Cubs Crushed, Cardinals Clip Nationals

Cubs Crushed By Diamondbacks

(Scottsdale, AZ) -- Chris Rusin allowed nine runs in under three innings as the Cubs were clobbered 14-4 by the Diamondbacks in Scottsdale yesterday.  He took over for Jeff Samardjiza, who gave up one run in three innings for a no decision. Mike Olt knocked in half the runs for Chicago. Nate Schierholtz was 3-for-4 with two runs in defeat.  The Cubs clash with the White Sox today.

The Chicago Cubs made a few moves to get down to 32 players in spring camp. The team placed catcher George Kottaras on unconditional release and named John Baker the backup to Welington Castillo. The Cubs lost infielder Donnie Murphy to the Rangers, and catcher Eli Whiteside is on his way to Triple-A Iowa.

Cardinals Clip Nationals

(Jupiter, FL) -- Adam Wainwright tossed five scoreless innings with six strikeouts to guide the Cardinals to a 3-2 win over the Nationals. Trevor Rosenthal locked up his third save. Yadier Molina knocked in all the runs for St. Louis. Allen Craig scored twice in the win. The Cards take on the Marlins today.

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed reliever David Aardsma to a minor league contract. This will be his eighth team since joining the majors in 2004.  Aardsma was with the Mets last season and posted a 4.31 ERA with a 2-2 record in 43 games. In 2009 and 2010 with the Mariners, Aardsma had 38 and 31 saves, respectively.

The St. Louis Cardinals are the eighth most valuable franchise in Major League Baseball. "Forbes" released its annual list Wednesday. The Cards are worth $820-million, a 15-percent jump from last year. The New York Yankees are atop the list at $2.5-billion.

White Sox Top Reds

(Phoenix, AZ) -- John Danks gave up three total runs in six-and-a-third innings to help the White Sox sink the Reds 9-5 Wednesday. Adam Eaton was 4-for-5 with two runs while Jose Abreu hit a three-run homer. Leury Garcia was 3-for-3 with two runs scored in the win. The Sox and Cubs play in Mesa today.

The Chicago White Sox are adding bullpen depth. The team claimed reliever Javy Guerra off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday. He's posted a 2.25 ERA this spring. Guerra only pitched in nine games last season after 45 and 47 the previous two. He was 4-5 with 29 saves and a 2.90 ERA in 101 games for L. A.

Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura told reporters Wednesday that second baseman Gordon Beckham will probably begin the season on the disabled list as he recovers from a strained oblique. Beckham has not played in a spring game since March 14 due to the injury. Rookie Marcus Semien and Leury Garcia are expected to handle second-base duties for Chicago's opening series against Minnesota.

Forbes: Cubs 4th, Sox 14th On Valuation List

The Chicago Cubs are the fourth most valuable franchise in Major League Baseball. The White Sox are 14th on the new "Forbes" list released Wednesday. The Cubs are worth $1.2-billion, a 20-percent jump from last year. The Sox stayed constant at $695-million. The New York Yankees are atop the list at $2.5- billion.

Wednesday, March 26 Scoreboard

MLB Grapefruit League

Baltimore Orioles (ss) 5, Boston Red Sox 4

Detroit Tigers 1, Philadelphia Phillies 0

Atlanta Braves 9, Miami Marlins 2

Toronto Blue Jays 10, New York Yankees 6

Pittsburgh Pirates 2, Minnesota Twins 1

St. Louis Cardinals 3, Washington Nationals 2

Houston Astros 9, New York Mets 6

Baltimore Orioles (ss) 4, Tampa Bay Rays 4

MLB Cactus League

Los Angeles Angels 6, Oakland Athletics 2

San Diego Padres 9, Kansas City Royals 5

Texas Rangers 5, Seattle Mariners 3

Chicago White Sox 9, Cincinnati Reds 5

San Francisco Giants 8, Colorado Rockies 6

Cleveland Indians 10, Milwaukee Brewers 3

Arizona Diamondbacks 14, Chicago Cubs 4

Thursday, March 27 Schedule (Time Central)

MLB Grapefruit League

11:10 a. m. - Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets