Frazier homers, drives in 4 as Reds beat Cubs
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) Todd Frazier hit his fourth home run this spring and drove in four runs as the Cincinnati Reds beat a Chicago Cubs split squad 9-5 Saturday.
Frazier hit an RBI single in the first inning off Gonzalez Germen, who was pulled after getting only two outs. Frazier also made two errors at third base.
Frazier's three-run home run off Frank Bastista was to right field.
''It's nice to see a guy drive the ball that way,'' Reds manager Bryan Price said. ''That tells you there is a lot going right with his swing.''
Brennan Boesch, making a bid to win a spot as the Reds' fourth outfielder, also hit his fourth homer and doubled.
Brayan Pena beat the shift twice for base hits. Ivan De Jesus Jr. continued an impressive spring by getting on base three times.
''There were a lot of good things,'' Price said.
''We are getting good pitches to hit early in the count and we're not afraid to lay off a pitcher's pitch and hit behind in the count. It is all good pitch identification.''
Reds closer Aroldis Chapman started and struck out the side in his only inning. Manny Parra and Tony Cingrani had scoreless outings as Cincinnati used eight pitchers.
Cubs second baseman Javier Baez had two hits and made two errors. Dexter Fowler hit his first home run of the spring.
Germen gave up four hits and walked three.
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TRAINERS ROOM
Cubs: The Cubs sent a split-squad of able bodied players to Goodyear to face the Reds.
Reds: LHP Sean Marshall is still under a slow throwing program. OF Jason Bourgeois will be out of action another two to three weeks with a fracture in his left shoulder.
STARTING TIME
Cubs: Germen made his first start in his sixth appearance of the spring. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while recording only two outs.
Germen spent last season with the Mets. The Cubs picked him up on waivers from the Texas Rangers on Jan. 23. He has pitched 5 2-3 innings and allowed 10 runs over six outings.
Reds: Parra followed Chapman with a perfect second inning.
''Manny Parra is having a good spring under the radar,'' Price said of the left-hander. ''They came in and attacked the strike zone.''
Mike Leake, who would normally have started, pitched in a minor league game to ensure that he gets up and down five or six times.
Leake pitched 5 2-3 innings against the Triple A White Sox on Saturday. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits, including a two-run home run by Matt Davidson. He threw 93 pitches.
BATTING ORDER
The Cubs' acting manager, Dave Martinez, batted Germen eighth and Javier Baez ninth. Germen's spot didn't appear until the third, long after he was gone.
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP Edwin Jackson will face RHP Edinson Volquez of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
Reds: Veteran RHP Jason Marquis, who pitched six innings in his last start, will pitch against LHP Andrew Heaney of the Los Angeles Angels. RHP J.J. Hoover and RHP Pedro Villarreal will also pitch for the Reds.
