Some good, some bad for Cubs' Tyler Chatwood in spring debut

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chicago Cubs right-hander Tyler Chatwood managed to get in 2 innings of work in Sunday's 9-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

It was mixed bag for Chatwood, who battled control issues last year and lost his job in the starting rotation.

He threw 31 pitches, 17 strikes. In the first inning, he gave up a leadoff single to Joe Panik before getting Gerardo Parra to ground into a double play. Chatwood walked Evan Longoria and then gave up a home run to Brandon Belt. He followed by throwing 1 pitch to Brandon Crawford and getting a groundout.

In the second, he struck out Alen Henson and got Drew Ferguson on a groundout. Chatwood hit Rene Rivera with a pitch before left fielder Kyle Schwarber made a diving catch of Henry Ramos' foul fly to end the inning.

“It was good,” Chatwood said. “I felt good. I felt I made some good pitches. It's just getting more rhythm with my hands. My takeaway was bad last year, and I really didn't realize it.”

Russell gets a start:

Shortstop Addison Russell, who will open the regular season under suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic-violence policy, started Sunday.

“It felt great to get the clay underneath my cleats and being in the lineup, especially with guys that we won the World Series with, for sure,” he said. “It was a great day. I had a lot of fun.”

There was little to no reaction to Russell from the Giants' home crowd.

“The tough stuff is pretty much out of the way, but there's still some room for growth, and that's what I'm looking forward to, and that's what I'm pushing for,” he said. “The crowd today was a pretty nice crowd, a lot of supporting fans today, and that really made my heart explode, as well. It was definitely good to be back out there.”

Scare for Bote:

David Bote started at third base for the Cubs but left the game in the second inning after getting hit on the batting helmet by a pitch from Madison Bumgarner.

The Cubs said Bote was checked out by a Giants doctor and was taken back to the team's complex in Mesa. No diagnosis had been made, according to the Cubs, and they'll wait until the morning to see how Bote is doing.

“Obviously, I don't want to do that,” Bumgarner told media in the Giants' clubhouse. “That's terrible. That (stinks). I'm pretty good at compartmentalizing stuff and moving on to the next thing. That didn't affect me. I am sorry for it.”