Sean Marshall sharp as Cubs play longball
MESA, Ariz. - Cubs starter Sean Marshall has been trying to stick to the advice given to him by Greg Maddux in 2006.
He did a pretty good job of it Tuesday, pitching 3 perfect innings in the Cubs' 6-4 win over the Athletics.
"I still remember a lot of the things he was telling me about first pitch strikes, and getting that fastball down and away early and often," Marshall said.
Marshall, a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation, was the first Cubs pitcher to go 3 innings this spring.
"I didn't get ahead of a lot of hitters, but I made some pitches when I was a little behind in the count," Marshall said. "Overall, I thought it was a pretty good day. It was only 3 innings but it was a good stretch out."
Marshall is a 6-foot-7, 205-pounder who made the Cubs rotation out of the 2006 season, crossing paths with Maddux before he was dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline.
"(Current Cub starter Ryan) Dempster and Maddux have always told me the 200-innings mark for starters is a really good mark to shoot for," Marshall said. "So I am shooting for 200 plus innings, and hopefully a lot of quality innings."
" I tell you what, he has gotten stronger and he is throwing with a little more velocity," said Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "He has as good as a curveball as I've seen all spring training. He had a really good year for us last year. He really did. He is throwing the ball as well as anybody in camp. His stuff is crisp."
In Marshall's first two seasons, 43 of his 45 games came as a starter, going 13-17 with a 4.83 ERA. Then in 2008, he made 7 seven starts in 34 appearances.
Marshall and the rest of the Cubs staff was backed by 3 home runs as Alfonso Soriano, Jake Fox and Aramis Ramirez, who had been 0-for-8 this spring, all went deep.
Cubs right-handed reliever Luis Vizcaino, who is expected to make the club as a reliever, saw his first action of the spring after getting a late start because of visa problems and struck out one in an inning. Kevin Gregg, competing for the closer's job, gave up 1 hit in 1 inning. Andrew Cashner, the Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2008, suffered a rough outing by giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk in a third of an inning.
Cubs right-hander Rich Harden threw a bullpen Tuesday morning, and all indications are that it went well.
The Cubs are on the road today with a split squad. Chad Gaudin will start in Goodyear, Ariz., against the Indians, and Milton Bradley is scheduled to return to the lineup as the designated hitter.
The other half of the Cubs will be in Las Vegas to face the White Sox at Cashman Field. That game will be televised on Channel 9 beginning at 9 p.m. Jeff Samardzija is slated to pitch 3 innings against the White Sox. John Danks is scheduled to start for the White Sox.
The Las Vegas trip is something of a homecoming for Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.
"My oldest kid was born in Las Vegas," Guillen said. "When Ozzie was born there, they had like three casinos and one gate to the airport. Now it's amazing."
During the 1984 season, Guillen hit .296 with 5 home runs in Las Vegas as part of the Padres organization. He was traded to the Sox following that season as part of the LaMarr Hoyt deal.