Two of the Cubs` most promising young pitchers got hammered Thursday in a 7-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Left-hander Lance Dickson, projected as the Cubs` fourth or fifth starter, got his second loss without a win this spring. He allowed only one earned run in four innings, but walked two and hit a batter, and six of his 12 outs were hard-hit long fly balls.
”I started slow last year and I`m starting slow this year,” Dickson said. ”I don`t know how they feel, but I`m not concerned.”
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Right-hander Bob Scanlan was rocked even harder by the Brewers, giving up five earned runs on three hits and four walks in two-thirds of an inning.
”It seems like he got to the point where he was trying to make a better pitch than he needed to make,” manager Jim Lefebvre said of Scanlan. ”I think both Scanlan and Dickson are throwing good stuff. I just think they`re trying to make too good of pitches. They need to just lay the ball in there.” – Spring training ends two weeks from Saturday, but Lefebvre says he isn`t worried yet that the fourth and fifth starter positions are still in doubt.
”The spots are open and somebody`s got to step forward and take them,” he said. ”Hopefully we can keep learning from each outing.”
– The Cubs have lost all five of their road games this spring. They are 6-3 at HoHoKam Park.
– Dascenzo batted leadoff for the second time this spring and went 2 for 3 with a walk. He was 1 for 4 in his other leadoff appearance.