – Scottsdale (1:10 p.m.)* 2013) and winning the American League pennant in 2008. Tue, 3/21 OFF DAY ABOUT THE COACHING STAFF: The Cubs return the same coaching staff from Wed, 3/22 Cincinnati – Goodyear (6:05 p.m.)^+ the last two seasons, with bench coach Dave Martinez and hitting coach John Thu, 3/23 Arizona – Scottsdale* (1:10 p.m.) Mallee beginning their third seasons with the Cubs … pitching coach Chris Bosio starts his sixth year with the club. Fri, 3/24 Cleveland* Brandon Hyde handles first base coaching duties for a third-straight Sat, 3/25 Cincinnati (Cashman Field, Las Vegas, 1:05 PT)^+ season while third-base coach Gary Jones returns for his fourth season Colorado – Scottsdale (1:10 p.m.)* … Lester Strode enters his 11th season as the team’s bullpen coach … Sun, 3/26 San Diego* Mike Borzello is in his sixth year with the team as the catching and strategy coach. Cincinnati (Cashman Field, Las Vegas, 1:05 PT)#+ Eric Hinske is in his fourth year on the Cubs coaching staff, his third as Mon, 3/27 Cleveland – Goodyear (6:05 p.m.)+ assistant hitting coach … Henry Blanco is in his third year as a quality Tue, 3/28 San Francisco^* assurance coach, Franklin Font is in his sixth season as a staff assistant and Chad Noble is in his fourth season as the bullpen catcher. Wed, 3/29 Oakland* Thu, 3/30 Houston (Minute Maid Park, 7:10 p.m. CT)#* NEWCOMERS: Chicago enters the season with 13 new players on the 40-man roster since the conclusion of the 2016 season … the Cubs also had 13 new Fri, 3/31 Houston (Minute Maid Park, 1:10 p.m. CT)^* players on the 40-man entering the 2016 Spring Training campaign. +670 The Score … #WGN … ^CSN … *Cubs.com Pitchers Brett Anderson, Brian Duensing and Koji Uehara, as well as All Games 1:05 p.m. Arizona time unless otherwise noted outfielder Jon Jay, were signed as free agents. Pitchers Eddie Butler, Wade Davis, Alec Mills and Caleb Smith were 2017 SLOAN PARK ATTENDANCE FIGURES acquired via trades. Pitchers Jack Leathersich, José Rosario and Duane Underwood, catcher No. of Games at Sloan Park/Total Attendance ......................... 6/88,101 Victor Caratini and outfielder Jacob Hannemann were promoted from Average Attendance ..................................................................... 14,684 within. WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: The Cubs have eight players in their organization 2016 REVIEW: The Cubs in 2016 won their third World Series in franchise on World Baseball Classic rosters, including five in major league camp: John history, and their first since winning consecutive titles in 1907 and 1908, when Andreoli (Italy), Javier Baez (Puerto Rico), Jim Henderson (Canada), Jhondaniel they defeated the Cleveland Indians in the Fall Classic, four-games-to-three … Medina (Venezuela) and Hector Rondon (Venezuela). the N.L. Pennant was Chicago’s first since 1945 … Chicago dispatched of the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS, 3-1, before they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4- Also on WBC rosters from the Cubs organization: RHP Miguel Mejia 2, in the NLCS. (Puerto Rico), RHP Mario Meza (Mexico) and RHP Erling Moreno (Colombia). SLOAN PARK: The Cubs return for their fourth season at Sloan Park following 17 FIVE ON THE LIST: Five Cubs made MLB.com’s Top-100 Prospects List that came years at HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa (1997-2013) … the club set numerous out last month: outfielder Eloy Jimenez is 13th, infielder Ian Happ is 28th, Spring Training attendance marks last season, averaging 15,078 fans per game. outfielder Albert Almora Jr. is 75th, pitcher Dylan Cease is 77th and infielder Sloan Park owns the top-10 single-game Cactus League attendance Jeimer Candelario is 96th. marks, including the record of 15,523 set March 20, 2016 vs. the Royals. CUBS ON Cubs Starters & Relievers in 2017 Cactus League Play THE MOUND W-L ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO Spring Training Cubs Starters 1-3 4.35 20.2 22 12 10 3 4 15 Cubs Relievers 2-2 5.44 84.1 89 53 51 10 37 61 Totals 4-5 5.23 105.0 111 65 61 13 41 76 Today’s Cubs Starter — #41 RHP John Lackey W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO 2015 — St. Louis 13-10 2.77 33 33 1 0 218.0 211 71 67 21 53 175 2016 — CUBS 11-8 3.35 29 29 0 0 188.1 146 74 70 23 53 180 MAJOR LEAGUE TOTALS 176-135 3.88 417 416 18 8 2669.2 2697 1254 1150 283 762 2145 John is in his second season with Chicago after he signed a two-year deal with the Cubs, December 8, 2015 ... holds a career record of 176-135 with a 3.88 ERA (1,150 ER/2,669.2 IP) in 417 games across 14 major league seasons with the Angels (2002-09), Red Sox (2010-11 and 13-14), Cardinals (2014-15) and Cubs. Is one of just 17 pitchers to record at least one victory against all 30 current major league franchises.