LAS VEGAS—Tom Gorzelanny proved he could pitch out of a jam, even though it was one of his own creation.The 6-foot-2, 205-pound left-hander held the White Sox to no hits over the first three innings of the Cubs 6-5 victory Friday night.Gorzelanny, who joined the team last season, left after three innings with the Cubs leading 3-1. That caused mixed reviews of a pitcher who is trying to secure the Cubs’ fourth or fifth starter spot. “You like seeing the no hits, but you don’t like to see the one run,” Cubs bench coach Alan Trammell said. Trammell managed the split-squad Cubs in place of manager Lou Piniella, who didn’t accompany the team to Las Vegas.Gorzelanny’s wild pitch with the bases loaded in the second allowed Andruw Jones to score and trim the Cubs’ lead to 2-1. Gorzelanny walked the bases loaded but also struck out the side in the inning. He ended with four strikeouts, three walks and an earned run over three innings, throwing 52 pitches – 30 for strikes.The Cubs won the game on Josh Vitters’ two-run triple in the seventh inning that put them ahead to stay.Vitters’ hit gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead and he scored on Mike Fontenot’s single to stretch the lead to two runs. Fontenot finished with three hits and two RBIs.Alejandro De Aza‘s second RBI single pulled the White Sox within one in the eighth.The White Sox scored three runs in the sixth – capped by De Aza’s first RBI single – to take a 4-3 lead, their only advantage of the game.
TEMPE—Jake Peavy’s first spring training outing looked more like a regular-season start.He was that sharp, and showed no signs of fatigue from jamming at his late-night “Woodjock” charity concert Thursday that drew some 1,200 people.The White Sox also looked impressive at the plate in a 10-7 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, getting two-run homers from Gordon Beckham and Alex Rios in a split-squad game.Peavy finally got to take the mound in the desert. His first scheduled start Sunday was rained out, though he still made the most of the day by throwing a bullpen session in the cage against live hitters.The 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner for San Diego has said the right ankle trouble that limited him last season is a thing of the past – and it sure seems that way.Peavy struck out three in three scoreless innings, allowing two hits in an efficient 38-pitch performance.Peavy said. “I was able to Peavy stuck mostly to fastballs, throwing about six off-speed pitches and five in a row at one point. He had a scare with two out in the first, when Torii Hunter’s hard-hit single up the middle glanced off his left shoulder.After Hunter’s single, Peavy recorded five straight outs before allowing his only other hit, to Gary Patchett.Beckham hit an RBI double in the first and his first homer of the spring in the second as the White Sox staked Peavy to a 5-0 lead. The Sox produced seven straight extra-base hits after Jordan Danks led off the game with a single.Bobby Jenks doesn’t look ready. He followed up a shaky inning against the Dodgers on March 6 – two earned runs, two hits, two walks – by getting clobbered for five runs and four hits in 2-3 of an inning.Peavy is eager to get in a couple more spring starts and then move on to the real thing. He said the White Sox consider themselves the favorites in the AL Central.
NOTES—Peavy wasn’t sure yet how much money his concert raised for several different charities, but he hopes to make it an annual thing during spring training. “I’m not sure of the amount but I got a big thumbs up when I walked out,” Peavy said. “I want to thank everybody for coming out. It was an incredible event. I’m happy to have my name on it.” … Angels RHP Scot Shields allowed one hit in one inning with a strikeout in his first outing since left knee surgery last June. “The knee felt good,” the reliever said. “I get nervous every time I pitch. I don’t care where it is or who it is. But there was a little something extra there today.” … Manager Ozzie Guillen and the other half of the White Sox flew to Las Vegas for two games against the Cubs. Bench coach Joey Cora managed the Sox in this one. … Beckham entered the game batting .143. … White Sox OF prospect Jared Mitchell, selected 23rd overall last June out of Louisiana State, was taken to the hospital for X-rays after hurting his right ankle making a spectacular catch against the wall on Juan Rivera’s deep fly ball to start the sixth. Cora said he didn’t believe Mitchell broke a bone but more tests were needed on the ligaments.
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PHOENIX—The Cubs split their squad,taking most regulars to Las Vegas,and it showed against the Milwaukee Brewers who took advantage of bad fielding and a roughfirst inning by Jeff Samardzija. The Crew also started long time Cub nemisis Doug Davis and the result was a 12-3 rout. Rickie Weeks started with a double down the LF line and scored when rookie Starling Castro air mailed a throw over Brian LaHair’s head at 1B. It was ruled a single and an error as Alcides Escobar took second. Two outs later,Jim Edmonds,who helped the Cubs two years ago,but who has come ouit of retirement with Milwaukee,blasted a long homer to dead CF. Gregg Zaun followed with one of his own to RF. Samardzija did settle down in the second inning,even escaping a two on jam. Tyler Colin tripled oiff the wall for the Cubs in the 2nd off Davis and scored on a sac fly by Alfonso Soriano. The Brewers busted it open with a five spot in the 5th.
NOTES—Attendance was 7,968…This split Cubs team hosts the Reds at Ho Ho Kam Park Saturday….The only other Cub regular other than Soriano here was Aramis Ramirez.
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