Cubs manage without manager Craig Counsell
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Cubs were without their manager for a second consecutive day, and no one around the club seemed to mind. In fact, knowing camp would run smoothly with bench coach Ryan Flaherty at the helm made Craig Counsell being away to watch his daughter play basketball seem like a win-win for all involved.
“Early in camp, he made sure each staff member would have a day to take off,” said Flaherty, who coordinates the Cubs’ spring camp plan. “It’s Craig’s [turn], and he gets to see his daughter play in a big basketball game. It’s pretty special.’’
Junior point guard Rowan Counsell averaged a team-high 21.4 points for the Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes, who played in the Wisconsin Division 2 state semifinals Friday and championship game Saturday night in Green Bay.
It has been a good couple of family weeks for Counsell, whose son Brady played against the Cubs in a Cactus League game on March 5. Brady, a Diamondbacks prospect, exchanged lineup cards with his father before the first pitch.
It was time for Counsell to be a girl dad this weekend. Flaherty, a father of three, was glad to see it happen.
“It’s a time of year we have a chance to do that because in the regular season, we don’t have that chance,” he said.
“It’s six weeks we’re here. It’s the same thing every day, and you kind of get away from it, come back refreshed and maybe you come up with a good idea on an off day. I think it’s good.”
Brown sharp
Ben Brown, who’s being stretched out as a starter but would be fit to assume a multi-innings relief role if he makes the Opening Day roster, was excellent as a starter with four innings of one-run, two-hit ball against the Rockies on Saturday.
“I threw a ton of good pitches today,” Brown said. “Most changeups and executed sinkers I’ve thrown. The four-seamer played really well off the sinker. Really encouraging.”
Jake McCarthy tripled and scored on a groundout in the Rockies’ first, but after that, Brown racked up six strikeouts from the second inning through the fourth inning without walking a batter or allowing a hit. He struck out Ethan Holliday, McCarthy and Brenton Doyle in order in the third.
“We’re hitting our stride right now,” Brown said. “The awkward swings and soft contact . . . we wanted early, easy outs. Just seeing the swings was encouraging.”
Brown (5.92 ERA last season in 106⅓ innings with 15 starts) had sparkling moments, but an up-and-down 2025 saw him dropped from the rotation. The Cubs’ rotation has plenty of depth, so it’s possible Brown opens the season at Triple-A Iowa to continue starting.
Bouncing back from a rough outing against the Padres, Brown (3.38 spring ERA) threw 51 pitches, 39 for strikes.
Ouch
Top shortstop prospect Jefferson Rojas walked off the field with training staff after making a play in the field. There was no immediate word on the extent of the injury for Rojas (1-for-3), who had the only hit against left-hander Kyle Freeland in his scoreless three-inning outing. It was a 110.1 mph liner into the left-field corner for a double.
Rockies 4, Cubs 3
Braxton Fulford walked off the Cubs with a two-run home run against Grant Kipp at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale on Saturday. The Cubs are 9-11 this spring with 10 days and 10 games left in camp.
• Catcher Moises Ballesteros was 1-for-3 with a double and a run and had three balls overturned for ABS strikes for Ben Brown. Right fielder Kevin Alcantara had two of the Cubs’ eight hits, including an RBI single. Designated hitter Jonathon Long, back after being out with a bruised left elbow, went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly.
• Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd, his stint at the World Baseball Classic completed, will pitch in a minor-league game Sunday on four days of rest after his last outing with Team USA.
• On deck: Dodgers at Cubs, 3:05 p.m. Sunday, Mesa, Marquee, 670-AM/104.3-FM, Emmet Sheehan vs. Jameson Taillon.